Sensory Diet

Assessment
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Sensory Diet Needs Assessment
There are various kinds of sensory needs to incorporate into
a child’s schedule. A sensory assessment can be conducted to
see what areas of sensory needs to incorporate into the daily
schedule, or what areas of sensory needs should be limited.
If the child is old enough, it can be helpful to teach children the
different kinds of sensory needs, how to use sensory tools
and when to use them.
Included in this packet are two versions of quizzes and
strategies. One is oriented to the parent or teacher, the other
towards an older child (who can be self-ware of their own
sensory needs)
Once certain needs are identified, the identified sensory
needs can be incorporated into the child’s day:
For example if the child has a body sense need and seeks out
heavy work, enlist this child in heavy work around the
classroom like cleaning white boards and pushing in or
stacking chairs as a part of the child’s routine.
Additionally, put the types of activities that the child seeks into
a calming room to help the child self-soothe when upset.
 Touch
Does your child need more tactile senses incorporated into
their day? Are tactile senses aversive and causing
meltdowns? Here is a quiz to see how touch impacts your
child’s or student’s sensory needs.
Avoids Seeks Mixed Neutral

Hugs, cuddles, or being touched on the

shoulder (or other body part)
Fabrics, seams, tags, waistbands

Loose or tight clothing

Messy hands

Grooming activities

Trying new foods

Feeling certain textures or temperatures

Strategies for tactile sensations:

❑ Various textured food and bubbly drinks
❑ Sensory bins with sand, beans, shaving cream, playdough
❑ Artwork involving textured paper, glue, etc.…
❑ Sensory toys like a slinky, putty, etc.…
❑ Hug, compression vest, weighted blanket
❑ Pet an animal
❑ Dress up (can help getting used to different kinds of
fabric)
❑ Tactile hobbies (like woodshop, clay modeling, sewing
❑ Playing in nature
 Taste and Smell
Does your child need more smells and tastes incorporated
into their day? Are smells and flavors aversive and causing
meltdowns? Here is a quiz to see how smells and taste buds
impacts your child’s or student’s sensory needs.
Avoids Seeks Mixed Neutral

Smelling odors like perfume, gasoline, cleaning

products
Smelling unfamiliar scents

Smelling objects like flowers, playdough,

garbage
Trying new foods

Eating spicy, salty, bitter, sour, or sweet foods

Strategies for smell and taste sensory input

❑ Make eating a game
❑ Involve child in food prep
❑ Experiment with different scents to see what is pleasant
❑ Use scent plug ins
 Visual
Does your child need more smells and tastes incorporated
into their day? Are smells and flavors aversive and causing
meltdowns? Here is a quiz to see how smells and taste buds
impacts your child’s or student’s sensory needs.
Avoids Seeks Mixed Neutral

Reading or learning to read

Shiny, flashing or moving objects

Hand-eye coordination (baseball, writing,

tracing,)
Puzzles, mazes, eye spy

Puzzles involving shapes, colors, and sizes

Bright lights

Dim lights

TV, movies, computer, or video games

Strategies for visual inputs:

❑ Declutter
❑ Reduce visual distractions
❑ Be sensitive of the colors the child may be aversive to
❑ Watching objects that move (fish tank, lava lamp,
waterfalls)
❑ Dim lights or brighten lights
❑ Watch bubbles
 Auditory
Does your child need more auditory sensory strategies
incorporated into their day? Are sounds aversive and
causing meltdowns? Here is a quiz to see how impacts your
child’s or student’s sensory needs.
Avoids Seeks Mixed Neutral

Loud sounds like sirens, TV, music, crowds

Background music

Background white noise (fan, dishwasher)

Verbal instructions

Conversations

Unfamiliar sounds, like silly voices or foreign

language
Singing or humming

Watching TV at high or low volumes

Strategies for auditory inputs:

❑ Go outside and listen to nature
❑ Find calming music
❑ Noise canceling headphones
❑ Encourage learning an instrument
❑ Encourage music lessons
❑ Pleasant white noise sounds (water falls, aquarium, white
noise maker
 Vestibular (Movement Sense)
Vestibular sense is the sense of movement in the inner ear.
Does your child need more vestibular sensory strategies
incorporated into their day? Are certain movements aversive
and causing meltdowns? Here is a quiz to see how movement
sense impacts your child’s or student’s sensory needs.
Avoids Seeks Mixed Neutral

Being moved by an adult (swing, wagon,

rocked)
Riding equipment that moves (swinging, teeter-
totters, elevators, escalators, cars)
Spinning activities

Motor activities that move head position

(somersaults, hanging up side down,
cartwheels)
Balance activities (biking, skating, balance
beams)
Stairs, slides, ladders

Strategies for vestibular inputs:

❑ Spin
❑ Swing
❑ Movement involving balance, cartwheels, somersaults
 Proprioception (Body Sense)
Proprioception is the sensory input on the joints, muscles, or
connective tissue. Does your child need more proprioception
sensory strategies incorporated into their day? Here is a quiz
to see how body sense impacts your child’s or student’s
sensory needs.
Avoids Seeks Mixed Neutral

Active play like roughhousing, jumping,

bouncing, hanging
High risk play like jumping from heights

Fine motor tasks (writing, buttons, scissors)

Strategies for auditory inputs:

❑ Carry backpack (5%-10% of child’s weight)
❑ Blanket sandwich (roll up in a blanket)
❑ Pull or push objects (stroller, snow shovel, vacuum, rake,
wheel barrow, luggage, lawn mower)
❑ Jumping
❑ Heavy lifting (weights, clean windows, open heavy doors,
carry books, moving clothes into washer/dryer)
❑ Exercise
❑ Animal walks
 Don’t I like Some Don’t
Touch like it! times care
Hugs, cuddles, or being touched on the shoulder (or
other body part)
Fabrics, seams, tags, waistbands

Loose or tight clothing

Messy hands

Grooming activities

Trying new foods

Feeling certain textures or temperatures

Don’t I like Some Don’t

Movement like it! times care
Being moved by an adult (swing, wagon, rocked)

Riding equipment that moves (swinging, teeter-totters,

elevators, escalators, cars)
Spinning activities

Motor activities that move head position (somersaults,

hanging up side down, cartwheels)
Balance activities (biking, skating, balance beams)

Stairs, slides, ladders

Don’t I like Some Don’t

Body Sense like it! times care
Active play like roughhousing, jumping, bouncing,
hanging
High risk play like jumping from heights

Fine motor tasks (writing, buttons, scissors)

 Don’t I like Some Don’t
Visual like it! times care
Reading or learning to read

Shiny, flashing or moving objects

Hand-eye coordination (baseball, writing, tracing,)

Puzzles, mazes, eye spy

Puzzles involving shapes, colors, and sizes

Bright lights

Dim lights

TV, movies, computer, or video games

Don’t I like Some Don’t

Sound like it! times care
Loud sounds like sirens, TV, music, crowds

Background white noise (fan, music, dishwasher)

Verbal instructions

Conversations

Unfamiliar sounds, like silly voices or foreign language

Signing or humming

Watching TV at high or low volumes

Don’t I like Some Don’t

Smell and Taste like it! times care
Smelling odors like perfume, gasoline, cleaning
products
Smelling unfamiliar scents

Smelling objects like flowers, playdough, garbage

Trying new foods

Eating spicy, salty, bitter, sour, or sweet foods

Touch Strategies
❑ Various textured food and bubbly drinks
❑ Sensory bins with sand, beans, shaving cream, playdough
❑ Artwork involving textured paper, glue, etc…
❑ Sensory toys like a slinky, putty, etc…
❑ Hug, compression vest, weighted blanket
❑ Pet an animal
❑ Tactile hobbies (like woodshop, clay modeling, sewing)
❑ Playing in nature

Movement Strategies:
❑ Spin
❑ Swing
❑ Movement involving balance, cartwheels, somersaults

Body Strategies:
❑ Carry backpack or books
❑ Blanket sandwich (roll up in a blanket)
❑ Pull or push objects (stroller, snow shovel, vacuum, rake, wheel barrow, luggage, lawn
mower)
❑ Jumping
❑ Heavy lifting (weights, clean windows, open heavy doors, carry books, moving clothes
into washer/dryer)
❑ Exercise
❑ Animal walks

Smelling and Tasting Strategies

❑ Make eating a game
❑ Get involved in food prep
❑ Experiment with different scents to see what is pleasant
❑ Use scent plug ins

Visual Strategies:
❑ Declutter
❑ Reduce visual distractions
❑ Watching objects that move (fish tank, lava lamp, waterfalls)
❑ Dim lights or brighten lights
❑ Watch bubbles

Hearing Strategies:
❑ Go outside and listen to nature
❑ Find calming music
❑ Noise canceling headphones
❑ Learn an instrument
❑ Take music lessons
❑ Pleasant white noise sounds (water falls, aquarium, white noise maker
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Laura McIntyre  Hello Intervention  hellointervention@gmail.com