INFANT AND TODDLER
SENSORY PROFILE
PURPOSE:
To evaluate possible sensory processing patterns
that support and/or interfere with a child’s daily
functional performance.
Helps to identify which specific sensory system or
systems are contributing to dysfunctional behavior.
Provides information about the child’s level of
responsivity (hyper responsive or hypo responsive)
Key Characteristics
Written by Winnie Dunn, OTR
Age: Birth to 36 months
Available in English or Spanish
Assessment approach:
Judgment based-Caregiver Questionnaire
Ecological and Top Down
Supports family-centered care philosophy
Caregiver main source of data collection
Assesses child’s response to sensory stimuli in a natural environment
(daily routines at home)
This tool can be used in early intervention and private practice
setting.
Key Characteristics
Frame of references
Sensory Integration
Neuroscience
Length= 30 minutes
15 minutes to administer
15 minutes to score
Areas of occupation
ADLs (Sleep, eating, bathing, grooming, toileting)
Social participation
Play
Test Cost
Complete kit =$200.00
Includes user’s manual, 25 questionnaires, and 25
summary score sheets
Profile User’s Manual= $114.00
Questionnaire(25)= $59.00
Summary Score Sheet(25)=$35.00
http://www.pearsonclinical.com/therapy/products/100000389/infanttoddler-
sensory-profile.html?Pid=076-1649-549
DOMAINS:
Quadrants: Sensory processing
low registration sections:
sensation seeking general
sensory sensitivity auditory
sensation avoiding visual
tactile
vestibular
oral ( 7-36 months only)
TESTING PROCEDURES:
3 ways to administer:
1. Send Caregiver Questionnaire with cover letter for specific
instructions home with parent
2. Have caregiver complete form in office or clinic
3. Help caregiver fill out questionnaire( possible language
differences/reading disabilities)
Inform caregiver to fill out front page of Caregiver
Questionnaire including: child’s name, child’s birthdate,
caregiver name, relationship to child, and other questions.
SPECIFIC ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURE:
Instruct caregiver to read each item on the questionnaire and
check the box that best describes the frequency which he/she
observes the behaviors.
1 Almost always: >90%
2 Frequently: about 75%
3 Occasionally: about 50%
4 Seldom: about 25%
5 Almost never: <10%
Encourage caregiver to make comments under each section
and make sure caregiver answers 2 questions at end of
questionnaire.
Make sure all items are completed because raw scores cannot
be completed for that section or quadrant if one is missing.
EXAMPLES OF TEST ITEMS:
Birth to 6 months
36 items
7 -36 months:
48 items
Demonstration
Role playing
Option 1 : One student is the parent
The other is the caregiver / family
Do it as interview with each other
Try to complete the scoring section after
Do the interpretation of the results.
Option 2 interview a family with a childe and
complete the form , results and interpretation as
video .
Scoring: Quadrant Grids
Interpretation: 7-36 months
Definite difference: outside + or – 2 SD
Probable difference: within +/- 1 to 2 SD range
Typical performance: at or between +/- 1 SD
Interpretation: birth- 6 months
Consult and follow-up
Scores outside + or – 1 SD
Typical performance
Scores at or between + or – 1 SD
Interpretation: Sensory Processing Sections
7-36 months ONLY
Test Results
The results of this measure are not to be used alone.
Should be used in combination with other
evaluations, observations, and reports.
Measure reveals child’s sensory patterns based on
Dunn’s Model of Sensory Processing
This helps in guiding treatment planning.
Test Development
Developed first from the Sensory Profile (ages 3-
10)
Exploratory study-100 parents of infants and toddlers
completed Sensory Profile and marked out any
inappropriate age items.
Expert panel- reviewed and sorted items into
quadrants
Pilot study- Clinical Edition
Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile –Standardization
Edition study
STANDARDIZATION:
Standardization sample
N=589
0-6 months= 100
7-36 months=489
U.S. children without disabilities
Item bias review:
Age, gender, region of U.S., ethnicity, yearly income,
and type of community
What about children with disabilities?
Measure was standardized for children birth to 36 months
without disability, but data was provided to guide
interpretation for children with the following disabilities:
Developmental delay
Health impairments and metabolic disorders
Pervasive developmental disorder (autism)
Down syndrome
Sensory integrative dysfunction
Language delay
Manual provides appendix that graphs the mean and -/+ 1
SD scores for children with and without disabilities.
PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES:
Internal Consistency Test-Retest Reliability Validity
Reliability
Birth to 6 months Test-Retest Structure Content Validity Established
(.17-.83) (n=32) through exploratory study, expert
panels, and pilot study
7 to 36 months Sensory processing Convergent and Discriminant
(.42 to .86) section scores = .86 Evidence (Construct and
Concurrent Validity): Criterion
measure- Infant/Toddler Symptom
Checklist
Quadrant scores=.74
Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) values are provided for each
quadrant and sensory section raw score totals. SEM aid in calculation of
confidence intervals.
Measurement Concerns
Judgment based tool
rating is based on parent’s interpretation ( could be
bias)
Should be used in combination with other tools
Can be used by many professionals but recommend
background in sensory processing
Adequate reliability
Reference
Dunn, W. (2002). Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile.
Bloomington, MN: NCS Pearson, INC.
