Sensory Profile 2 (SP-2) Assessment: Forms, Age Ranges, Scoring & Interpretation

The Sensory Profile 2 (SP-2) is a set of standardized, norm-referenced questionnaires that show how a child responds to sensory events in everyday life. It was written by Winnie Dunn, published by Pearson in 2014, and covers birth to 14 years 11 months across five forms completed by caregivers or teachers. Scores fall into five bands, from "Much Less Than Others" to "Much More Than Others", and are grouped into Dunn's four quadrants: Seeking, Avoiding, Sensitivity and Registration. For age 11 and older, the self-report Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile extends the same model.

This guide covers every form and age range, how the scores are built, how to interpret them, the adult and Spanish versions, how the SP-2 compares with the SPM-2, and how it fits into an occupational therapy evaluation. Use the form finder below to pick the right questionnaire.

What is a sensory profile?

A sensory profile is a picture of how a person notices and responds to sensations such as sound, touch, movement, sight, taste and body position. In therapy it usually means a score report from the Sensory Profile 2 or the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile. The questionnaires ask how often a behaviour happens (for example, being bothered by loud noises) and compare the answers with same-age peers.

Is the Sensory Profile a standardized assessment?

Yes. The SP-2 is standardized and norm-referenced: raw scores are compared with a normative sample of the same age, and results are reported against cut scores, with optional percentiles. It is a Pearson Qualification Level B product. It describes sensory processing patterns. It does not diagnose a condition.

Sensory Profile 2 at a glance

Sensory Profile 2 form finder

Sensory Profile 2 forms and age ranges

Child Sensory Profile 2 age range: 3 years 0 months to 14 years 11 months. Toddler Sensory Profile age range: 7 to 35 months. Adolescent age range: the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile starts at 11, so ages 11 to 14:11 can use either the caregiver-completed Child SP-2 or the self-report form. From 15 years, only the Adolescent/Adult form applies.

How Sensory Profile 2 scoring works

The caregiver or teacher rates how often each behaviour happens. Raw scores are totalled by section, then compared with the age-specific cut scores in the manual or in Q-global. The forms report different combinations of scores.

Sensory Profile 2 score interpretation

Each score is placed in one of five classification bands. The bands are based on standard deviations around the normative mean, so the cut-off raw scores differ by age and form. The approximate percentiles below help explain a result to families; use the manual for the exact cut scores.

Read the band together with the section name. A "Less Than Others" result on the Movement section, for example, means the child responds to movement less than others of the same age. A score outside the middle band is a reason to look at daily function, not a problem on its own.

A common mix-up: "Typical Performance", "Probable Difference" and "Definite Difference" are the classifications from the original 1999 Sensory Profile. The SP-2 uses the five bands above. Name the version and the band labels it uses in your report.

The four Sensory Profile 2 quadrants

Dunn's model crosses two ideas: the neurological threshold (how much input it takes to notice a sensation) and the self-regulation strategy (whether the person acts on it or lets it happen). The SP-2 caregiver reports also use plain-language names for each pattern.

Children often score outside the middle band on more than one quadrant, and a pattern can differ by sense. A child may seek movement while avoiding sound, so plan by sensory system as well as by quadrant.

Sensory Profile School Companion

The School Companion Sensory Profile 2 is the only SP-2 form completed by the classroom teacher. Its 44 items add four School Factor scores: the support the student needs, their awareness and attention, their tolerance of the school environment, and their availability for learning. Comparing it with the caregiver-completed Child SP-2 shows whether a pattern appears at home, at school or in both, which helps target classroom accommodations and IEP goals. OTs can use quadrant findings to frame goals across subjects, including math IEP goals built around sensory regulation strategies.

Sensory Profile assessment for adults: the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile

The SP-2 ends at 14 years 11 months. For teens and adults, the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (Brown and Dunn, 2002, Pearson) is a 60-item self-report questionnaire for ages 11 and older that takes about 15 to 20 minutes. People rate how often each behaviour happens on a 5-point scale, and scores are reported for four quadrants: Low Registration, Sensation Seeking, Sensory Sensitivity and Sensation Avoiding. Items span taste and smell, movement, visual, touch, activity level and auditory processing. Results run from "Much Less Than Most People" to "Much More Than Most People". It is sold separately from the SP-2 kit.

Perfil Sensorial 2: cómo interpretar los resultados

En España, Pearson Educación publicó en 2016 la adaptación del Perfil Sensorial-2 con tres versiones: Niño (86 ítems), Breve (34 ítems) y Escolar (44 ítems), para edades de 3 años a 14 años y 11 meses. Los cuatro cuadrantes son Búsqueda, Evitación, Sensibilidad y Registro. Las puntuaciones se clasifican desde "mucho menos que los demás" (más de 2 desviaciones típicas por debajo) pasando por "igual que los demás" hasta "mucho más que los demás" (más de 2 desviaciones típicas por encima). La muestra normativa española fue de 396 niños para la versión Niño y 225 para la versión Escolar. Para interpretar, mire en qué cuadrante y en qué sistema sensorial la puntuación se aleja de la media y relaciónelo con la participación diaria del niño en casa y en la escuela.

What the research says: autism and sensory processing

In Tomchek and Dunn (2007), 281 children with autism aged 3 to 6 were compared with typically developing peers on the Short Sensory Profile. 95% of the children with autism showed some degree of sensory processing difference, and the groups differed on 92% of items, the total score and all sections. The largest differences were in Underresponsive/Seeks Sensation, Auditory Filtering and Tactile Sensitivity. The DSM-5 later listed hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input, or unusual sensory interests, as one of the restricted and repetitive behaviour criteria for autism (Criterion B4). SP-2 results can document that pattern, but they do not diagnose autism. See the F84.0 autistic disorder code page for coding detail.

Sensory Profile 2 vs Sensory Processing Measure (SPM-2)

How to administer the Sensory Profile 2

1. Choose the form by age and rater (use the form finder above).
2. Send or hand out the questionnaire. Use paper record forms or a Q-global link. Pearson's telepractice guidance covers remote completion of the caregiver and teacher forms.
3. Score it with the manual or Q-global to get section and quadrant classifications.
4. Interpret with observation. Compare the scores with what you see in the session and with the occupational profile. Treat differences between raters as information, not error.
5. Explain the results to the family and teacher in plain language, using the quadrant names.
6. Repeat at reassessment to show change, using the same form and rater where possible.

SPRY users can attach the Child SP-2 PDF from this page's download button, and track scores alongside visits with SPRY PROMs and reporting and analytics. See the full PROMs and functional outcomes library.

Sensory Profile 2 in OT evaluation billing and documentation

The SP-2 is normally part of an occupational therapy evaluation rather than a separate charge. The evaluation code depends on the occupational profile, the number of performance deficits and the complexity of clinical decision-making, not on how many questionnaires you use.

Document which forms were used, who completed them and when, the classifications, and how they link to function and goals. Sensory processing disorder has no separate ICD-10-CM diagnosis code, so report the condition and functional problems the provider documents. Payer rules vary; check them before billing. More on documentation: therapy documentation cheat sheet, SPRY documentation and SPRY for occupational therapy.

Limits of the Sensory Profile 2

• It does not diagnose. It describes sensory patterns compared with peers. Sensory processing disorder is not a separate diagnosis in the DSM-5 or ICD-10-CM.
• It is a report, not a performance test. Caregiver and teacher views, culture and familiarity with the child shape the answers, so pair the scores with observation.
• Norms are population-specific. The US norms date from 2014; the Spanish adaptation has its own norms. Use the version normed for the population you serve where one exists.
• Cut scores are proprietary. Use the official manual or Q-global for scoring rather than unofficial cut-off tables.

Worked example

A 6-year-old is referred because his teacher finds him hard to engage in group work. His parents report meltdowns at haircuts, refusal of many food textures and covering his ears in the cafeteria. The Child SP-2 places Auditory and Touch in "Much More Than Others", with Avoiding and Sensitivity also above the middle band. The teacher's School Companion shows high scores on Supports and Tolerance. Together, the forms point to a pattern seen at home and at school. The OT uses this to plan quieter lunch options, warnings before noisy events, graded touch activities and a classroom support plan, and repeats the Child SP-2 and School Companion at reassessment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Sensory Profile 2?

The Sensory Profile 2 (SP-2) is a set of standardized caregiver and teacher questionnaires by Winnie Dunn (Pearson, 2014) that describe how a child from birth to 14 years 11 months responds to sensory events in daily life.

What is the Child Sensory Profile 2 age range?

The Child Sensory Profile 2 covers 3 years 0 months to 14 years 11 months. It has 86 items and is completed by a parent or caregiver.

What age range does the Toddler Sensory Profile cover?

The Toddler Sensory Profile 2 covers 7 to 35 months and has 54 items completed by the caregiver. Babies from birth to 6 months use the 25-item Infant form.

Is there a Sensory Profile assessment for adults?

Yes. The Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (Brown and Dunn, 2002) is a 60-item self-report questionnaire for ages 11 and older. It is sold separately from the SP-2.

How do you interpret Sensory Profile 2 scores?

Each section and quadrant score falls into one of five bands: Much Less Than Others, Less Than Others, Just Like the Majority of Others, More Than Others and Much More Than Others. The bands are based on standard deviations from the age-group mean. Interpret them with observation and daily function.

What are the four quadrants of the Sensory Profile?

Seeking, Avoiding, Sensitivity and Registration. In plain language they are called Seeker, Avoider, Sensor and Bystander. They combine a high or low neurological threshold with an active or passive response.

Is the Sensory Profile a standardized assessment?

Yes. It is standardized and norm-referenced, comparing scores with same-age peers. It describes patterns and does not diagnose.

How many items is the School Companion Sensory Profile 2?

44 items, completed by the classroom teacher for students aged 3:0 to 14:11. It adds four School Factor scores.

What is the difference between the Sensory Profile 2 and the SPM-2?

The SP-2 uses Dunn's quadrant model for ages birth to 14:11. The SPM-2 (2021) uses T-scores across sensory systems, praxis and social participation, and covers 4 months to 87 years.

Can the Sensory Profile 2 be done by telehealth?

Pearson offers online administration through Q-global and publishes telepractice guidance, so caregivers and teachers can complete the forms remotely. The therapist still interprets the results and completes the evaluation.

Sources and further reading

• Pearson Assessments: Sensory Profile 2 product page (forms, ages, scores, pricing)
• Pearson Assessments: Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile
• Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism Training: Sensory Profile 2 summary
• Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism Training: Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile summary
• Giunti Psychometrics: Sensory Profile 2 product sheet (items per form)
• Tomchek SD, Dunn W. Sensory processing in children with and without autism. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2007;61(2):190-200
• Consejo General de la Psicología de España: review of the Perfil Sensorial-2
• Hogrefe: Sensory Processing Measure, Second Edition (SPM-2)
• AOTA: descriptors of the CPT occupational therapy evaluation codes
• Dunn W. Sensory Profile 2 User's Manual. Pearson, 2014

This page is for clinicians and families and is informational. The SP-2 supports, and does not replace, clinical judgment. Billing rules vary by payer.