Selected material from the Sensory Processing Measure, Second Edition (SPMTM-2) manual.

Copyright © 2021 by Western Psychological Services (WPS®).

Provided by WPS for the sole purpose of introductory reference by qualified professionals. Not to be reprinted, excerpted, or distributed in whole
or in part without the prior written authorization of WPS ([email protected]). Full materials available for purchase at wpspublish.com.

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Introduction

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The Sensory Processing Measure, Second Edition (SPM-2) is a revision and
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expansion of the Sensory Processing Measure (SPM; Parham et al., 2007)
and the Sensory Processing Measure–Preschool (SPM‑P; Ecker et al., 2010),
two norm-referenced assessments of sensory processing, praxis, and social
participation in children. The SPM‑2 expands the age range downward to
include infants and toddlers and upward to include adolescents and adults.
The rating forms in these new age levels, in conjunction with revisions of
previously existing forms, provide measurement of sensory functioning,
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praxis, and social participation across the lifespan in home, school, and
community environments.
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Background

Like the SPM and the SPM-P, the SPM‑2 is anchored organize movement) and social participation. As dis‑
in Ayres Sensory Integration® theory. Developed by cussed in Occupational Therapy Practice Guidelines
A. Jean Ayres, this theory postulates that how the for Children and Youth with Challenges in Sensory
central nervous system integrates and responds to Integration and Sensory Processing (Watling et al.,
sensations, from outside and within one’s own body, 2018), a variety of terms have been used to describe
influences physiological, regulatory, emotional, the organization and use of sensory information for
motor, and adaptive functioning. Thus, if the inte‑ everyday functioning. The current term, sensory
gration of sensation is not efficient or effective, a integration and processing, reflects the contributions
person may be unable to learn efficiently, regulate of Ayres and others who have continued studying
their emotions, or function at an expected level in and researching Ayres’ original work. Within this
daily activities. Additionally, difficulties at the level manual, therefore, the terms integration and process-
of integrating sensation often affect higher level ing will be used interchangeably and jointly (see
functions such as praxis (the ability to plan and Chapter 4 for more discussion of Ayres’ theory).

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 Ayres’ theory delineates principles for the assess‑ 2. Assessment of sensory integration vulnerabilities:
ment of sensory function, many of which are The SPM‑2 items provide descriptive clinical
embodied in the SPM‑2. Three key dimensions of information on processing vulnerabilities within
measurement are integrated into the structure of each sensory system, including under- and over-
the SPM‑2: reactivity, sensory-seeking behavior, and difficul‑
ties with perception.
1. Assessment of sensory systems: The SPM‑2
T‑scores provide norm-referenced indexes of 3. Assessment across multiple environments and
function in the visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, raters: The forms at each age level of the SPM‑2
gustatory, proprioceptive, and vestibular sensory are designed for maximum flexibility in choos‑
systems, as well as in the integrative functions of ing and comparing among environments and
praxis and social participation. raters, such as multiple caregivers.

SPM‑2 Forms

The SPM‑2 forms are designed to assess clients Preschool Age Level (2 to 5 Years)

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across the lifespan, with unique forms in each of five
Parents, caregivers, and school staff rate a
age levels: Infant/Toddler, Preschool, Child, Adoles‑
preschool-aged child within the home and
cent, and Adult. At each level, forms may be used
school environments.
independently or jointly to provide an overview of a
·
ments and raters.
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client’s sensory functioning across multiple environ‑ Home Form: Completed by parents or other
caregivers who live with the child
The 12 main forms each consist of 80 Likert-type
items rated in terms of the frequency of a specific
· School Form: Completed by the child’s main
preschool teacher or day care provider
behavior (Never, Occasionally, Frequently, Always)
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and require about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. Child Age Level (5 to 12 Years)
The 10 School Environment and Driving Environ‑
ment Forms are 15–18 items each and take about Parents, caregivers, and school staff rate a
10 minutes to complete. Chapter 2 gives detailed school-aged child within the home and school
information on the selection, administration, and environments.
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scoring of each SPM‑2 form.

· Home Form: Completed by parents or other
caregivers who live with the child
Infant/Toddler Age Level (4 to 30 Months)
Parents and caregivers rate an infant or toddler and
· School Form: Completed by the child’s main
classroom teacher or aide
also rate themselves on their own sensory integra‑
tion and processing function.
· School Environment Forms: Briefer forms with
items keyed to specific environments

· Infant Form: Completed by parents or caregivers

to rate infants ages 4 to 9 months
· Art (ART) Form: Completed by an art teacher
or assistant

· Toddler Form: Completed by parents or caregiv‑

ers to rate toddlers ages 10 to 30 months
· School Bus (BUS) Form: Completed by a
school bus driver or assistant

· Caregiver Self‑Report Form: A self-rating com‑

pleted by the parents or caregivers of infants or
· Cafeteria (CAF) Form: Completed by a cafete‑
ria supervisor or assistant
toddlers
· Music (MUS) Form: Completed by a music
teacher or assistant

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 · Physical Education (PHY) Form: Completed
by a P.E. teacher, assistant, or coach
· Adolescent Driving Environment Forms:
Brief Self-Report and Rater Report Forms with

· Recess/Playground (REC) Form: Completed

by a playground supervisor or assistant
items keyed to the driving environment

Adult Age Level (21 to 87 Years)

Adolescent Age Level (12 to 21 Years) Adults rate themselves, and spouses, partners,
parents, other adult family members, or caregiv‑
Adolescents rate themselves, and parents, caregivers,
ers rate the adult within the home and community
and school staff rate the adolescent within the home
environments.
and school environments.

· Home Form: Completed by parents or other

caregivers who live with the adolescent
· Rater Report Form: Completed by the adult’s
family or care providers

· School Form: Completed by the adolescent’s · Self‑Report Form: Completed by the adult
teacher · Adult Driving Environment Forms: Brief

· Self‑Report Form: Completed by the adolescent

Self-Report and Rater Report Forms with items
keyed to the driving environment

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SPM‑2 Scales
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The 80‑item main forms include each of the follow‑
ing scales. The Environment Forms are composed
· Balance and Motion (BAL): Items measure bal‑
ance and equilibrium, or vestibular function, and
of 15–18 items based on these same scales within a assess perception and over- or under-reactivity to
particular environment. sensations of moving through space.

· Vision (VIS): Items measure a range of visual · Sensory Total (ST): The ST is a composite of the
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processing challenges, including over- and six sensory scales (VIS, HEA, TOU, T&S, BOD,
under-reactivity to visual stimulation, excessive and BAL), each of which assesses the ability to
seeking of visual input, difficulties with percep‑ process direct sensory inputs. The Planning and
tion, and ocular-motor difficulties. Ideas and Social Participation scales (described
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· Hearing (HEA): Items measure auditory

processing challenges, such as over- and under-
below), on the other hand, do not contribute
to the ST because they represent higher level
integrative processes influenced by cognitive,
reactivity, auditory-seeking behaviors, and
contextual, and multisensory information.
perceptual problems.

· Touch (TOU): Items measure tactile perception, · Planning and Ideas (PLN): The PLN items mea‑
sure planning and ideas, or praxis, the ability to
over- and under-reactivity to tactile stimulation,
conceptualize, plan, and organize movements in
and tactile-seeking behaviors.
order to complete novel motor tasks.
· Taste and Smell (T&S): Items measure over- and
under-reactivity to smells or tastes, active seeking · Social Participation (SOC): The SOC items mea‑
sure participation in social activities in the home,
of taste or smell stimuli, and perception of taste
community, or school, including the ability to get
or smell sensations.
along with friends, parents, teachers, and other
· Body Awareness (BOD): Items measure body
awareness, or proprioception, the ability to sense
significant adults and peers.

precisely both the static position of the body and

dynamic changes in body position.

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 SPM‑2 Scores

SPM‑2 items employ a rating scale based on how tests in which higher scores indicate greater dif‑
frequently behaviors occur. Each item is rated ficulties, T‑scores in the range of 40 to 59 represent
Never, Occasionally, Frequently, or Always. A num‑ Typical functioning; T‑scores in the range of 60 to
ber is assigned to each rating (one through four), 69 represent Moderate Difficulties in functioning;
with higher scores representing more problematic and T‑scores of 70 or above represent Severe Dif‑
behavior. Raw scores are calculated by summing the ficulties in functioning. Note: The briefer School
item scores associated with each scale. Therefore, a Environment and Driving Environment Forms are
higher raw score on any SPM‑2 scale always indicates interpreted via cutoff scores, indicating whether a
a higher level of difficulties. In this way, the scoring client is experiencing more problems in that set‑
format of the SPM‑2 is consistent with that of most ting than 90% of the participants in the normative
other clinical behavior rating scales. sample for that age group.
SPM‑2 raw scores for each of these scales are con‑ SPM‑2 standard scores are also used to calculate the
verted into normalized T‑scores, a type of standard Difference (DIF) score, which allows clinicians to
score, which have a mean of 50 and a standard compare sensory functioning across any two forms.

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deviation of 10. A standard score enables an indi‑ A DIF score can reveal, for example, whether a
vidual’s test results to be compared with a reference child’s behavior at home is markedly different from
group, such as a normative sample of typically their behavior at school, or whether an adolescent’s
developing individuals. A standard score also allows
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for comparison of scores across scales with differ‑ teacher or parent’s perceptions. It can also provide
ent characteristics, such as different numbers of a starting point for examining sensory integration
items, different psychometric properties, or different and processing differences between individuals, for
constructs. example, between two spouses or a parent and child.
SPM‑2 standard scores are used in conjunction with Complete, detailed information on administra-
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an analysis of item responses to develop an inter‑ tion, scoring, and interpretation can be found in
pretation of a client’s functioning. Similar to other Chapters 2 and 3.

SPM-2 Improvements
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The SPM-2 is a revision and update of two well-

established instruments in wide use throughout
· Updated norms based on a new nationally
representative standardization sample
the United States and around the world. While the In addition to administration and scoring using
essential characteristics of the SPM and the SPM-P paper forms, the SPM-2 offers the option of elec‑
remain unchanged, the SPM-2 revision includes the tronic administration and scoring. The WPS®
following improvements: Online Evaluation System™ (OES), a platform for

· An expanded age range that encompasses the

lifespan, from 4 months to 87 years
online testing, allows administration of the SPM-2
on any computer with Internet access. Raters may

· New and revised forms across five age levels:

Infant/Toddler, Preschool, Child, Adolescent,
complete the SPM-2 form remotely or on the pro‑
fessional’s local device. When administered to the
same rater multiple times, the form can be scored
and Adult
and integrated into a Form Comparison Report.
· New clinical validity studies, including sensory
processing disorders, autism spectrum disorders,
Multiple forms on the same client can be scored and
integrated into a combined report. For more infor‑
speech–language pathologies, intellectual and mation, visit platform.wpspublish.com.
developmental disorders, attention-deficit/
hyperactivity, and other mental health disorders

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 Summary of Standardization and Technical Properties

The SPM‑2 was standardized on 3,850 typically Across all forms, the SPM‑2 showed strong psycho‑
developing participants, ranging in age from metric properties. Evidence supporting reliability
4 months to 87 years. Separate demographically included median estimates of internal consistency
representative normative samples were collected for of .86, test–retest reliability of .84, alternate-forms
each age level: Infant/Toddler (n = 697), Preschool reliability of .78, and interrater reliability of .66.
(n = 606), Child (n = 840), Adolescent (n = 985), and Likewise, comprehensive development procedures,
Adult (n = 722). Separate norms are provided for concurrent administration of key measures, and
each age level, and within two age levels (Infant/ findings from clinical groups yielded evidence
Toddler and Preschool), the norms are further strati‑ supporting content validity, construct validity, and
fied by age to control for developmental differences criterion-related validity. Complete, detailed infor‑
between the younger and older children. A separate mation on the standardization and validation of the
sample of 639 participants receiving clinical ser‑ SPM‑2 can be found in Chapters 4 and 5.
vices was used to verify that the SPM‑2 differentiates
between typically developing participants and those
with certain clinical disorders.

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Principles of Use
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The SPM‑2 is intended to support the identification interpretation, and sensory integration and pro‑
and treatment of those with sensory integration and cessing are qualified to be professional users of the
processing difficulties. The SPM‑2 was developed SPM‑2. In particular, users should review the recom‑
by occupational therapists, but the information it mended training qualifications for interpretation of
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provides will also be of value to other professionals, item-level sensory integration vulnerabilities, found
including school psychologists, clinical psycholo‑ in Chapter 3 of this manual.
gists, social workers, counselors, physical therapists,
WPS authorizes individuals to purchase assessment
speech and language pathologists, early intervention
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materials based on the purchaser’s stated education

specialists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, and nurses.
and experience, or the stated education and experi‑
The SPM‑2 may be used alone as a screening instru‑ ence of the purchaser’s direct supervisor. In the case
ment or in conjunction with other instruments as of institutional purchasers (e.g., a school district pur‑
part of a comprehensive battery. Like any instru‑ chasing on behalf of its professional employees), it is
ment, however, the SPM‑2 should never be used in expected that the purchase is for use by individuals
isolation to make diagnostic or treatment decisions. with the relevant education and experience.
Instead, it should be used in concert with other
In addition to possessing the authorization required
data, such as information derived from concurrent
to purchase an assessment, each potential assessment
or former assessments of sensorimotor function;
user must also ensure that they are working within
additional standardized assessment instruments;
the scope of their practice in a competent, legal,
developmental, school, work, or medical records;
and ethical manner. It is the responsibility of each
occupational profiles; direct observations; and inter‑
assessment user to determine their own competence
views with parents, teachers, school staff members,
by evaluating an assessment’s principles of use in
and (when appropriate) the client.
light of their training and experience, the intended
Standards of practice that determine which pro‑ scope of use (e.g., in a research or applied setting; for
fessionals may engage in assessment vary greatly diagnostic or treatment planning purposes), and the
within and among countries, states, and localities. guidelines set forth by relevant professional organi‑
Only professionals with relevant training, knowledge, zations and licensing boards.
and experience in basic principles of assessment, test

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 Professional users may also supervise other ade‑ Before administering the SPM‑2 for the first time,
quately trained service providers who assist in professional users should read this manual and
administer­ing and scoring the SPM‑2. Professional review the rating forms to become familiar with
users are responsible for ensuring that other service administration, scoring, and interpretation proce‑
providers have adequate training and supervision dures for the SPM-2; its psychometric properties;
in administration and scoring, know when to refer and the theoretical, empirical, and practical concepts
questions to the professional users, and follow legal that support its efficacy as a reliable assessment of
and ethical standards and other requirements. sensory integration and processing.

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