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Red Flags of Sensory Integration Difficulties
Some children may be hypersensitive or undersensitive in certain areas.
Both hypersensitive and undersensitive symptoms are included in these checklists.
2 checks in one area or 4 checks total suggest your child may benefit
from Sensory Integration intervention.
Contact us to schedule an evaluation.
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Proprioception
Seems to have excess energy
Likes to crash into furniture or others
Loves to jump and move often
May appear clumsy and uncoordinated
Either 'fully on' or 'fully off'- there is not often an in between in their energy level
Vestibular
Sense of movement through space
Has difficulty sitting still
Loves to go fast or loves to spin
Rarely gets dizzy/can spin for a long time
Chooses to run or jump instead of walking
May get carsick easily
Can be fearful of going upside down
Tends to avoid spinning or going fast
Sense of body position in space via joints/muscles
Anchor 1
Anchor 5
Visual
May be sensitive to bright lights
Has difficulty keeping their eyes focused on the task
Can be easily distracted by watching other things in the room
Has difficulty telling the difference between similar shapes and letters (pq, bd, +x, )
Has difficulty following or counting moving objects
Skips over words or lines when reading
Reverses letters in words when copying or reads words backwards after 1st grade (was/saw, no/on)
Interoception
Sense of what is internally happening in the body
Has trouble falling or staying asleep
Over dramatizes minor injuries (bumped into by a peer, soft landing from a stumble)
Had difficulty with potty training/needs reminders to go to the bathroom
Has difficulty knowing when they are hungry/thirsty or is always hungry/thirsty
Has difficulty identifying their own emotions(ie: angry vs. frustrated)
Has difficulty regulating their energy level (takes a long time to calm down, is unaware they are too energetic, or frequently seems lethargic or one-energy level even during exciting events)
Sense of interpreting what is seen
Closely works with Vestibular system
Anchor 2
Anchor 6
Auditory
Can hear all sounds in the next room, like super-hearing
Tendency to cover their ears and dislikes loud noises
Bothered/distracted by background sounds
(lawn mower, air conditioning, music)
Has difficulty understanding or remembering what was said
Tends to not notice loud noises
Needs directions to be repeated
Talks themselves through a task out loud
Seeks out making noise
Tactile
Sense of interpreting
what is felt by the skin
Dislikes light or unexpected touch
Avoids using hands for play
Dislikes/avoids messy play (shaving cream, sand, glue, mud, water, play-doh, slime)
Dislikes new or stiff clothes or clothes with rough textures, tags, jeans, belts, etc.
Craves touch and likes to touch everything around them
Is not bothered by injuries like cuts, bruises
May not be aware that their hands or face is dirty or their nose in running
Places inedible objects in their mouth, chews on items like a shirt or pencil
Sense of interpreting
what is heard
Anchor 3
Anchor 7
Gustatory
Sense of interpreting what is tasted or felt in the mouth
Dislikes toothpaste
May gag with textured foods
Is a picky eater
May lick, taste, chew inedible objects (shirt, hair)
Frequently puts objects in their mouth (after the toddler years)
Olfactory
Sense of interpreting what is smelled
Is bothered by smells (food, lotion, soap)
Dislikes eating in a dinning hall due to the many smells
Seeks out smells (smelling markers, paper, food, other objects)
Notices smells others do not notice
Will not eat a range of foods due to not liking their smell
Anchor 4
Anchor 8
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