Psychometric Properties of Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation Checklist (SPSRC)

Abstract

Background Some children may encounter difficulties in processing sensory stimuli, which may affect their ability to participate in activities of daily living. Self-regulation abilities may also affect children on how to process different sensory experiences. The Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation Checklist (SPSRC) was developed as a single, parent-reported instrument for the examination of sensory processing and self-regulation difficulties in children. Aims This study is aimed at evaluating the psychometric properties of the SPSRC and examine the patterns of self-regulation and sensory processing in children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods and Procedures The contents of the SPSRC were validated by a group of experts, and a field test was subsequently conducted to examine the reliability and validity of this instrument in a sample of 997 typically developing children and 78 children with ASD. Outcomes and Results The results of the validation and field test analyses suggest that the SPSRC exhibits high internal consistency, good intrarater reliability, and a valid ability to measure and discriminate sensory processing and self-regulation in children aged 3–8 years with and without ASD. Conclusions and Implications The current results supported the reliability and validity of SPSRC to assess a child's sensory processing and self-regulation performance in activities of daily living. The study findings warrant further investigation to compare the performance of the SPSRC with laboratory-based tests, as this would better elucidate sensory responsivity in children with sensory modulation disorders from both clinical and research perspectives.

Psychometric Properties of the Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation Checklist: English Version

“…The SPSRC [ 31 ] was developed as a single checklist that provides information on both sensory processing and self-regulation for children 3 to 8 years of age. The 130-item checklist has two parts subdivided into several sections and factor scales.…”

“…Children with disabilities have been reported to exhibit to manifest an overlap of these behavioural symptoms [ 27 , 28 ]. While sensory processing and self-regulation are interlinked [ 27 , 29 ], it is still essential to examine any possible factor that contributes to the behavioural pattern in the sensory events for each individual [ 30 ]. A measure that incorporates aspects of self-regulation to clarify how children regulate sensory responses is needed.…”

“…The Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation Checklist (SPSRC; [ 30 , 31 ]) is a parent/caregiver-answered questionnaire that was developed to examine sensory processing and self-regulation in children (typically developing and with disabilities) aged 3–8 years. The SPSRC is a single instrument for the evaluation of sensory processing and self-regulation difficulties in children.…”

“…The sensory processing ability section is aimed at identifying behavioural patterns in response to sensory input and at quantifying the extent of difficulties encountered by children upon receiving different types of sensory input. The SPSRC has been proven to have good reliability and validity in examining sensory processing and self-regulation in children [ 30 ]. The original SPSRC items are written in Chinese.…”

“…The original SPSRC items are written in Chinese. However, through a multiprocess of language equivalency, an English version is currently available [ 32 ]. While useful for bilingual countries, it cannot be assumed that its original psychometric properties remain intact.…”