The following is a checklist of possible signs that a child may have Sensory Integration Disorder. Because this disorder manifests itself differently in each child, these lists serve only as a sample. They are by no means inclusive, and do not necessarily mean a child has this disorder, only that a further evaluation by a licensed professional may be in order.

Motor Planning Issues

• difficulty climbing in and out of cars
• difficulty going up and down stairs
• falls out of chairs
• walks into objects
• difficulty using “pull toys”
• problems using tricycles, bikes
• continues to have accidents after being fully potty trained
• trouble engaging successfully in sports
• approaches an activity each time as if it were the first time
• strong preferences or aversions to playground equipment
• difficulty doing puzzles-manipulating pieces or determining where pieces belong
• difficulty guiding food to mouth
• unable to use scissors in an age-appropriate manner

Clothing

• strong clothing preferences
• dislikes sleeves touching wrists/only wears long or short sleeves
• sensitive to collars touching neck
• does not want to wear a belt or anything that ties around the waist
• is bothered by seams in clothing
• prefers cotton
• experiences difficulty manipulating buttons, zippers, snaps or ties
• wants all tags in clothing removed
• wants feet and body totally covered or uncovered
• insists on wearing a coat with the hood up in spite of hot weather
• insists on wearing a T-shirt in spite of cold weather

Food

• sensitive to temperature
• sensitive to texture
• heightened awareness of flavor/ lack of awareness of flavor
• difficulty manipulating eating utensils
• frequently spills both food and drinks
• chews with mouth open
• bites fingers and tongue while eating
• dribbles food and drink down chin
• drops food on the floor unintentionally
• dislikes carbonated beverages

Self-Care Skills

• dislikes brushing teeth
• dribbles toothpaste out of mouth, down chin, onto clothes
• avoids washing and combing hair
• avoids having fingernails and toenails clipped
• problems self-dressing
• trouble locating opening for sleeve in shirt
• puts shirt on backwards
• places two legs in one pant leg consistently
• difficulty with zippers, buttons or snaps
• difficulty pulling on socks and shoes
• problems learning how to tie/buckle shoes
• dislikes having nose and ears cleaned
• aversion to having feet touched
• under-responsive or over-responsive to the need to urinate or defecate

Muscle Tone

• poor posture
• poor strength and endurance
• rests head on hands often
• legs hang, rather than wrap, around someone’s hips when carried
• distorted sense of heaviness when carrying things
• difficulty grasping and holding objects for any length of time

Temperatures

• sensitive to air and object temperature
• prefers luke
• warm or cold food or baths/prefers unusually hot food or baths
• lack of awareness/heightened awareness of body temperature
• overdresses or underdresses for the weather

As a Child

• easily distracted
• difficulty prioritizing stimuli
• problems following directions
• dislikes sudden changes in plans and routine
• poor speech or articulation
• stubborn
• erratic sleep patterns
• sensitive to loud noise and commotion
• craves touching/avoids touching
• unusually high or unusually low energy level
• “fall apart” on a regular basis
• Difficulty making choices when confronted with several options
• Immature
• Short attention
• span in group setting/good attention span as an individual
• May appear clumsy or “spacey”
• Impulsive
• May speak unusually loudly all the time
• Distorted perception
• Misses when placing an object on a table
• Bumps into people and things

A. Jean Ayres, Sensory Integration and the Child, p. 161

Anderson, Elizabeth and Pauline Emmons. 2004. Unlocking the Mysteries of Sensory Dysfunction. A Resource for anyone who works with, lives with, a child with sensory issues. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons. p. 27 to p. 29