F
Frequency
Is it occasional, weekly, daily, or several times a day?
First, Look for Patterns
A single behavior does not prove a sensory difficulty. Look for repeated patterns across settings, over time, and with real impact on family routines, school participation, play, eating, sleep, or grooming.
S
Settings
Does it happen only at home, or also at school, stores, playgrounds, restaurants, or family gatherings?
I
Impact
Does it stop the child from eating, dressing, sleeping, learning, playing, or leaving the house?
Touch-Related Signs
Touch affects grooming, clothing, food textures, pain, temperature, body boundaries, and social contact.
O
Over-responsive
- Strong distress during hair washing, tooth brushing, nail cutting, face wiping, haircuts, or lotion.
- Refuses certain clothing, tags, seams, socks, shoes, or waistbands.
- Dislikes messy hands, sand, grass, paint, clay, foam, or sticky food.
- Becomes upset in lines, crowds, or peer play when touched lightly.
U
Under-responsive
- Does not notice dirt, wet clothing, minor cuts, temperature, or pain as expected.
- Needs stronger cues to notice touch or physical reminders.
- Has trouble finding items by touch, buttoning, or adjusting clothes without looking.
S
Seeking
- Touches many textures, squeezes objects, asks for tight hugs, hides under blankets, or seeks pressure.
- Chews collars, pencils, toys, or non-food objects.
- May stand too close, touch peers often, or seek rough contact.
Vestibular Signs
The vestibular system supports balance, movement tolerance, posture, eye control, and emotional arousal.
O
Over-responsive
- Avoids swings, slides, escalators, elevators, climbing, heights, or being lifted.
- Gets dizzy, frozen, pale, upset, or dysregulated after movement.
- Needs strong reassurance during stairs, playgrounds, or group games.
U
Under-responsive
- Does not notice body tilt, direction changes, or speed changes quickly.
- Falls, bumps into others, struggles with ball play, copying from the board, or visual tracking.
- Has difficulty staying upright in a chair.
S
Seeking
- Craves spinning, jumping, climbing, hanging upside down, rolling, or running fast.
- May appear driven by movement and struggle to stop safely.
- Needs structured movement with a clear beginning and end.
Proprioception Signs
Proprioception helps the child know where the body is and how much force to use.
O
Over-responsive
- Avoids being pushed, pulled, squeezed, or bumped during play.
- Dislikes heavy backpacks, climbing, tugging, or strength-based activities.
U
Under-responsive
- Bumps into people or furniture, spills cups, drops objects, or steps on others.
- Uses too much or too little force when writing, closing doors, hugging, or playing.
- Struggles with posture, stairs, bikes, catching, buttons, zippers, scissors, or handwriting.
S
Seeking
- Likes heavy work, pushing, pulling, carrying, climbing, crashing into cushions, stomping, or tight spaces.
- May use strong body input to calm down or feel organized.
Other Areas to Observe
Sound, visual input, smell, oral texture, eating, sleep, toileting, transitions, waiting, and emotional overload can all interact with sensory processing.
Sound, Vision, and Environments
- Distressed by dryers, vacuums, toilets, alarms, cafeterias, music class, or crowds.
- Distracted by lights, moving objects, wall displays, or background noise.
- Improves quickly in a quiet, familiar space.
When to Seek Help Soon
- Developmental regression, seizure-like events, or hearing/vision concerns.
- Frequent self-injury, aggression, severe sleep, or severe feeding problems.
- Clear impact across home and school for several months.
Record the situation, trigger, intensity, duration, adult response, and what helped. Concrete observations are more useful than labels.
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