Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile

Review by Sue Porr, M.Ed., MS, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often described as having unusual responses to sensory information. Tools to operationalize this concept have been in place for older children both with and without ASD.  Now Dr. Winnie Dunn and her team have come to our assistance to help us measure the sensory processing abilities of very young children with suspected sensory issues that may impact in daily performance.

  The Infant /Toddler Sensory Profile (ITSP) is a judgment based caregiver questionnaire appropriate for children ages 0 to 36 months. It covers 5 areas of sensory processing (auditory, visual, tactile, vestibular, and oral/sensory) as well as general overall sensory processing.  The ITSP captures children in tasks that typically happen in their days.

  The ITSP follows a similar interview /question format that was used in the earlier Sensory Profile. It differs from the earlier Sensory Profile, however, in that scores are reported on both ends of the sensory spectrum (termed as  “less than others “ and “more than others”) regarding sensory seeking and avoiding behaviors. Visual icons are helpful in the scoring. Using the ITSP in an interview format has been beneficial in getting additional assessment information from parents / caregivers regarding routines in the home or child care setting.

The manual has a wealth of information beyond test mechanics and gives great case studies for familiarizing new users with the tool. The manual also comes in Spanish for those working with families from Hispanic backgrounds. This new tool can be found in the EC LINK Library – Check it out!

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