Early Identification of Sensory Processing Difficulties in High-Risk Infants

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the extent to which young children at high risk for sensory processing difficulties differed from those who were at low risk. METHOD: We compared high- versus low-risk young children using standardized measures. High-risk participants had older siblings identified as having sensory processing difficulties after a comprehensive occupational therapy evaluation (n = 13); low-risk participants (n = 16) had typically developing siblings and no family history of sensory or other neurological disorders. RESULTS: High-risk infants scored significantly lower on the Language and Cognitive scales of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition. The high-risk group presented with more atypical positions on the Toddler and Infant Motor Evaluation and fewer sensation-seeking behaviors on the Toddler Sensory Profile-2. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that sensory, motor, cognitive, and language dimensions may be associated with sensory processing difficulties. Implications exist for the design of future studies and for early intervention.