Screening & Diagnostic Pathway for Sensory Processing Differences (Under 7)

A child who melts down at the supermarket or refuses certain textures is not being difficult — they are telling us how their nervous system reads the world.

In short

There is no single confirmatory test for Sensory Processing Differences; the pathway is stepwise and multidisciplinary. Begin with structured developmental surveillance at well-child visits, escalate to standardised parent- and clinician-rated sensory measures when concerns persist, and crucially rule out the differentials — hearing or vision deficits, ASD, ADHD, anxiety and global delay — before attributing function to sensory processing alone. Definitive characterisation is occupational-therapy-led, with input from paediatrics and, where indicated, audiology and developmental psychology.

The recommended pathway

1. Surveillance & screen (every visit). Use CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. milestone monitoring plus parent concern as a trigger. Note feeding selectivity, extreme reactions to sound/texture/movement, or sensory-seeking that disrupts daily participation.

2. Structured caregiver questionnaires. Where concern persists, deploy validated sensory profiles and a functional-participation history across home, childcare and play settings. Sensory differences must impair participation to be clinically meaningful.

3. Differential work-up. Confirm normal hearing and vision; screen for ASD, ADHD and anxiety. ICD-11 does not list a standalone sensory-processing disorder, so frame findings within the WHO ICF model of functioning rather than as an isolated diagnostic label.

4. OT-led assessment. A paediatric occupational therapist completes structured observation, standardised motor and sensory measures, and a participation-based formulation that directly informs intervention.

The Pinnacle way

AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional — never from an online form. Our pathway integrates occupational therapy, sensory processing profiling and a clinician-administered AbilityScore® across 70+ centres in 4 states.

Trusted sources

WHO ICD-11 and ICF framework; CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early.; Indian Academy of Pediatrics; American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org).

Next step — Refer a child or co-manage the work-up with a Pinnacle clinician — partner with us.

This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.