The incidence of sensory processing difficulties (SPDs) was investigated for pupils (aged 4-10 years old) with behavioural, emotional or social difficulties (BESD). Teachers provided a measure of BESD using The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Parents completed The Short Sensory Profile (SSP) and teachers completed The Sensory Profile, School Companion (SC). Data were analysed for 144 children. When total scores were calculated for the sensory measures, parents and teachers rated that 55% and 44% of the sample respectively, had sensory processing difficulties. Both parents and teachers demonstrated concerns about difficulties with overactivity, poor listening and concentration skills. Associations were found between SPDs and some background factors including anxiety and poor peer relations. When individual cases were examined, it was found that children were often rated as having difficulties at school but not at home or visa versa. The implications of this finding are discussed in relation to previous studies that have purely relied on the Short Sensory Profile, a brief parental measure of SPDs. It was cautiously concluded that the data suggest that within the BESD sample it was possible to identify a subgroup of children who may also have difficulties with sensory processing. It is suggested that it may be helpful for there to be an increased awareness of possible sensory difficulties for some BESD children among educational psychologists.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:567456 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Hutton, Plum |
| Publisher | Cardiff University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://orca.cf.ac.uk/42131/ |
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