First digital assessment to identify sensory needs across all agesBETT 2005 (Granada Learning, stand E40 / F40) – The Sensory Assessment and Profiling Tool , a new digital assessment to be unveiled at BETT 2005, is the most comprehensive profiling CD-ROM for sight, sound, movement, smell, taste and touch ever published. Jointly developed by SEMERC and ROMPA with the backing of the School of Health Professions and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Southampton, it is an assessment tool that identifies areas of sensory need in individuals of all ages. Responding to the Government Strategy for Special Educational Needs, ‘Removing Barriers to Achievement', it can be used with children in mainstream settings as well as children and adults with multiple learning disabilities or mental health problems. Used in the school environment, the Sensory Assessment and Profiling Tool has been designed to help teachers that face difficulty in identifying children with particular sensory needs and devising appropriate teaching strategies. The assessment answers this by identifying responses to the six senses, providing comprehensive guidelines in light of the findings and advising on how multi-sensory activity can be used given the pupil's area of sensory need. The tool also provides a record keeping and profiling function. It is easy-to-use and no professional expertise is required to implement the program.
The Sensory Assessment and Profiling Tool is also designed for wider use in hospitals and clinics, particularly in cases concerning head injuries, occupational therapy departments, stroke victims, dementia and child development; with the social services; and in nursing homes.
Laura Cryer, Special Needs Publisher at SEMERC, said: “In the Government Strategy for Special Educational Needs, there is a clear commitment to putting more resources and training into early intervention, including encouraging more partnerships between local authorities, early year settings, schools, the health service and the voluntary sector. As the use of sensory environments gain increasing awareness and acceptance, the need for assessment is critical. This jointly-funded project between SEMERC and ROMPA is a major step forward in achieving sensory guidance across all sectors and for all ages.”
Bonny Britland, Marketing Director at ROMPA, said: “Until now, no comprehensive tool existed to consistently help a wide cross section of the population, from school children to professionals. The Sensory Assessment and Profiling Tool is an ideal support for inclusive good practice as well as attending to the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. We envisage that it could become an essential part of every school SENCO's inclusion assessment toolkit.”
Components of the assessment
The Sensory Assessment and Profiling Tool begins with a description of the main sensory areas: sight, sound, touch, taste, smell and movement. The main body of the assessment then features a series of questions under each of these sensory areas. For example, when concentrating on sight, the tools asks questions such as, “Does the person enjoy reading / looking at pictures?”, “Does the person seek out brightly coloured objects?”.
Each question requires a response that is based on a Likert scale*. Assessors are asked to indicate if and how frequently a response occurs. Each descriptor of frequency will be defined at the beginning of the assessment and a facility is available for the assessor to obtain a definition of the sensory need.
On completion of the assessment, the assessor will be able to print a report that indicates sensory preferences, gaps in sensory input and suggestions for management. This acts as the basis for appropriate intervention programmes.
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*The Likert Scale is a rating scale measuring the strength of agreement with a clear statement. Often administered in the form of a questionnaire used to gauge attitudes or reactions.
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