Description

The Sense and Self-Regulation Checklist (SSRC) is an assessment tool designed to measure sensory experiences and self-regulation in children. The SSRC is mainly used by health professionals, such as occupational therapists and psychologists, to evaluate how children manage their sensory inputs and how these experiences affect their ability to self-regulate.

Objective

The primary goal of the SSRC is to provide a detailed assessment of children’s sensory responses and self-regulation strategies. Specifically, the SSRC aims to:
Identify sensory sensitivities and preferences.
Evaluate the strategies children use to regulate their responses to sensory stimuli.
Provide information for understanding the relationship between sensory experiences and behavioral self-regulation.

Analysis

The analysis of the data collected through the SSRC involves various statistical methods to ensure the tool’s reliability and validity:
Factor Analysis: Used to investigate the factor structure of the tool and confirm that the questions are correctly categorized into their respective domains.
Reliability: The internal consistency of the SSRC subscales is examined using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient.
Validity: Checked through comparisons with other validated measures of sensory processing and self-regulation to ensure the tool accurately measures children’s experiences and strategies.

Calibration

The calibration of the SSRC includes the following steps:
Data Collection from Representative Samples: Data are collected from diverse groups of children to ensure the generalizability of the results.
Distribution Analysis: The distribution of scores is examined to confirm that they are normally distributed and representative of children’s experiences.
Establishment of Normative Values: Normative values and percentiles are developed for interpreting results, allowing comparisons of self-regulation strategies among different children and populations.

References

Dunn, W. (1999). The Sensory Profile: User’s Manual. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.
Pfeiffer, B., & Kinnealey, M. (2003). Treatment of sensory defensiveness in adults. Occupational Therapy International, 10(3), 175–184.
Miller, L. J., Anzalone, M. E., Lane, S. J., Cermak, S. A., & Osten, E. T. (2007). Concept evolution in sensory integration: A proposed nosology for diagnosis. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61(2), 135–140.
McIntosh, D. N., Miller, L. J., Shyu, V., & Hagerman, R. J. (1999). Sensory-modulation disruption, electrodermal responses, and functional behaviors. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 41(9), 608–615.