ADOLESCENT and Adult SPD Checklist - SPD Support

1 ADOLESCENT / Adult SENSORYPROCESSING DISORDER CHECKLISTByMichele MitchellSENSORY MODULATION:__ __ bothered by clothes; certain materials, tags, seams, pantyhose, ties, belts, turtlenecks, have to wear shorts,skirts, or pants exclusively, __ bothered by "light touch"; someone lightly touching/rubbing your hand, face, leg or back__ __ excessively ticklish__ __ distressed by others touching you; would rather be the "toucher" than the "touchee", difficulty "snuggling"with your partner__ __ have to fidget and "fiddle" with things all the time; change in your pocket, your keys, a pen/pencil, paper clip,rubber band, ANYTHING within reach__ __ often touching and twisting your own hair__ __ very sensitive to pain, especially as compared to others__ __ don't seem to notice pain; get shots/cuts/bruises and hardly feel a thing__ __ dislike the feeling of showers or getting splashed__ __ difficulty going to the beach; the sand blowing on your skin or getting on your body__ __ avoid touching anything "messy".

2 If you do, you have to go wash your hands right away and/or only touch itwith your fingertips__ __ can not wear new or "stiff" clothes that have not been washed or soaked in fabric softener__ __ hate to be barefoot or hate to wear shoes and/or socks__ __ frequently get car sick, air sick, motion sick__ __ a thrill seeker; loves fast and/or dangerous rides, leisure activities, and sports__ __ difficulty riding on elevators, escalators, or moving sidewalks__ __ avoid amusement park rides that spin or go upside down__ __ seek out fast, spinning, and/or upside down carnival rides__ __ will often rock or sway body back and forth while seated or standing still__ __ frequently tips chair on back two legs__ __ restless when sitting through a lecture, presentation, or movie__ __ constantly chews on ends of pens and pencils__ __ smokes cigarettes__ __ difficulty eating foods with mixed textures.

3 Or one particular texture__ __ prefer foods with very strong tastes and flavors__ __ prefer very bland foods, dislike anything spicy__ __ has a diagnosed eating disorder or has major eating "sensitivities"__ __ constantly biting nails or fingers__ __ bites lips or inside of cheeks__ __ frequently shake your leg while sitting or falling asleep__ __ love to sleep with multiple or heavy blankets on top of you__ __ seek out crashing and "squishing" activities__ __ cracks knuckles often__ __ loves crunchy foods (popcorn, carrots, chips, nuts, pretzels, etc.)__ __ frequently have gum or hard candy in your mouth__ __ has an "endless" supply of air fresheners, scented candles, odor masking sprays, __ becomes nauseated or gags from certain cooking, cleaning, perfume, public restroom, or bodily odors__ __ identifies objects by smell, have to smell everything.

4 Judge whether you like something or someone by smell__ __ becomes overstimulated / overaroused when people come to the house or in crowded places__ __ very high or very low energy level__ __ avoids crowds and plans errands at times when there will be fewer people__ __ overly exited/aroused in group settings__ __ hides or disappears when guests come over__ __ substance abuse__ __ drinks excessive amounts of coffee or caffeinated beverages__ __ notice and bothered by noises other people do not seem bothered , refrigerators, fans, peopletalking, outdoor construction, __ sensitive to loud sounds or commotion__ __ easily distracted by auditory or visual stimuli__ __ can not attend certain public events or places due to excessive noiseSENSORY DISCRIMINATION.

5 __ __ can't identify objects by feel if your eyes are closed__ __ difficulty finding things in your purse or pocket without looking__ __ don't seem to notice if your hands or face are dirty__ __ bothered by hands or face being dirty__ __ loves to touch and be touched, has to touch everything__ __ have a hard time feeling where a bug has bitten you or whether you are being bitten__ __ difficulty heating food to the correct temperature, feeling if it is too hot or too cold__ __ difficulty locating items in a cupboard, drawer, in your closet, or on a grocery shelf__ __ difficulty with recognizing/interpreting/following traffic signs__ __ difficulty judging distances about where your car is in relation to other cars, in parking spaces, or near a curb(fail miserably at parallel parking!)

6 !)__ __ difficulty merging into oncoming traffic on road, rotary, or highway__ __ get disoriented and/or lost easily in stores, buildings, hiking, __ can't sleep if room isn't completely dark__ __ fearful of heights__ __ difficulty concentrating on or watching a movie/tv show when there is background noise or distractions__ __ difficulty remembering or understanding what is said to you__ __ difficulty following directions if given two or three at one time__ __ can not complete concentrated tasks if noises present__ __ sensitive, or over reacts, to sirens, dogs barking, vaccuum cleaners, blenders, or other sudden/loud sounds__ __ talks too loud or too soft__ __ lethargic, hard to get going, appears "lazy" and unmotivated__ __ become engrossed in one single activity for a long time and seems to tune out the rest of their environment__ __ spend hours at a time on fantasy or video games and activities__ __ great difficulty settling body down for sleep or waking up in the morning (did you even hear the alarm thathas been going off for 15 minutes?

7 __ __ has difficulty licking an ice cream cone neatly__ __ difficulty with speech and annunciation__ __ bumps into things frequently__ __ often pushes too hard on objects, accidentally breaking them__ __ difficulty judging how much pressure to apply when doing tasks or picking something up__ __ difficulty identifying which key on your ring belongs to what__ __ numbers and letters often reversed or backward__ __ difficulty telling time on an analogue clock__ __ difficulty reading and understanding a map, bus schedule, directions__ __ difficulty organizing and grouping things by categories, similarities, and/or differences__ __ can't seem to find words in word search puzzles__ __ unable to identify foods that have gone bad by smell__ __ difficulty being able to smell dangerous smells, , smoke, noxious/hazardous solvents__ __ difficulty being able to smell when something is burning on the stove or in the oven__ __ difficulty distinguishing different tastes and/or flavors of food and/or drink itemsSENSORY-BASED MOTOR SKILLS.

8 __ __ difficulty learning to ride a bike or other "moving" equipment__ __ clumsy, uncoordinated, and accident prone__ __ difficulty walking on uneven surfaces__ __ difficulty with fine motor tasks such as buttoning, zipping, tying, knitting, sewing, playing games with smallparts, closing zip loc bags__ __ confuses right and left sides__ __ prefers sedentary tasks, avoiding sports or physical activities__ __ difficulty with handwriting; hard to read, takes a long time to write__ __ frequently bumps into people and things__ __ easily fatigued with physical tasks__ __ frequently misses when putting objects on a table__ __ messy eater, difficulty with eating utensils.

9 Spills and drops food__ __ knocks drinks or other things over when reaching for them__ __ frequently drops items__ __ has to talk self through tasks__ __ hums or vocalizes while concentrating on a task__ __ significant difficulty learning to tie a tie__ __ difficulty with motor tasks requiring several steps__ __ difficulty lining up numbers correctly for math problems and/or balancing a checkbook__ __ difficulty learning new motor new dance, sport or exercise activity, how to drive__ __ lose balance frequently__ __ significant difficulty learning to type the "proper" waySOCIAL / EMOTIONAL.

10 __ __ dislikes changes in plans or routines, needs structure__ __ may be described as "stubborn", "defiant", or "uncooperative"__ __ cries easily, over things others usually don't, very "emotional" and "sensitive"__ __ can't seem to finish anything__ __ difficulty making decisions__ __ rigid and controlling__ __ prefers solitary activities, avoids groups__ __ impatient and/or impulsive__ __ difficulty with social cues and non verbal language__ __ difficulty with authority figures__ __ trouble relating to and socializing with peers and colleagues__ __ a "sore loser"__ __ strong feelings of anger or rage__ __ easily frustrated__ __ needs sameness and routines; needs to know what to expect__ __ have panic or anxiety attacks__ __ plagued by fears and/or phobias__ __ OCD-type qualities.