* Bothered by clothing fabrics, labels, tags, etc.
* Distressed by light touch or unexpected touch
* Dislikes getting messy
* Resists grooming activities
* Very sensitive to sounds (volume, quality, or pitch)
* Squints, blinks, or rubs eyes frequently
* Bothered by lights or visual pattern
* High activity level or very sedentary
* Unusually high or low pain threshold
* Deliberately bumps into people and things
* Inappropriate biting, licking, and touching people and objects

Poor focus, highly distractable
Difficulty handling transitions, rigidity about change
Poor regulation of energy level and mood
Easily overstimulated or uncomfortable in group settings
Difficulty with self-confidence and independence
Anxiety about everyday sensations
Very high or low activity level
Withdraws or refuses to participate, tunes out what’s happening
Impulsivity, particularly with seeking sensations

Motor skill and body awareness difficulties, including:

* Fine motor delays (difficulty with crayons, buttons/snaps, beading, scissors)
* Gross motor delays (difficulty walking without tripping, running, climbing stairs, catching a ball)
* Illegible handwriting
* Moves awkwardly or seems clumsy
* Low or high muscle tone

Oral motor and feeding problems, including:

* Oral hypersensitivity
* Frequent drooling or gagging
* “Picky eating”
* Speech and language delays

Poor attention and focus

Many children are particular about sensory input, and mild sensory issues may be outgrown by the time they are adults. When a person’s sensory issues are so intense that they interfere with everyday living—learning, playing, socializing, and so on—he has sensory processing disorder and intervention is needed. A child with sensory issues has responses to such experiences that are way out of proportion, consistently showing behaviors that can’t be dismissed as age-appropriate.

Common Signs of Sensory Processing Issues

Is Sensory Processing Disorder "Real"? Yes!

Explore Your Child's Unique Sensory Portrait

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