Sensory Processing Disorder Checklist: Signs And Symptoms Of Dysfunction

The purpose of this sensory processing disorder checklist is to help parents and professionals who interact with children become educated about particular signs of sensory processing dysfunction.

It is not to be used as the absolute diagnostic criteria for labeling children with sensory processing disorder. But rather, as an educational tool and checklist for your own knowledge. Professionals who can diagnose this disorder have their own tools in addition to checklists to observe and test for sensory integration dysfunction.

As you go through this list, you may say, "Wow, my child has so many of these characteristics/behaviors, he must have a sensory processing disorder!!"

That MAY be true, and I want you to take it very seriously if you find a host of these to be characteristic of your child. But, then use this as a guide to speak with your doctor and an Occupational Therapist so you can clearly explain why you think your child may need help.

Or, you may go through the list and say,

"No big deal, so my child has some of these behaviors/characteristics, doesn't every child?"

Well, this may be true too and your child's behavior may fluctuate from day to day.

What we need to be concerned with is which symptoms your child shows, which category they are having difficulty with, how much it interferes with their or other's lives and what kind of impact it is having on their level of functioning. They may have a lot in one category and none in another or some in all categories. This will help target diagnosis and treatment.

Lastly, you may go through the list and say,

"Oh my gosh, that is what I have been dealing with my whole life".

Then I say, I'm so sorry you never got the help you needed! Perhaps we can start to work on it now.

Identifying and understanding this disorder is HUGE!

Please understand the "Five Caveats" that Carol Stock Kranowitz points out in her book, "The Out-Of-Sync Child" (1995), about using a checklist such as this. She writes:

1. "The child with sensory dysfunction does not necessarily exhibit every characteristic. Thus, the child with vestibular dysfunction may have poor balance but good muscle tone."

2. "Sometimes the child will show characteristics of a dysfunction one day but not the next. For instance, the child with proprioceptive problems may trip over every bump in the pavement on Friday yet score every soccer goal on Saturday. Inconsistency is a hallmark of every neurological dysfunction. "

3. "The child may exhibit characteristics of a particular dysfunction yet not have that dysfunction. For example, the child who typically withdraws from being touched may seem to be hypersensitive to tactile stimulation but may, instead, have an emotional problem."

4. "The child may be both hypersensitive and hyposensitive. For instance, the child may be extremely sensitive to light touch, jerking away from a soft pat on the shoulder, while being rather indifferent to the deep pain of an inoculation."

5. "Everyone has some sensory integration problems now and then, because no one is well regulated all the time. All kinds of stimuli can temporarily disrupt normal functioning of the brain, either by overloading it with, or by depriving it of, sensory stimulation."

Tactile Sense: input from the skin receptors about touch, pressure, temperature, pain, and movement of the hairs on the skin.

Signs Of Tactile Dysfunction:

 1. Hypersensitivity To Touch (Tactile Defensiveness)

__ becomes fearful, anxious or aggressive with light or unexpected touch

__ as an infant, did/does not like to be held or cuddled; may arch back, cry, and pull away

__ distressed when diaper is being, or needs to be, changed

__ appears fearful of, or avoids standing in close proximity to other people or peers (especially in lines)

__ becomes frightened when touched from behind or by someone/something they can not see (such as under a blanket)

__ complains about having hair brushed; may be very picky about using a particular brush

__ bothered by rough bed sheets (i.e., if old and "bumpy")

__ avoids group situations for fear of the unexpected touch

__ resists friendly or affectionate touch from anyone besides parents or siblings (and sometimes them too!)

__ dislikes kisses, will "wipe off" place where kissed

__ prefers hugs

__ a raindrop, water from the shower, or wind blowing on the skin may feel like torture and produce adverse and avoidance reactions

__ may overreact to minor cuts, scrapes, and or bug bites

__ avoids touching certain textures of material (blankets, rugs, stuffed animals)

__ refuses to wear new or stiff clothes, clothes with rough textures, turtlenecks, jeans, hats, or belts, etc.

__ avoids using hands for play

__ avoids/dislikes/aversive to "messy play", i.e., sand, mud, water, glue, glitter, playdoh, slime, shaving cream/funny foam etc.

__ will be distressed by dirty hands and want to wipe or wash them frequently

__ excessively ticklish

__ distressed by seams in socks and may refuse to wear them

__ distressed by clothes rubbing on skin; may want to wear shorts and short sleeves year round, toddlers may prefer to be naked and pull diapers and clothes off constantly

__ or, may want to wear long sleeve shirts and long pants year round to avoid having skin exposed

__ distressed about having face washed

__ distressed about having hair, toenails, or fingernails cut

__ resists brushing teeth and is extremely fearful of the dentist

__ is a picky eater, only eating certain tastes and textures; mixed textures tend to be avoided as well as hot or cold foods; resists trying new foods

__ may refuse to walk barefoot on grass or sand

__ may walk on toes only

2. Hyposensitivity To Touch (Under-Responsive):

__ may crave touch, needs to touch everything and everyone

__ is not aware of being touched/bumped unless done with extreme force or intensity

__ is not bothered by injuries, like cuts and bruises, and shows no distress with shots (may even say they love getting shots!)

__ may not be aware that hands or face are dirty or feel his/her nose running

__ may be self-abusive; pinching, biting, or banging his own head

__ mouths objects excessively

__ frequently hurts other children or pets while playing

__ repeatedly touches surfaces or objects that are soothing (i.e., blanket)

__ seeks out surfaces and textures that provide strong tactile feedback

__ thoroughly enjoys and seeks out messy play

__ craves vibrating or strong sensory input

__ has a preference and craving for excessively spicy, sweet, sour, or salty foods

3. Poor Tactile Perception And Discrimination:

__ has difficulty with fine motor tasks such as buttoning, zipping, and fastening clothes

__ may not be able to identify which part of their body was touched if they were not looking

__ may be afraid of the dark

__ may be a messy dresser; looks disheveled, does not notice pants are twisted, shirt is half un tucked, shoes are untied, one pant leg is up and one is down, etc.

__ has difficulty using scissors, crayons, or silverware

__ continues to mouth objects to explore them even after age two

__ has difficulty figuring out physical characteristics of objects; shape, size, texture, temperature, weight, etc.

__ may not be able to identify objects by feel, uses vision to help; such as, reaching into backpack or desk to retrieve an item

Vestibular Sense: input from the inner ear about equilibrium, gravitational changes, movement experiences, and position in space.

Signs Of Vestibular Dysfunction:

1. Hypersensitivity To Movement (Over-Responsive):

 
__ avoids/dislikes playground equipment; i.e., swings, ladders, slides, or merry-go-rounds

__ prefers sedentary tasks, moves slowly and cautiously, avoids taking risks, and may appear "wimpy"

__ avoids/dislikes elevators and escalators; may prefer sitting while they are on them or, actually get motion sickness from them

__ may physically cling to an adult they trust

__ may appear terrified of falling even when there is no real risk of it

__ afraid of heights, even the height of a curb or step

__ fearful of feet leaving the ground

__ fearful of going up or down stairs or walking on uneven surfaces

__ afraid of being tipped upside down, sideways or backwards; will strongly resist getting hair washed over the sink

__ startles if someone else moves them; i.e., pushing his/her chair closer to the table

__ as an infant, may never have liked baby swings or jumpers

__ may be fearful of, and have difficulty riding a bike, jumping, hopping, or balancing on one foot (especially if eyes are closed)

__ may have disliked being placed on stomach as an infant

__ loses balance easily and may appear clumsy

__ fearful of activities which require good balance

__ avoids rapid or rotating movements

2. Hyposensitivity To Movement (Under-Responsive):

__ in constant motion, can't seem to sit still

__ craves fast, spinning, and/or intense movement experiences

__ loves being tossed in the air

__ could spin for hours and never appear to be dizzy

__ loves the fast, intense, and/or scary rides at amusement parks

__ always jumping on furniture, trampolines, spinning in a swivel chair, or getting into upside down positions

__ loves to swing as high as possible and for long periods of time

__ is a "thrill-seeker"; dangerous at times

__ always running, jumping, hopping etc. instead of walking

__ rocks body, shakes leg, or head while sitting

__ likes sudden or quick movements, such as, going over a big bump in the car or on a bike

3. Poor Muscle Tone And/Or Coordination:

__ has a limp, "floppy" body

__ frequently slumps, lies down, and/or leans head on hand or arm while working at his/her desk

__ difficulty simultaneously lifting head, arms, and legs off the floor while lying on stomach ("superman" position)

__ often sits in a "W sit" position on the floor to stabilize body

__ fatigues easily!

__ compensates for "looseness" by grasping objects tightly

__ difficulty turning doorknobs, handles, opening and closing items

__ difficulty catching him/her self if falling

__ difficulty getting dressed and doing fasteners, zippers, and buttons

__ may have never crawled as an baby

__ has poor body awareness; bumps into things, knocks things over, trips, and/or appears clumsy

__ poor gross motor skills; jumping, catching a ball, jumping jacks, climbing a ladder etc.

__ poor fine motor skills; difficulty using "tools", such as pencils, silverware, combs, scissors etc.

__ may appear ambidextrous, frequently switching hands for coloring, cutting, writing etc.; does not have an established hand preference/dominance by 4 or 5 years old

__ has difficulty licking an ice cream cone

__ seems to be unsure about how to move body during movement, for example, stepping over something

__ difficulty learning exercise or dance steps

Proprioceptive Sense: input from the muscles and joints about body position, weight, pressure, stretch, movement, and changes in position in space.

Signs Of Proprioceptive Dysfunction:

1. Sensory Seeking Behaviors:

__ seeks out jumping, bumping, and crashing activities

__ stomps feet when walking

__ kicks his/her feet on floor or chair while sitting at desk/table

__ bites or sucks on fingers and/or frequently cracks his/her knuckles

__ loves to be tightly wrapped in many or weighted blankets, especially at bedtime

__ prefers clothes (and belts, hoods, shoelaces) to be as tight as possible

__ loves/seeks out "squishing" activities

__ enjoys bear hugs

__ excessive banging on/with toys and objects

__ loves "roughhousing" and tackling/wrestling games

__ frequently falls on floor intentionally

__ would jump on a trampoline for hours on end

__ grinds his/her teeth throughout the day

__ loves pushing/pulling/dragging objects

__ loves jumping off furniture or from high places

__ frequently hits, bumps or pushes other children

__ chews on pens, straws, shirt sleeves etc.

2. Difficulty With "Grading Of Movement":

 
__ misjudges how much to flex and extend muscles during tasks/activities (i.e., putting arms into sleeves or climbing)

__ difficulty regulating pressure when writing/drawing; may be too light to see or so hard the tip of writing utensil breaks

__ written work is messy and he/she often rips the paper when erasing

__ always seems to be breaking objects and toys

__ misjudges the weight of an object, such as a glass of juice, picking it up with too much force sending it flying or spilling, or with too little force and complaining about objects being too heavy

__ may not understand the idea of "heavy" or "light"; would not be able to hold two objects and tell you which weighs more

__ seems to do everything with too much force; i.e., walking, slamming doors, pressing things too hard, slamming objects down

__ plays with animals with too much force, often hurting them

Signs Of Auditory Dysfunction: (no diagnosed hearing problem)

1. Hypersensitivity To Sounds (Auditory Defensiveness):

__ distracted by sounds not normally noticed by others; i.e., humming of lights or refrigerators, fans, heaters, or clocks ticking

__ fearful of the sound of a flushing toilet (especially in public bathrooms), vacuum, hairdryer, squeaky shoes, or a dog barking

__ started with or distracted by loud or unexpected sounds

__ bothered/distracted by background environmental sounds; i.e., lawn mowing or outside construction

__ frequently asks people to be quiet; i.e., stop making noise, talking, or singing

__ runs away, cries, and/or covers ears with loud or unexpected sounds

__ may refuse to go to movie theaters, parades, skating rinks, musical concerts etc.

__ may decide whether they like certain people by the sound of their voice

2. Hyposensitivity To Sounds (Under-Registers):

__ often does not respond to verbal cues or to name being called

__ appears to "make noise for noise's sake"

__ loves excessively loud music or TV

__ seems to have difficulty understanding or remembering what was said

__ appears oblivious to certain sounds

__ appears confused about where a sound is coming from

__ talks self through a task, often out loud

__ had little or no vocalizing or babbling as an infant

__ needs directions repeated often, or will say, "What?" frequently

Signs Of Oral Input Dysfunction:

1. Hypersensitivity To Oral Input (Oral Defensiveness):

__ picky eater, often with extreme food preferences; i.e., limited repertoire of foods, picky about brands, resistive to trying new foods or restaurants, and may not eat at other people's houses)

__ may only eat "soft" or pureed foods past 24 months of age

__ may gag with textured foods

__ has difficulty with sucking, chewing, and swallowing; may choke or have a fear of choking

__ resists/refuses/extremely fearful of going to the dentist or having dental work done

__ may only eat hot or cold foods

__ refuses to lick envelopes, stamps, or stickers because of their taste

__ dislikes or complains about toothpaste and mouthwash

__ avoids seasoned, spicy, sweet, sour or salty foods; prefers bland foods

2. Hyposensitivity To Oral Input (Under-Registers)

__ may lick, taste, or chew on inedible objects

__ prefers foods with intense flavor; i.e., excessively spicy, sweet, sour, or salty

__ excessive drooling past the teething stage

__ frequently chews on hair, shirt, or fingers

__ constantly putting objects in mouth past the toddler years

__ acts as if all foods taste the same

__ can never get enough condiments or seasonings on his/her food

__ loves vibrating toothbrushes and even trips to the dentist

Signs Of Olfactory Dysfunction (Smells):

1. Hypersensitivity To Smells (Over-Responsive):

__ reacts negatively to, or dislikes smells which do not usually bother, or get noticed, by other people

__ tells other people (or talks about) how bad or funny they smell

__ refuses to eat certain foods because of their smell

__ offended and/or nauseated by bathroom odors or personal hygiene smells

__ bothered/irritated by smell of perfume or cologne

__ bothered by household or cooking smells

__ may refuse to play at someone's house because of the way it smells

__ decides whether he/she likes someone or some place by the way it smells

2. Hyposensitivity To Smells (Under-Responsive):

__ has difficulty discriminating unpleasant odors

__ may drink or eat things that are poisonous because they do not notice the noxious smell

__ unable to identify smells from scratch 'n sniff stickers

__ does not notice odors that others usually complain about

__ fails to notice or ignores unpleasant odors

__ makes excessive use of smelling when introduced to objects, people, or places

__ uses smell to interact with objects

Signs Of Visual Input Dysfunction (No Diagnosed Visual Deficit):

1. Hypersensitivity To Visual Input (Over-Responsiveness)

__ sensitive to bright lights; will squint, cover eyes, cry and/or get headaches from the light

__ has difficulty keeping eyes focused on task/activity he/she is working on for an appropriate amount of time

__ easily distracted by other visual stimuli in the room; i.e., movement, decorations, toys, windows, doorways etc.

__ has difficulty in bright colorful rooms or a dimly lit room

__ rubs his/her eyes, has watery eyes or gets headaches after reading or watching TV

__ avoids eye contact

__ enjoys playing in the dark

2. Hyposensitivity To Visual Input (Under-Responsive Or Difficulty With Tracking, Discrimination, Or Perception):

__ has difficulty telling the difference between similar printed letters or figures; i.e., p & q, b & d, + and x, or square and rectangle

__ has a hard time seeing the "big picture"; i.e., focuses on the details or patterns within the picture

__ has difficulty locating items among other items; i.e., papers on a desk, clothes in a drawer, items on a grocery shelf, or toys in a bin/toy box

__ often loses place when copying from a book or the chalkboard

__ difficulty controlling eye movement to track and follow moving objects

__ has difficulty telling the difference between different colors, shapes, and sizes

__ often loses his/her place while reading or doing math problems

__ makes reversals in words or letters when copying, or reads words backwards; i.e., "was" for "saw" and "no" for "on" after first grade

__ complains about "seeing double"

__ difficulty finding differences in pictures, words, symbols, or objects

__ difficulty with consistent spacing and size of letters during writing and/or lining up numbers in math problems

__ difficulty with jigsaw puzzles, copying shapes, and/or cutting/tracing along a line

__ tends to write at a slant (up or down hill) on a page

__ confuses left and right

__ fatigues easily with schoolwork

__ difficulty judging spatial relationships in the environment; i.e., bumps into objects/people or missteps on curbs and stairs

Auditory-Language Processing Dysfunction:

__ unable to locate the source of a sound

__ difficulty identifying people's voices

__ difficulty discriminating between sounds/words; i.e., "dare" and "dear"

__ difficulty filtering out other sounds while trying to pay attention to one person talking

__ bothered by loud, sudden, metallic, or high-pitched sounds

__ difficulty attending to, understanding, and remembering what is said or read; often asks for directions to be repeated and may only be able to understand or follow two sequential directions at a time

__ looks at others to/for reassurance before answering

__ difficulty putting ideas into words (written or verbal)

__ often talks out of turn or "off topic"

__ if not understood, has difficulty re-phrasing; may get frustrated, angry, and give up

__ difficulty reading, especially out loud (may also be dyslexic)

__ difficulty articulating and speaking clearly

__ ability to speak often improves after intense movement

Social, Emotional, Play, And Self-Regulation Dysfunction:

Social:

__ difficulty getting along with peers

__ prefers playing by self with objects or toys rather than with people

__ does not interact reciprocally with peers or adults; hard to have a "meaningful" two-way conversation

__ self-abusive or abusive to others

__ others have a hard time interpreting child's cues, needs, or emotions

__ does not seek out connections with familiar people

Emotional:

__ difficulty accepting changes in routine (to the point of tantrums)

__ gets easily frustrated

__ often impulsive

__ functions best in small group or individually

__ variable and quickly changing moods; prone to outbursts and tantrums

__ prefers to play on the outside, away from groups, or just be an observer

__ avoids eye contact

__ difficulty appropriately making needs known

Play:

__ difficulty with imitative play (over 10 months)

__ wanders aimlessly without purposeful play or exploration (over 15 months)

__ needs adult guidance to play, difficulty playing independently (over 18 months)

__ participates in repetitive play for hours; i.e., lining up toys cars, blocks, watching one movie over and over etc.

Self-Regulation:

__ excessive irritability, fussiness or colic as an infant

__ can't calm or soothe self through pacifier, comfort object, or caregiver

__ can't go from sleeping to awake without distress

__ requires excessive help from caregiver to fall asleep; i.e., rubbing back or head, rocking, long walks, or car rides

Internal  Regulation (The Interoceptive Sense):

__ becoming too hot or too cold sooner than others in the same environments; may not appear to ever get cold/hot, may not be able to maintain body temperature effectively

__ difficulty in extreme temperatures or going from one extreme to another (i.e., winter, summer, going from air conditioning to outside heat, a heated house to the cold outside)

__ respiration that is too fast, too slow, or cannot switch from one to the other easily as the body demands an appropriate respiratory response

__ heart rate that speeds up or slows down too fast or too slow based on the demands imposed on it

__ respiration and heart rate that takes longer than what is expected to slow down during or after exertion or fear

__ severe/several mood swings throughout the day (angry to happy in short periods of time, perhaps without visible cause)

__ unpredictable state of arousal or inability to control arousal level (hyper to lethargic, quickly, vacillating between the two; over stimulated to under stimulated, within hours or days, depending on activity and setting, etc.)

__ frequent constipation or diarrhea, or mixed during the same day or over a few days

__ difficulty with potty training; does not seem to know when he/she has to go (i.e., cannot feel the necessary sensation that bowel or bladder are full

__ unable to regulate thirst; always thirsty, never thirsty, or oscillates back and forth

__ unable to regulate hunger; eats all the time, won't eat at all, unable to feel full/hungry

__ unable to regulate appetite; has little to no appetite and/or will be "starving" one minute then full two bites later, then back to hungry again (prone to eating disorders and/or failure to thrive)

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 So you just found out your child may have SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder). Where do you begin? Right here with the Step-By-Step Guide For SPD Parents!

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Child Developmental Checklist - Use this child developmental checklist for children ages 0-3 to find out whether your child is in need of an early intervention/developmental therapy referral.

Fine Motor Development Chart  - Use this easy-to-understand fine motor development chart (ages 0-5) to see if YOUR child is delayed in his fine motor skills. Find out if an early intervention or OT referral is needed.

So How Did It Go With The Checklist?

Do you have any insights you learned when using the SPD Checklist? Share it with the readers of Sensory-Processing-Disorder.com!

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Two for Two and Defeated 
I have a 9 year old son that as a baby would not be held did not breast feed for more then a couple minutes no matter what, etc etc. He was totally textbook ...

Struggling with diagnosis 
Hi

My 3.5 year old daughter ticks nearly all the boxes under the Social, Emotional, Play, And Self-Regulation Dysfunction heading.

We are in Ireland,...

Reading this checklist helps make sense of unusual behaviors 
This web site has been very helpful to me. This checklist helps explain some of the behaviors which we thought unusual in my granddaughter. She is 2 ...

Could this be what is wrong with my daughter??? 
My daughter is 17 months old. Ever since she has been able to crawl practically i noticed something a little different in her.. She has always been "ahead"...

Concerned Mom 
How do I begin? My son is 17 and a senior in high school. He was born prematurely, and was diagnosed with Sensory Integrative Disorder at approximately ...

My very bright daughter 
Hi,

I have a daughter who will be 3(jan)this month. She is very bright and will repeat every phrase,dance move or song that you ask for her to do....

14 month old - hard to tell 
My daughter who is 14 months doesn't really fall into any of these sensory categories. If I had to pick it would be a visual "seeker" because she is all ...

Grandmother 
I have a grandchild when asked if he wants to go on a boatride says no adamantly. When told okay then he get upset and wants to go. He really seems to ...

Wardrobe Woes...and more 
When I say "wardrobe" it makes my post sounds so shallow but the struggles that my family has had with our six year old daughter is making us all weary....

Concerned Grandmother 
Is it possible for a child to only exhibit a few of the symptoms? avoid eye contact, sensitive to smell and sound, unable to sit still very long unless ...

Message of Hope to all of you worried about SPD 
It looks impossible, doesn't it... a child that twists and turns to clothes, smells, sights, food, and is strangely averse to light pats, to crowds and ...

Just me 
Ok, so really? I mean it seems all kids have some of these things going on at some point as they are growing up. How is a parent supposed to know if it'...

Where do we start 
Ok so our son bright as button go's to nursery and boom tone of bricks hit us.
His teacher takes dad a side and says that our son not doing too good.

So ...

Parent of 3 1/2 year old (Mother) 
I found the checklist useful before and after my daughters evaluation. The booklet I had to fill out was a bit overwhelming for me. I had difficulty ...

I am so relieved! 
My 4 year old son has been having problems since he was born. I have been told that it could autism, ADD, ADHD,or any other number of things. However, i ...

Concerned mum of 6yr old boy 
My boy is always very loving from a young age. At nursery he would not draw paint or hold a pencil,cut paper. They put it down because he hadn't decided ...

Bells, whistles and LIGHT BULBS! 
Hello everyone!

I have two daughters, almost 9 (Lily) and 6 (Leah).

Leah is the one who has had issues most of her life.

Physically, She had ...

Questionable mom 
My daughter,5, has had some (A LOT) of the symptoms for as long as I can remember. She has been diagnosed with ADHD and a tic disorder, but I always felt ...

Is this possible? 
My best friend recently learned that she was diagnosed as SPD as a child. I've known her since we were in the 1st grade and she's never seemed out-of-place,...

At wits end!? 
For about the last 4 yrs, my 8yr old son has been battling many of the items on the checklist. My wife and I have not taken him to a doctor because we ...

Could my husband have this disorder? Help! 
When reading the symptoms, it seems like my husband may have some of them. My husband has a hard time bonding with people and showing emotion and establishing ...

Quiky kid's mom 
My son is now four, but for the last 2 years, he has exhibited odd behavior. It seemed to start with a double ear infection where he had to have the rozephron ...

What does this sound like to you?? PLEASE HLP!  
22 months old:

- Hates bath and will not sit down in the tub, scared of bath
- Terrified of water - pools, beaches
- Dislikes diaper changes and ...

Is Mixed expressive language disorder one of the LD's that are common with SPD? 
From the time my son was born I can look back and see that as an infant in the NICU (he is a twin and they were born 6 weeks early) he was distressed. With ...

Twin Mom 
We have identical twin boys, age 7. One displays symptoms of SPD and the other does not. Is this a genetic disorder? We are evaluating him for ADHD as ...

My 16 month old son-sensory disorder or autism? 
Well I will try to make this as short as possible. we noticed at 12 months something just wasn't right. He is 16 mos. now and does not point, wave bye ...

Lashing out at peers  
My son is 7 years old and we have been looking for an explanation for his behaviour since he was a baby. Having had ASD ruled out we have recently been ...

SPD and the Orthodontist 
I just got back from the Orthodontist (my son's dentist suggested we go) and he wants me to have an apparatus put into his mouth. His jaw is not meeting ...

Mom looking for help! 
I have three children, son 15, daughter 11, and my youngest is 7 and I have been noticing for some time now that she is different. This all started when ...

What to tell school: Auditory defensive 
My 5 year displayed some pretty intense symptoms with regard to the auditory defensiveness earlier in life and it made life pretty difficult for him and ...

Son will not chew. 
My 3 year old son will not chew his food at all and therefore can only eat semi or pureed food. He can be a very difficult and demanding child but also ...

I have SID as an adult 
I was going through the checklist and found that over 85% of it applies to me. Living with this disorder isn't easy. I'm 21 now and have learned to cope ...

SPD and Auditory processing and speech problems 
I have a 4-year old son who I believe has SPD. But he also has some type of auditory processing problems. He also has a significant speech delay. He did ...

Potty Training 
My husband and I have been trying to potty train our triplets for the past month. 2 have got the concept down but one of our boys was but now he is having ...

Mom need helps 
Hi,

My son will be of 4 Yrs. in the Nov'09. He have the below problems:

1. He shakes his head continuously.
2. He shakes his shoulders.
3. When ...

Entering a new world but finally having understanding 
I have a 4 year old son named Ashton. He is my middle child. About 6 months ago I got a gut instinct that something was not quite "right" with his behavior....

Not sure what is wrong 
My son is 5 years old. He is a great kid and very smart, but we have some real issues with him. He still isn't completely potty trained. He says that ...

If SPD is the real deal...then my child is textbook SPD-Extreme. I'm scared. 
Our son is almost four years old. He is bright, funny, charming... really a majestic burst of light, momentum, energy at every turn. It also means that ...

Mom needing guidance 
I think my son has this disorder. He is sensory seeking. Hypersensitive to sounds, and has auditory language processing problems. Where do I begin to ...

What about social fears? 
This checklist was helpful to me to an extent when considering my three-year-old son's social fears, but it did not cover the issues that my son's OT has ...

Exhausted - Lucky, don't want to give up 
I was lucky if you want to call it that. I had a friend that had a son that had been diagnosed with SID. We spent a lot of time together with our preschoolers....

3 year old hypersensitive to touch 
Hi, since my son was a baby he always had some hypersensitive to get messy with food, paint, clay or any kind of sticky stuff. He never avoid people holding ...

Alisa 
I have 4 children 1 has been diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome(my oldest boy 13y), and one has been diagnosed with Sensory disorder(my youngest boy 4y)...

Oh my??!! 
It's so confusing and frustrating to know that there is something going on with your child and not being able to pin point it. My son just turned 5 this ...

Looking for answers 
My son will be 5 in November. I have always worried that he may have autism but my mother in law, who is an OT says there is no way. He is a very sweet ...

Just not sure 
I have a 5 yr old boy, hes in constant motion most of the time and doesn't not know how to give people personal space, he is still biting mostly out of ...

Support to all with SPD  
I support all parents who are willing to learn about their child and search for help. Pat your backs.

We are parents of a child who is 6 going on 7yrs....

Please Help! Anyone! 
My son is now two and a half years old and I still do not have any kind of diagnosis for his behaviors. A child psychologist I saw once suggested that ...

My 6 year old diagnosed with SPD  
Hello All! My 6 year old son was just diagnosed with SPD. He was born at 31 1/2 weeks gestation. He had OT and PT until he was 23 months old. From ...

SPD or not?? Please Help 
I have a 12 month old daughter that seems to have many of the same symptoms as I have read. Since she had a high fever at 13 days old, that's when all ...

The missing puzzle piece found at last 
My grandson is 3yr old and wow the pieces of the puzzle finally fit. When he was born he would not breast feed we just thought he wasn't able to latch ...

Lost 
I have a 5 year old daughter. She is the best big sister but she gets easily distracted, has crying outbursts, and gets aggravated when she is told she ...

Confused/worried mum of 11 month old 
Hi,

I have been reading all the stories on this site but still not sure. My gorgeous baby girl does a few things that i am not sure of. I do have a ...

5 yr old has no concept of consequences 
My 5 yr old is a strong sensory seeker. We have started therapy and I do plan on talking to her about this because I'm not even sure it falls under SPD....

So that's it! 
My 7 year old son had so many issues with homework that frustrated me and my husband to no end. We knew he was intelligent because he could tell us lot'...

Parent 
I have two children. The 16 year old has Aspergers. Typical symptoms. Then came his sister. As I baby, she would hit me if I tried to hold her, As a ...

Exhausted and defeated 
I have a 3.5 year old son, sensory seeker, possibly mild Aspergers, and temperamentally very fussy and rigid. He has been in early intervention since ...

Starting To Understand 
I have two beautiful little boys aged 6 and 8. For years I've been trying to understand why my oldest seems like the perfect child, while my youngest ...

Confused!! 
I am a mother of two boys, ages 9 and 6. My nine year old has always been "quirky" for lack of better terms. I have said from the get-go that something ...

Concerned and Confused!!!! 
I have a 15year old son who was diagnosed with ADHD @ 4 and 1/2. It was the constant, non-stop talking, running, jumping, inability to sit still, focus,...

Son of 5 yrs... Stressed Parents, but with hope 
when my son Zackery was born in 2003 June 17th, my wife and I had already lost a child to a miscarriage a few years prior 1999, I was an alcoholic fathers ...

Should I do anything? 
I am currently a teenager. As a child I met so many of the traits of this list and my everyday life was affected by it. We didn't have much money though ...

5 Year Old with SPD Symptoms 
My grandson had two holes in his heart when he was born. They did not grow closed on their own and he had open heart surgery at 10 months of age. When ...

I May Have 2 Sons With SPD 
Hi I am a mother of 5 loving children.I have a 15yr old son,10yr old daughter,7yr old son,5yr old son and a 6month old son. I was told in 2007 through ...

Stressed mum 
From birth my son (now 4) was difficult. He had acute colic at 5 days old, he needed to be held tightly in order to fall asleep. He cried much of the ...

Is this SPD? 
5 year old with mild/moderate symptoms
by: Anonymous

My 5 year old son definitely has some sensory defensiveness issues. He is in Kindergarten and ...

13 month old just diagnosed with SPD 
My 13 month old DD was just diagnosed by her OT with Sensory Processing Disorder. She is not walking or cruising furniture yet; just prefers to crawl and ...

SPD explained ME to ME! 
I'm a 23 year old female and all of my life I spent being overly emotional, stressed, always feeling like I'm different, wrong or just not able to understand ...

Worried Father 
Hello all,

My 21 month old son has a problem eating solid food. The only thing he eats is pureed food.That is the main purpose of us going to a ...

Could my daughter have SPD? 
My 2 1/2 year old daughter has always seemed a little different from other children her age. She seems pretty mild, but has some issues with food (i.e....

I HAD ASKED EVERYONE 
My daughter is 2 1/2yrs old. We have been to multiple pediatricians and specialists. Everyone always gave us the same answer 'she's growing fine, come ...

Question--Please Help 
Can SPD go hand in hand with Autism??

Could this be SPD?! 
My daughter is 15 years old. As an infant she never slept and had to be held constantly.

Shes always had problems with food- she has never eaten meat,...

Help! Does my 8 year old have spd?... 
My 8 year old daughter and I have battled with clothing for as long as I can remember. I put it down to her being 'awkward' and 'hard work' until two days ...

SPD and Speech Delay connection in a 19 mth old 
Feeling a bit overwhelmed... Today my 19 month old son was diagnosed with SPD. I knew something was up but had never heard of SPD.

He is constantly ...

Jackie 
I only found out on Friday 13 that my 4year old has sensory disorder. I have known as a mother something was wrong. She plays on her own when friends are ...

Could this be SPD? 
Ok.. daughter (4.7 years old, full time Pre-K) got diagnoses with ADHD with LD Februray 2nd
Daughter finally saw the school speech therapist on February ...

An understanding companion 
My daughter is six years old and about 18 months ago was diagnosed with SPD. The jigsaw pieces started to fit and suddenly we understood the reason for ...

Mom of gifted child seeking answers. 
I landed here today as I am looking for a high school for my son that is gifted in math and science, visual spatial learner and inventive thinker.

Going ...

Anonymous 
My daughter (just turned 3) has many of the symptoms, but I am really confused because her reactions are not very severe. For example, she doesn't like ...

Getting Ready for Kindergarten  
My son Jason is 5 years old and was diagnosed with SPD around age 3. He has been attending Early Childhood Special Education since. I have seen lots ...

Ok . .  
My son is ADHD. It was suggested that his ADHD might be aggravated by a sensory disorder. So I got online to do some research and . . . my daughter has ...

Perhaps you know CJ? 
My son just turned three and we are waiting on some appointments for potential high functioning autism screenings/ language screenings.... although after ...

OMG! 
Okay... there is not a child out there that does not exhibit a dozen or more of the items on the check list! I would be concerned if I didn't see anything ...

Curious pre-school teacher 
I came to this site curious about whether it could offer me some insight about a child in my class. What I found was info about my 8yr old daughter who ...

Experienced Mom 
Imagine getting all the answers of why your child reacts differently from other children. I got all the answers that I needed when my son was just 17 months ...

The out of sync child 
I already have 2 children diagnosed with SPD (dyspraxia_

However I am just in the process of seeking out information about my 16 month old daughter ...

Thank You! 
I have a 10 yr old that has several of the hypersensitive to touch symptoms. I went through the list with him and realized he had more than I was aware ...

Tired mom 
wow

I still cry a little when I read your site. What an amazing Christmas gift for me to find this. My son is 3.5 and I have known there was something ...

I am in tears... 
I feel I have some help. My daughter will be 7 next month and I have been battling the clothes issues/socks, shoes, panties, etc, etc, etc. Her father ...

Need More Information 
My ex-wife seems to be convinced that our 3 year old son has Proprioceptive Dysfunction. I do not concur at this point in the game but I am not a Neurologist....

My 4 year old son was just diagnosed with SPD  
For the past three years I have had a very hard time understanding why my son does some of the things that he does. The daycare he attends has been wanting ...

Finally... An answer! 
My son is 4 and has SPD, I'm convinced of it. His neurologist has said he thought it's Aspergers, but I know it's not. He is such a classic case, scored ...

Insightful 
I have 2 daughters and 1 son who is 5. My daughters had little to no problems growing up but my son is a whole different story.

He has had problems ...

WOW! 
I can't believe some of the things that are placed as "symptoms" - What if kids really are being kids. Many of these behaviors I had when I was small and ...

Preschool teacher twos 
On open house day Patrick ran into the classroom, picked up a plastic chair and threw it. He then began his bouncing chant/yell Ahh Ahh Ahhh that I have ...

Concerned mother 
My son is 7 years old and exhibits a number of symptoms of SPD. He does not seem as severe as others (I have a nephew with Aspergers) so I have kind of ...

10 yr Old Boy 
My son is your typical 10 yr old kid, he wants to run, play football and make friends. He is very sweet and compassionate and wants to fit in the problem ...

Very interesting resource 
Just had a parent teacher conference for our 5 year old today. His wonderful and very seasoned teacher is convinced that a lot of the challenges our son ...

I need help with my son 
I a very concerned about my son. He was diagnosed at 4 with Sensory Integration Dysfunction, but a very mild case. He is now 10. Our insurance will not ...

Emotional and hypo-smell 
Recently my dad has become terminally ill. He has become a very angry hateful man to all of us who love him.

He has always been critical but he is being ...

Hopefully an answer 
My nine year old daughter has been overly sensitive to tastes, sounds, and touch her entire life. She can taste the slightest amount of spice in foods,...

Concerned Mom to 4 yr old Gabe  
Hello, my name is Denise, My husband and I have a four year old boy Gabe. We have had a couple of challenging years with Gabe. To begin, Gabe was Speaking ...

Finally this might be the answer 
I am a mom of a wonderful guy who has puzzled me for the last 19 years. I have searched many books, looked for answers, visited with different people and ...

So relieved to find this site 
I am a 34 year old mom of 4 kids. I have 3 boys & one girl. My daughter who is 4 years old, always from the time of her birth had an issue with clothes ...

Concerned friend 
My daughter is 3 now and has been friends with a little boy, same age, since birth. The two go to nursery school together full time and we share a carpool ...

A name to my craziness 
I grew up with many problems that everyone just disregarded, and many people told me to keep my complaining to myself. I am nineteen years old, and everyday ...

The apple does not fall far from the tree... 
I've always known that I was a little different when it came to certain things, but after researching what was ailing my daughter I have come to find out ...

Thank you for this site 
I am a 33 year old single parent. My son is 5 and has been having difficulties for years. He was better when I took him out of daycare and he was being ...

My Super sweeties 
I Have three kids 11, 6,and 3. After reading this I must admit at least 2 if not all three seem to be afflicted with one or more sensory disorders.

My ...

confused and desperate for answers 
My daughter is 6 and has been the challenge in our family since she was born. As an infant she ruled by the amount of sleep the she got. If she was tired,...

Not sure if its spd ?? or me reading too much ?? 
My 4 and half year old boy is having major problems with his socks and underpants and labels ... he says they are not right, they itch him, and they are ...

My son Jack who is 10 
My eldest son has from a very young age had very demanding behaviour problems. He had a delay in his speech and play. His speech is adequate for his ...

Perplexed Mom 
I have a question. My son is 9. He has been home schooled all his life and we are just now seeing some major difficulties with him. He is starting the ...

Why would you tell your pediatrician ... 
You know - there has been something odd about my son. I just could not put my finger on it - My husband and I have been talking to our pediatrician for ...

17 month old daughter with SPD 
My daughter has been in OT since she was about 14 months old. My husband and I never really thought of her little quirks as being much of anything else,...

My son hates metal 
My 4 year old is fascinated with how everything smells. After my husband gets home from work he has to shower if he wants to be near our son. He tells ...

Stressful mornings 
Our daughter is going to be 4 yrs in Nov 2009. We recently were told about SPD and after reading about it...Wow...I really think she has tactile issues....

THANK YOU A LOT 
Have you ever noticed that 90% of these alleged "symptoms" are NORMAL ACTIVITIES or things people (including kids) NORMALLY may or may not like, and that ...

We have both ends of the spectrum 
My two children are at the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to sensory issues. My son, who's four, is oversensitive to touch and sounds. He'...

Stephanie & a sweet loving little boy  
I went to the Marcus Institute and we packed up and went looking for another DR. I THOUGHT this time the AUTISM Disorder would be diagnosed right. Well ...

Which Checklist Is Appropriate 
I have a 3 1/2 year old daughter with Triple X and we think she is having sensory issues. Which checklist should be used?

Hi Linda,
Ah, the chances ...

Does this sound like SPD?   Not rated yet
I have been a little concerned for my 7 year old. I thought he was just unco-ordinated and would grow out of it but it does not seem to be happening but ...

I have this Disorder  Not rated yet
For all you who need to know, yes some kids (like myself) can have few of these symptoms. all you have to do for your kid is find out which ones he\she ...

Mom with two great boys!  Not rated yet
So my 4-yr old all of a sudden finds himself in Kindergarten (we just moved to Cali from another state and the birthday cut-off is December; his is November)...

CircleCNP  Not rated yet
Wow this list is very enlightening. I have fibromyalgia and ADHD. I have 4 children with varying degrees and flavors of ADHD as well. I have always ...

Interesting Read.  Not rated yet
I stumbled across this site while trying to come up with some solutions for my son. I hate the idea of "labels", so usually gloss over this type of stuff....

Relieved parents  Not rated yet
We have a 5 year old daughter that we adopted 2 and half years ago. We had very little birth history. At first we put alot of her issues/problems down ...

I'm gathering information for My friend  Not rated yet
My friend Sara* (* is name changed) has had residential custody of her stepdaughter, Jane* since she was 3 months old. Lily*, Janes' biological mother,...

My Grandson Jamie  Not rated yet
My beautiful Grandson is just 5yrs old he has just started school at The Orchard, Oldbury, West Midlands UK. It had been thought that he was Autistic,...

Help!  Not rated yet
Hi,

I'm at my witts end! I have 3 children, my son has moderate autism he is 5. My middle child 3 and has mild autism. My youngest is two. When she ...

THANK YOU!  Not rated yet
My son, now 5, has never do much as flinched during shots at the doctor. He was diagnosed with Apraxia at age 3 but I always knew that there was something ...

Wife, mother with MS in neurophysiology  Not rated yet
Poor Tactile Perception And Discrimination:

My husband of more than 20 years has a set of touch issues that I have tried to understand for years. We ...

Still wondering  Not rated yet
My son is 11 and diagnosed with ADHD and on Meds but there's still something just not right. He's very clumsy and always full of bruises that according ...

A lot to think about  Not rated yet
I have 2 boys. One is 9 and the other just turned 5. We recently started looking for help with our 5 year old due to violent outbursts and an inability ...

A Weight Has Been Lifted   Not rated yet
My son was diagnosed with SPD in January this year and what a huge weight this has lifted from our shoulders.

I have always known that he was different....

Good insight.  Not rated yet
I didn't realize how many unexplained symptoms my son had that were all related to his sensory issues. My son has a PDD Autism diagnosis.

Too many friends in the spectrum  Not rated yet
I am a former teacher, and during my years off from school, I have had more friends contact me regarding the topic of SID. This check list reinforced the ...

Anything about SPD in Brazil?  Not rated yet
Hi,
I live in Brazil and have a 13 y.o. son who has motor coordination problems as well as cognitive problems. For years we didn´t know what was wrong ...

Is SPD cured with Therapy  Not rated yet
Hi. I have a son 3 1/2 that has just been diagnosed with SPD and a daughter 1 1/2 that is being evaluated. I have read books on the disorder as well as ...

Grays Harbor CASA Program Coordinator  Not rated yet
I appreciate the information and will share it with CASA Volunteers. It was very helpful in understanding this huge disorder and will be shared with others ...

"Failure To Thrive"  Not rated yet
My 7 year old has struggled with "Failure To Thrive" since she was six weeks old. However, no matter how many tests the doctors did, they couldn't ever ...

I think i have this im 20  Not rated yet
My mom and my sister always said there was something wrong with me when I was very little. I met this woman with two missionarys from my church to teach ...

MY SPECIAL ANGEL  Not rated yet
My child has some of these symptoms in each checklist. She doesn't like it when I brush her hair, loves her teeth being brush, loves feet p.j's even in ...

I am not alone!  Not rated yet
I have so many of these signs. As an adult I have come to terms with being sensitive or "picky." And I have learned to cope with most of it, but it feels ...

My boy Martin  Not rated yet
Maybe you're like me...

I have known there was something different about Martin for some time. He's always done things at his own pace. So when my ...

That explains alot.  Not rated yet
My 23 month old will not chew food even though he has all his teeth. It has gotten worse lately where he wont even eat foods he has tried and liked before....

Me and my Son  Not rated yet
My son is almost 11 years old. From the day he was born He has had a lot of difficulties, with close to every learning challenge, and with everyday things....

I am a mother of a son with SPD.  Not rated yet
I gave birth to a set of twin boys at 31 weeks in 2004. I had been in a state of constant labor since week 24 so I had been well informed, and chose to ...

OCD along with SPD  Not rated yet
Does anyone have a child that has OCD? My son has an appointment March 13th to be checked for OCD and ADD. He was diagnosed with SPD when he was 8 years ...

New to This  Not rated yet
My son is being evaluated, but we were told that he probably has SID. He was babbling normally at 1 year. Then the ear infections started. He was basically ...

At last, I am finding some answers!  Not rated yet
My daughter is almost 7 and has been making us all crazy. We always just thought she was difficult. The pediatric neurologist told us about SPD and it ...

Mother to ten year old son who has TS/OCD/ADD and many symptoms of Sensory Processing Disorder  Not rated yet
My son was diagnosed with TS/OCD and ADD when he was eight years old. However, the symptoms of Sensory disorder actually showed up from the time he was ...

Hannah  Not rated yet
Well, I have just read that and thought, yes, she does that, that and that. I have wrote quite a bit down so I can go armed to my GP. Actually some of ...

SID - child Myself  Not rated yet
It really hit me hard when I read about the difficulties in diagnosing a child with SID (now SPD) when something like SID is normal, how is a child supposed ...

Adopted child....no answers until NOW!  Not rated yet
Our precious boy was adopted (foster care at two days old) and was exposed to alcohol and drugs daily prenatally. His behaviors did not start really emerging ...

Mom  Not rated yet
My son is almost 17. I work in the mental health field and yes, knew he had some "tactile" issues. We dealt with them when he was younger and call him ...

It's all Good  Not rated yet
I couldn't possibly write "My Story" - and honestly, don't have the stamina for it any more ha ha. But I suppose I could share a little. I did like the ...

Long Road  Not rated yet
Hello. I am a mother of 2 sweet little boys. My oldest, Evan (almost 5) and my youngest, Zachary (2). We have recently had Evan evaluated by an Occupational ...

1yr old daughter, some concern  Not rated yet
I've been working as a support therapist for children with special needs that require behavior management treatment, so I may be a little paranoid. However ...

Maybe this wasn't ALL my fault...  Not rated yet
Im 15 years old and my mom came to me with some SID articles. I was curious about it. Ive seen things like pre-mature birth (I was a Preemie by 2 and a ...

How many total points on checklist for a significant problem?  Not rated yet
The checklist itself is great, but there's no "point ranges" for different levels of the disorder. How am I supposed to know how far away I am from average,...

New to this!  Not rated yet
I have recently become aware of this condition through a friend who has a friend that has a child with this disorder. Reluctantly she told me that my daughter ...

This is me..  Not rated yet
Everything on the "over sensitive" checklists, are ME!!...truly....

I'm going to talk to my doctor about this.

NP Womens Health Grandmother of probable SPD child  Not rated yet
The checklist was almost overwhelming and very comprehensive. My granddaughter is almost 3 and appears to have SPD. She has excess drooling, poor coordination ...

Curious Mom of Three  Not rated yet
I had seen an acquaintance was reading a book about this and was telling me about her son and it made me curious.

This checklist had some things I ...

The Sensory Checklist  Not rated yet
The Sensory Checklist

New Jersey

Question about the Sensory Processing Disorder Checklist. Can a therapist copy the checklist to use with parents ...

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