The Sensory
Processing Measure (SPM) is a standardized assessment tool published Western Psychological Services (www.wpspublish.com)
that assists educational personnel in examining the sensory and
environmental issues that may be impacting upon a child's performance at
school and at home. The design of the SPM allows you to consider whether a
child's performance is being hindered by sensory processing or sensory
integration difficulties. It is also helpful in devising successful
intervention strategies.
How do I order the SPM?
Order online at
www.wpspublish.com/spm or call Western
Psychological Services at (800) 648-8857.
What is the purpose of the SPM?
Provides the assessment
team with information regarding a child's sensory integrative functioning
in order to create strategies that enhance performance in school and at
home.
Assesses the individual's
performance in a variety of different environments, allowing comparison
and discussion regarding the differences.
Examines the behaviors
indicative of sensory modulation dysfunction and dyspraxia, as well as the
related areas of arousal, attention, and social participation
How can the
SPM be used?
As a method
of gathering data for a child during the initial process of determining
special education eligibility.
It can be
used as part of an occupational therapy evaluation for a child already
receiving special education services.
To determine
whether or not sensory issues are affecting the student's educational
performance.
What type of
child should be tested using the SPM?
The SPM is
appropriate for students in grades kindergarten to 6th grade, who are within
the ages of 5 and 13 years. The kindergarten student must be full day and
the 6th grader must be in the elementary school, not a middle school.
The SPM may be
used with children without significant physical impairments who are having
difficulty functioning within one of the 7 school settings or at home.
Children with mild motor coordination issues, attention difficulties, and
behavioral concerns are all appropriate for the SPM. This tool was not
designed for use with students with severe sensory impairments such as
blindness or deafness, or children with severe motor impairments.
How is the
SPM School Form designed for school use?
While there
are a multitude of tools that examine activity performance, and also many
that examine sensory-motor performance components, there are few that
specifically consider the impact of sensory processing difficulties upon
educational performance.
SPM School
Form items include behavioral indicators of sensory modulation dysfunction,
difficulties with regulation of arousal, and praxis deficits that may be
influencing educational performance, as well as the ability to participate
fully in the educational environment and maintain relationships with peers.
Items were written to reflect the observable responses commonly noted in
children with sensory integrative dysfunction.
The SPM was
developed to be understandable by a variety of personnel. Therefore, sensory
integrative terminology has been reworded to be user- friendly for
non-therapists. The current World Health Organization (WHO) terminology,
IDEA 97, and the OT Practice Framework developed by the American
Occupational Therapy Association were all considered during the development
of the SPM.
The emphasis
within the occupational therapy profession for assessment within natural
environments led to the tool being divided by academic environments allowing
comparison between and among them. The importance of social participation as
the desired outcome of any therapy program led to the inclusion of items
examining social relationships and participation as a student.
How does the
SPM match the OT Practice Framework (OTPF)?
As is
recommended by AOTA's Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (2002), the
SPM may be used as part of an evaluation that begins with a discussion
between the teacher and other team members, an observation of the student in
the student's typical environments, and a discussion with the entire team
regarding the expectations and desired outcomes for this student.
The
initial step of the process, the occupational profile is completed prior to
using the SPM. The occupational profile is created by gathering information
from the student (if appropriate) and significant people in the student's
life. The information gathered should include the student's history,
experiences, interests, values, and motivations. Contextual factors should
be considered of utmost importance while discussing successes and
difficulties.
Next,
according to the OTPF, occupational performance may be observed in a variety
of areas based upon the concerns presented in the occupational profile. If
these observations lead the therapist to believe that sensory processing may
be affecting educational performance, then it is appropriate to administer
this tool. This tool is meant to allow therapists to gather information
regarding the impact of sensory processing difficulties and environmental
demands upon social participation, educational performance in relation to
peers, and recreational/play behaviors that occur in the educational
environment. It may also be used to rule out sensory processing as a factor
for a student's performance.
