Testing Accommodations for Students with Sensory Processing Disorder

The brain is constantly processing information received from the senses, such as the food we taste, things we smell, items that we see, sounds that we hear, and sensations received from touch. This is the process known as sensory processing. Each person responds differently to sensory information, but when the output doesn't fall within the appropriate range of responses there could be a problem known as Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Sensory Processing Disorder was formerly called Sensory Integration Dysfunction. A neuroscientist and occupational therapist named A. Jean Ayres worked extensively in researching this condition. Her research theorized that a person with SPD is unable to interpret information taken in from the senses due to a neurological dysfunction. As a result, the person has difficulty performing everyday tasks or being in what most people consider normal situations. Some people may be overly sensitive to the textures of clothing, room temperature, the smells of food, being touched, or light. A child with SPD may have an extreme aversion to sleeping on certain kinds of sheets because they feel too rough for them or they may avoid playing with any material that could get their hands dirty. Some children with SPD overreact when their skin is touched by rain or when the wind blows against them. They may not want to go to theaters or places where there is loud noise or be bothered and distracted easily by background noises that most people don't pay attention to. On the other end of the spectrum, some people with SPD may have no or little response to certain stimulation where a response would normally be expected, such as not feeling someone touching their skin. Some children with SPD are easily bothered by the smell of food cooking, the smells of perfume, and can become nauseated or refuse to go in places where there is an unpleasant smell that other people do not notice.

While a checklist alone is not enough to diagnose a neurological dysfunction, there are lists that concerned parents can read and discuss with the child's physician if a sensory processing disorder is suspected. The Sensory Processing Disorder Research Center has posted a checklist that outlines behaviors associated with tactile dysfunction, vestibular dysfunction, proprioceptive dysfunction, oral dysfunction, olfactory dysfunction, visual dysfunction, social problems, and auditory dysfunction in cases where no hearing problems have been diagnosed.

Students with SPD may have problems with fine and gross motor skills, academic progress, and can experience emotional distress and social isolation due to these weaknesses processing sensory information. With the current increased focus on standardized testing and grades based on classroom assessments, SPD can negatively impact a student's performance when taking tests. A student with SPD may have difficulty focusing with a large number of students present. Some students may have trouble sitting down in uncomfortable chairs for longer exams and others with hypersensitivity to light may be too focused on the uncomfortable lighting in the room to concentrate on the test questions. Fine motor problems from lack of fine motor development can cause someone to have trouble filling in small bubblesheets. Examples of testing accommodations for students with SPD include allowing the student to test in a small group, such as in a resource room or library. A student with SPD may also benefit from being allowed to mark his or her answers on the test booklet and be provided with what he or she considers to be a comfortable seat (this might include a cushion or pillow to sit on.) If a student expresses that the light is too bright or too low in the room, find an environment where the lighting is comfortable for the student.

Source:
The Sensory Processing Disorder Research Center