How Is SPD Diagnosed? Tests, Who Does It, and What You Get

Why there's no "SPD diagnosis"

SPD doesn't appear in the DSM-5 or ICD-11 as a standalone condition. That has three practical consequences:

You can't get an SPD diagnosis from a psychiatrist or pediatrician the way you'd get an autism or ADHD diagnosis. Some clinicians will describe sensory processing difficulties in a report; that's a clinical description, not a formal diagnostic code.

Insurance is complicated. Coverage is often tied to an associated diagnosis — autism, ADHD, developmental delay — or to demonstrated functional impairment. Ask providers directly how they bill.

Practice varies. You will meet clinicians who take sensory processing very seriously and clinicians who consider it better addressed within an autism or ADHD assessment. Both positions exist in the field.

What changed in 2022. Both current diagnostic manuals now include sensory features in their autism criteria: DSM-5 added hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input in 2013, and ICD-11, effective 2022, carries sensory processing differences too.^4,5 That's not a standalone SPD diagnosis, but it means a current autism assessment should now address sensory processing, where an older one wouldn't have.

Is there a test for sensory processing disorder?

Not a single test, and not a test that returns a diagnosis. Three different things get called "a test", and it is worth knowing which one someone means.

Online screeners and quizzes, including the one on this site and the seeking-versus-avoiding quiz. A few minutes, a pattern, and a sense of whether to look further. They are the start of a conversation, not an assessment, and any site that returns a "diagnosis" from one is overselling what it did.
Standardized questionnaires — the Sensory Profile 2¹ and the Sensory Processing Measure² — completed by parents and teachers and scored by an occupational therapist. These are the "tests" most clinicians mean. They produce a profile, not a diagnosis.
Performance testing — the SIPT, and the EASI that is being introduced to succeed it³ — administered by a certified therapist where the picture calls for it.

If you arrived here from a search for "SPD test", the honest answer is: take the quiz if you want a first read, then ask for an occupational therapy assessment, which is the thing that produces a plan. What that involves is the next section.

What does a sensory assessment involve?

Who does it. An occupational therapist, ideally one with specific training in sensory integration. Some assessments are multidisciplinary, involving a speech-language pathologist, physical therapist, psychologist, or audiologist depending on the picture.

Developmental and family history

Pregnancy and birth, milestones, medical history, family patterns, and the specific difficulties prompting the referral.

Standardized questionnaires

Completed by parents and often teachers. The two most commonly used:

Sensory Profile 2 (Dunn)¹ — caregiver, teacher, and self-report forms across age bands
Sensory Processing Measure (SPM)² — home, classroom, and school environment forms

These produce scores across sensory systems, showing where responses differ from typical ranges.

Structured clinical observation

The therapist watches how the child moves, plays, responds to input, plans unfamiliar movements, and manages transitions. This is often the most informative part.

Standardized performance testing, where indicated

The Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT) has historically been the main instrument, though it's aging and requires specific certification. A newer battery, the Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration (EASI), has been developed to succeed it and is being introduced and validated internationally.³

Ruling other things out

This matters and is sometimes skipped:

Hearing — always. Hearing loss can present as not responding to name or to instruction.
Vision — including functional vision, not just acuity.
Medical causes of pain insensitivity or motor difficulty.
Autism, ADHD, and language disorders, which frequently co-occur and change the plan.

What do you get at the end?

A sensory profile — a description of how your child responds across the sensory systems, and where responses differ from typical ranges.
Functional goals — tied to daily life. "Tolerate a haircut," "stay at the dinner table," "wear school shoes." If the goals are phrased as "improve sensory integration," ask for them to be made concrete.
A treatment plan — direct therapy, environmental modification, and home and school strategies.
Recommendations for school, which can support an IEP or 504 process (IEPs and 504 plans) where sensory difficulties affect education.

What you won't get: a diagnosis code for SPD, or an explanation of the cause. Assessment describes how a person processes sensory information and what would help — not why.

How do I get an assessment?

Through your pediatrician. Ask for a referral to occupational therapy. Describe function, not labels — "he hasn't eaten lunch in two months because he can't tolerate the cafeteria" gets further than "I think he has SPD."

Through school. In the US, an OT evaluation can be requested as part of an IEP or 504 evaluation where sensory difficulties affect access to education. Request it in writing — that starts a timeline in most districts.

Privately. Faster, but check what's included, whether standardized assessments are used, and what the report will contain.

Within an autism or ADHD assessment. Since ICD-11 added sensory criteria, it's reasonable to ask that sensory processing be specifically addressed. Many older assessments didn't.

What questions should I ask?

Which standardized assessments will you use?
Will you observe my child directly, or is this questionnaire-based?
What are you ruling out?
Will the report include functional goals and school recommendations?
How do you bill, and what have you seen covered?
If sensory processing isn't the main issue, will you tell me?

That last one matters. A good assessor will say when the picture points somewhere else — to a hearing difficulty, an autism assessment, or an anxiety presentation. Someone who finds sensory processing difficulties in every child they assess isn't assessing.

Find an occupational therapist near you.

Browse pediatric and adult OT providers by city and state.

Browse the DrSensory Therapy Directory →

Frequently Asked Questions

What tests are used?

Most commonly the Sensory Profile 2 and the Sensory Processing Measure, both parent and teacher report questionnaires. Performance testing may include the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests or the newer Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration.

Who can diagnose SPD?

No one can, formally. An occupational therapist can complete a sensory assessment and describe sensory processing difficulties in a report, which is what treatment planning is based on.

Can adults be assessed?

Yes, though fewer providers offer adult sensory assessment. The Sensory Profile 2 includes a self-report form for adolescents and adults.

How is sensory processing disorder diagnosed?

There's no formal diagnostic process, because SPD isn't a standalone DSM-5 or ICD-11 diagnosis. What exists is an occupational therapy sensory assessment combining standardized questionnaires, clinical observation, developmental history, and ruling out other explanations.

Do I need a diagnosis before starting therapy?

Usually not for the therapy itself — you need an OT assessment. Insurance coverage may depend on an associated diagnosis such as autism or ADHD, so ask the provider how they bill.

Can a school assessment replace a clinical one?

They answer different questions. A school assessment decides whether a child qualifies for educational support and uses an educational standard; a clinical occupational therapy assessment describes the sensory profile and what would help day to day. A child can be found ineligible at school and still benefit from the clinical picture, which is why families sometimes pursue both.

Can my pediatrician diagnose sensory processing disorder?

Not as a formal diagnosis. Your pediatrician can refer you to occupational therapy for assessment and rule out medical explanations such as hearing loss.

Should sensory processing be part of an autism assessment?

Since ICD-11 added sensory processing differences to the autism diagnostic criteria in 2022, yes — it's reasonable to ask that it be specifically addressed. Assessments carried out under older frameworks often didn't.

Sources

Dunn W. Sensory Profile 2. Pearson; 2014. Standardized caregiver and teacher questionnaires.
Parham LD, Ecker C. Sensory Processing Measure (SPM). Western Psychological Services. Home, classroom and school-environment forms.
Mailloux Z, et al. Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration (EASI). Collaborative for Leadership in Ayres Sensory Integration.
World Health Organization. ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics, 6A02 Autism spectrum disorder. Effective January 2022. Checked August 18, 2026.
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). American Psychiatric Publishing; 2013, criterion B4. Checked August 18, 2026.
Section on Complementary and Integrative Medicine; Council on Children with Disabilities; American Academy of Pediatrics. Sensory integration therapies for children with developmental and behavioral disorders. Pediatrics. 2012;129(6):1186–1189. doi:10.1542/peds.2012-0876 (PMID 22641765). AAP policy statements expire five years after publication unless reaffirmed, and no further AAP statement on sensory processing has been issued — so this is both the most recent AAP position and a formally expired one.

Medical disclaimer. This page is for general educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider about your child.

How Is Sensory Processing Disorder Diagnosed? Tests, Who Does It, and What You Get