Sensory profile

What is the sensory profile?

The sensory profile is a shared tool for anyone to use in collaboration with a young person.

It aims to help explain your sensory preferences and differences and how you experience the world. It is best created with you, using your own words. This will empower you to take ownership and use strategies to help yourself.

With your consent, share it with your support network. It will make sure everyone has a consistent approach to supporting your sensory differences and preferences. This tool is designed to evolve, it can be updated as preferences or differences change, or as you learn new coping strategies.

What are the 8 senses?

The 8 senses are:

• sound (auditory)
• touch (tactile)
• movement and balance (vestibular)
• body awareness (proprioception)
• smell (olfactory)
• taste (gustatory)
• sight (visual)
• feelings in my body (interoception)

The profile lists our 8 senses over 6 boxes. We have grouped smell and taste together. Movement and balance, and body awareness are also together in another box.

Here is an example sensory profile (pdf) with each section completed.

We all process sensory information differently, so our profiles will be different. Some people will have differences in all of their sensory systems, for others, it may only affect 1 or 2 systems.

Please watch our sensory issues in children with autism and neurodisability video.

Which of my senses are affected and how?

This part of the profile is to document which of your senses are affected and in what way.

What are the sensory barriers to accessing everyday and meaningful activities? What environment, object, or sensory experience is tricky for you? Are noises too loud or smells too strong? Are certain fabrics uncomfortable? Do you move or rock when seated? Do you bump into objects or people? Are personal care tasks challenging? How do you react? What would you like to tell us? You might want to talk about your senses as strengths, too.

Things that help me

This part of the profile is to document strategies and resources and note what helps your experiences.

It should also include what you want others to know to get the right support. Do you use a weighted item or ear defenders? How do you use them? Do you need verbal or visual prompts to remind you to use the toilet? Do you need different seating options to support you in focusing? Do you prefer to eat alone or in a small group away from the smell of a kitchen or canteen?

People can communicate through their behaviour, and we should view it with curiosity. Some behaviours are subtle and less disruptive. All behaviours help to show how we experience our sensory world.