Pilot Study of the Sensory Over-Responsivity Scales: Assessment and Inventory

Abstract

This article describes 3 stages of construction of the Sensory Over-Responsivity (SensOR) Scales: instrument development, reliability and validity analyses, and cross-validation on a new sample. The SensOR Scales include the SensOR Assessment, an examiner-administered performance evaluation, and the SensOR Inventory, a caregiver self-rating scale. Both scales measure sensory overresponsivity in 7 sensory domains. Data were collected from 2 samples consisting of participants who were typically developing (ns = 60 and 44, respectively) and participants with sensory overresponsivity (ns = 65 and 48, respectively), ages 3 to 55. In developing the research edition, items on the pilot version were reviewed for their internal consistency reliability, discriminant validity, and construct validity. Data from both samples on the research edition revealed high internal consistency reliability for domains and the total test and significant discrimination between the overresponsive and the typically responsive groups (p < .05). The preliminary psychometric integrity of the scales, along with continued research efforts, is an important contribution to evidence-based practice.

Making sense of it all: The impact of sensory processing sensitivity on daily functioning of children

“…First, to further explore the psychometric properties of the scale, an investigation of the discriminant and convergent validity against other measures of temperament, sensitivity and behavior would be valuable. Second, to corroborate the present findings on the association between SPS and problems in daily functioning, additional studies could implement other measures of hypersensitivity and temperament [e.g., the Sensory Profile; (Dunn, 1994), the SensOR; (Schoen, Miller, & Green, 2008) Further, a very recent 12-item child self-report version of the HSP scale (Pluess & Boniwell, 2015;Pluess et al, in preparation) could be converged with the parent-report version in future research. Finally, further research on the HSPS in children could also apply some more sophisticated statistical methods such as tests of measurement invariance.…”

Sensory Overresponsivity and Anxiety in Typically Developing Children and Children With Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Cause or Coexistence?

“…The Sensory Overresponsiveness (SensOR) Inventory (Schoen, Miller, & Green, 2008) is the only available caregiver report tool that specifically identifies people with SOR. Version 1.4, used in the current study, is a 76-item questionnaire on which parents indicate with yes (1) or no (0) whether various stimuli bother their child.…”

(169) Development of the Sensory Hypersensitivity Scale (SHS): a self-report tool for assessing sensitivity to sensory stimuli

“…Tools such as the Sensory Profile questionnaire (Dunn, 1999), SensOR Assessment (Schoen et al, 2008), and SensOR Inventory (Schoen et al, 2008) use examiners and caregivers, rather than the affected individual, to observe behavioral responses to stimuli. Self-report tools, such as the Adult/ Adolescent Sensory Profile (AASP) (Brown & Dunn, 2002) also exist.…”