Symptoms of Sensory Integration Disorder

• Extremely picky eater (may limit food choices to only two or three foods)
• May gag on textured foods or may still be eating pureed baby food after he is two years old
• Has difficulty chewing or swallowing
• May be extremely picky about what temperature his food or drinks are
• Refuses to brush teeth or allow parent to brush his teeth
• Prefers bland foods

• May try to eat inedible objects
• Prefers foods with very strong tastes
• Excessive drooling
• Chews or sucks on things constantly (such as thumb sucking, chewing on pen caps or shirt collars)
• Doesn’t distinguish tastes, may act like all foods taste the same

• Reacts to smells that other people may not even notice
• May not like the smell of perfume or cleaning supplies
• May not like certain people because of the way they smell

• May not notice unpleasant odors
• Has difficulty distinguishing smells. May not be able to tell what something is based on how it smells.

• May get distracted by background noises (such as lawnmower outside, washer and dryers running, etc)
• Doesn’t like to hear loud talking, music, or people singing
• Startles or covers ears with loud noises or cries when he hears unexpected sounds
• May get anxious with certain sounds such as hair dryer, vacuum, engine starting

• May not respond when name is called
• Enjoys making lots of noise, such as banging things together
• Likes to listen to loud music or television
• Tunes out sounds (for example, may be oblivious to dog barking or crying baby)
• Can not distinguish where sounds are coming from. (For example, may not be able to find the telephone when ringing)

• Sensitivity to lights
• Easily distracted by toys and moving objects
• Rubs his eyes frequently
• Avoids eye contact

• May be vision impaired or have poor vision
• Has difficulty with learning letters and numbers or may get letters confused
• Has difficulty distinguishing differences in size and proportion
• May have problems doing puzzles, cutting, or sorting
• Bumps into objects or misses steps when walking down stairs or on curbs

• Startles or cries when touched or tapped unexpectedly
• Does not like to be cuddled and held closely
• Does not like to have diaper changed or clothes changed
• Complains about brushing hair
• Picky about what clothes he wears (may complain about tags or textures)
• May not like water or messy play
• May wipe hands or wash hands excessively (doesn’t like dirty or sticky hands)
• May refuse to walk on certain surfaces without shoes
• Excessively anxious about having fingernails cut or hair cuts
• Does not like swinging movement (avoids swings, slides, and other moving playground equipment)
• Fearful of elevators and heights
• Does not like going up or down stairs
• Clumsy and loses balance easily

• May not notice being bumped into
• Does not respond to falling down or getting hurt, rarely cries when injured
• May not notice food left on face
• Likes messy play
• Likes to spin or rock (may spin around in circles and not get dizzy)
• Likes to jump on furniture or beds