Common Sensory Processing Disorder Behaviors – A Checklist For All Ages

Many of the symptoms listed in the following categories are common to that particular age group. Where more than a few symptoms are found in a child, we recommend you talk to your doctor or check the SPD Foundation’s Treatment Directory for a professional experienced with treating Sensory Processing Disorder.

Infant/Toddler Checklist:

• My infant/toddler has problems eating.
• My infant/toddler refused to go to anyone but me.
• My infant/toddler has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
• My infant/toddler is extremely irritable when I dress him/her; seems to be uncomfortable in clothes.
• My infant/toddler rarely plays with toys, especially those requiring dexterity.
• My infant/toddler has difficulty shifting focus from one object/activity to another.
• My infant/toddler does not notice pain or is slow to respond when hurt.
• My infant/toddler resists cuddling, and arches back away from the person holding him.
• My infant/toddler cannot calm themself by sucking on a pacifier, looking at toys, or listening to my voice.
• My infant/toddler has a “floppy” body, bumps into things and has poor balance.
• My infant/toddler does little or no babbling and vocalizing.
• My infant/toddler is easily startled.
• My infant/toddler is extremely active and is constantly moving body/limbs or running endlessly.
• My infant/toddler seems to be delayed in crawling, standing, walking or running.

Pre-School Checklist:

• My child has difficulty being toilet trained.
•  My child is overly sensitive to stimulation, overreacts to or does not like touch, noise, smells, etc.
• My child is unaware of being touched/bumped unless done with extreme force/intensity.
• My child has difficulty learning and/or avoids performing fine motor tasks such as using crayons and fasteners on clothing.
• My child seems unsure how to move his/her body in space, and is clumsy and awkward.
• My child has difficulty learning new motor tasks.
• My child is in constant motion.
• My child gets in everyone else’s space and/or touches everything around him.
• My child has difficulty making friends (overly aggressive or passive/ withdrawn).
• My child is intense, demanding or hard to calm and has difficulty with transitions.
• My child has sudden mood changes and temper tantrums that are unexpected.
• My child seems weak, slumps when sitting/standing; prefers sedentary activities.
• It is hard to understand my child’s speech.
• My child does not seem to understand verbal instructions.

Middle-School Checklist:

• My child is overly sensitive to stimulation, overreacts to or does not like touch, noise, smells, etc.
• My child is easily distracted in the classroom, often out of his/her seat, and fidgety.
• My child is easily overwhelmed at the playground, during recess and in class.
• My child is slow to perform tasks.
• My child has difficulty performing or avoids fine motor tasks such as handwriting.
• My child appears clumsy and stumbles often, slouches in the chair.
• My child craves roughhousing and tackling/wrestling games.
• My child is slow to learn new activities.
• My child is in constant motion.
• My child has difficulty learning new motor tasks and prefers sedentary activities.
• My child has difficulty making friends (overly aggressive or passive/ withdrawn).
• My child ‘gets stuck’ on tasks and has difficulty changing to another task.
• My child confuses similar-sounding words and misinterprets questions or requests.
• My child has difficulty reading, especially aloud.
• My child stumbles over words; speech lacks fluency, and rhythm is hesitant.

Adolescent/Adult Checklist:

• I am over-sensitive to environmental stimulation: I do not like being touched.
• I avoid visually stimulating environments and/or I am sensitive to sounds.
• I often feel lethargic and slow in starting my day.
• I often begin new tasks simultaneously and leave many of them uncompleted.
• I use an inappropriate amount of force when handling objects.
• I often bump into things or develop bruises that I cannot recall.
• I have difficulty learning new motor tasks, or sequencing steps of a task.
• I need physical activities to help me maintain my focus throughout the day.
• I have difficulty staying focused at work and in meetings.
• I misinterpret questions and requests, requiring more clarification than usual.
• I have difficulty reading, especially aloud.
• My speech lacks fluency, I stumble over words.
• I must read the material several times to absorb the content.
• I have trouble forming thoughts and ideas in oral presentations.

While this checklist can’t diagnose a child with SPD, it can be a helpful guide to see if additional testing should be done. When filling out this checklist, think about the child’s behavior during the past six months.