Jul 22 2009
Sensory Profile: What it is and how it can help with a delayed toddler
I recently had the opportunity to fill out a sensory profile for B. The profile was a two page questionnaire that we were given from our Occupational Therapist. The questions were very simple ones about how my child reacts to certain things. The answers we could choose from were Always (100% of the time), Frequently (75% of the time), Often (50% of the time), Sometimes (25% of the time) and Never (0% of the time). For example, in the tactile section, one question was “My child does not notice when her hands and face are dirty. We chose frequently for this question because B rarely notices when her face is dirty.
When we completed the profile, we sent it back to our OT. Based on our responses to the questions, the OT will develop B’s sensory diet and offer suggestions on different things that would provide B the sensory input she needs every day.
The profile was very short and easy to fill out. There were a few questions that I asked my husband for his input in answering just because sometimes it’s nice to have another viewpoint. There are different sensory profiles for different age groups and there are varying lengths to the profiles. It is a useful tool to help the therapist know more about how your child reacts to different senses that they may not display while in therapy appointments with the OT.
