Sensory Processing Assessment

We offer a review of your child's sensory needs by using a standardised assessment tool, the sensory profile. This tool has been used all over the world and is very well researched and validated.It can help highlight those areas of sensory difference for your child and also offer guidance around every day functioning and interventions to help your child manage their often confusing sensory world.

This is not an assessment for sensory integration but more a tool that can help you as parents/caregivers and also schools to understand the child's behaviours from a sensory perspective (see behaviour think sensory!). There is an additional school sensory questionnaire if this is felt to be necessary. Sometimes the appointments involve the child or young person right from the start but this is more for older children and teenagers. For young children its normally just the parents who need to attend.

This assessment is offered by our Occupational Therapist who has a wealth of additional experience and training in the sensory needs of children and young people. A sensory diet will be created and full explanation of what this means and how to implement strategies will be given. Follow up appointments with the OT can also be offered , including contact with the educational setting if that is appropriate. Our OT will advise on this.

The initial information gathering appointment can take up to 90 minutes, as can the feedback session. In between these 2 appointments our OT will be analysing and formulating a bespoke plan for your child, and a full and detailed report will be provided immediately after the second appointment.

If additional follow up reviews are requested these would be for 1 hour and can be booked as and when required. A child's sensory needs will change over time especially if interventions are being offered and sometimes it is useful to recap or offer changes to the initial plan.

A similar process can be used to help adults with sensory needs, making the necessary adaptations.