If your child doesn’t already have an IEP, the first step to accessing treatment for sensory issues and other potential conditions is requesting an IEP assessment from their school. If your child already has an IEP and you would like their team to evaluate and accommodate them for sensory processing difficulties, request to schedule an IEP meeting so that you can discuss your concerns.
Outside of school, you can look to your child’s healthcare providers for assessment and treatment.
Before your child’s occupational therapist can start drafting an effective sensory diet, they first need to determine your child’s unique sensory profile. Is your child sensory-seeking, sensory-avoiding, or both? Are they under-responsive to sensory input? What type of sensory input do they seek out or avoid? Your child’s therapist will explore these critical questions when identifying their sensory profile.
Once the occupational therapist has developed a solid understanding of your child’s sensory profile, they will draft a sensory diet based on the information gathered during appointments and standardized testing.
To learn more, see our article Sensory Processing Disorder and Sensory Diets.
