If you suspect your child has sensory processing disorder (SPD), you should have your child evaluated to confirm your suspicion. Kids, particularly these sensitive children, need to know what's going to happen during a doctor or therapist visit. The evaluation may take two or three hours, and several tests may be administered. The testing experience likely will be tailored to your child's needs.
Questionnaires
You will be asked to fill out several questionnaires. Your care provider may ask for input from your child's teacher or other caregivers as well to get an accurate picture of how he responds to various sensory input. These questionnaires will ask about your child's birth and medical history as well as developmental milestones. You may be asked to indicate whether or not she displays certain behaviors and indicate how seriously those behaviors affect her ability to function at home, in school and in public.
Writing Tests
Your child may be evaluated on how well he copies symbols or letters or completes mazes. The therapist may ask him to write down things she's saying, or to copy a picture he's looked at for a few seconds and then had taken away. She will observe how he holds his pencil and moves his body as he writes. These tests help the therapist determine whether or not your child has certain fine motor delays, and to understand how well he translates what he hears into what he can see.
Puzzles
During the evaluation, your child may play with puzzles. Tangrams--small pieces of plastic or cardboard in simple geometric shapes--can be put together to make a variety of pictures. Your child may be asked to use tangrams to copy a simple drawing such as a bird or a flower, giving the therapist another chance to see how well she can make the physical world match what she sees. Jigsaw puzzles help with this type of assessment as well.
Gross Motor Tests
Many kids with SPD have trouble with gross motor skills: using their big muscles like arms, legs and trunk. Your child may play a game of catch with the evaluator or run a race around the gym or parking lot. The person doing the evaluation will note how your child sits, his posture, and how his body moves as he walks and runs.
Vestibular Tests
Vestibular coordination refers to the way your body balances and moves. Your child may get to play on a swing or climb a rope ladder; how his body responds to these activities will help the evaluator assess any vestibular issues she might have. Kids with vestibular processing trouble are often afraid of swings and merry-go-rounds, because they feel off-balance, as if they're going to fall. They may have trouble riding a bicycle or doing other activities that require balance. Your child will be observed as she walks, runs and climbs to see if her gait seems off-kilter.
Tactile Tests
One big indicator of SPD is a child's reaction to the way things feel. He may insist his clothes feel scratchy or complain about the way his shoes feel all the time. He may refuse to eat or touch certain foods because of the texture. During the evaluation, he may have an opportunity to feel different things like shaving cream, play-doh and dry rice to see how he responds to this type of stimulus.
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