Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a condition marked by a consistent inability to integrate and process information received from the senses. This disorder, which affects between 5% and 16% of school-aged children, most commonly manifests as either under- or over-responsivity to sensory stimuli, but may also present with other atypical sensory behaviors. Children with SPD may struggle with nearly all aspects of daily living, having poorer social problem solving, reduced empathic concern, difficulty reading social cues, and atypical behaviors ranging from mild disruptions in self-regulation to severe behavioral problems, all of which may persist across the lifespan. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to identify potential relationships between sensory processing challenges and various social and behavioral outcomes in children. Patient data from an occupational therapy center focusing on children’s social and behavioral histories as reported by their parents, alongside scores from the Sensory Processing Measure, were analyzed to answer the following research questions: Does age affect the severity of Sensory Processing Total (SPT) scores? Do children between the ages of 2 and 17 years with high SPT scores have difficulty with social participation? Do those with sensory processing difficulties also have sleep wakings? Simple linear and binary logistic regression modeling indicated age and SPT did not have a statistically significant relationship; however, SPT significantly predicted difficulty with social participation (R2 = .37, p < .001). Finally, SPT did not predict sleep wakings. Understanding the dynamics between socialization and sensory processing can help to refine the diagnostic procedures for SPD, enabling children with the condition to receive tailored supports to mitigate the challenges associated with the condition, leading to better, more responsive treatment.
","abstract_html":"<p>Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a condition marked by a consistent inability to integrate and process information received from the senses. This disorder, which affects between 5% and 16% of school-aged children, most commonly manifests as either under- or over-responsivity to sensory stimuli, but may also present with other atypical sensory behaviors. Children with SPD may struggle with nearly all aspects of daily living, having poorer social problem solving, reduced empathic concern, difficulty reading social cues, and atypical behaviors ranging from mild disruptions in self-regulation to severe behavioral problems, all of which may persist across the lifespan. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to identify potential relationships between sensory processing challenges and various social and behavioral outcomes in children. Patient data from an occupational therapy center focusing on children’s social and behavioral histories as reported by their parents, alongside scores from the Sensory Processing Measure, were analyzed to answer the following research questions: Does age affect the severity of Sensory Processing Total (SPT) scores? Do children between the ages of 2 and 17 years with high SPT scores have difficulty with social participation? Do those with sensory processing difficulties also have sleep wakings? Simple linear and binary logistic regression modeling indicated age and SPT did not have a statistically significant relationship; however, SPT significantly predicted difficulty with social participation (<em>R<sup>2</sup></em> = .37, <em>p</em> < .001). Finally, SPT did not predict sleep wakings. Understanding the dynamics between socialization and sensory processing can help to refine the diagnostic procedures for SPD, enabling children with the condition to receive tailored supports to mitigate the challenges associated with the condition, leading to better, more responsive treatment.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["LaBlonde, Amy L"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Psy.D. Doctor of Clinical Psychology","degree_level":"Dissertation - NLU Access","degree_discipline":"Clinical Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Horvath","Laura Zuniga"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2026-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:21:46Z","subjects":["Sensory Processing Disorder","SPD","Social Skills","Child Psychology","Clinical Psychology","Developmental Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/955","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Horvath","Laura Zuniga"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["LaBlonde, Amy L"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2029-02-09T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Clinical Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation - NLU Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Psy.D. Doctor of Clinical Psychology"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Sensory Processing Disorder","SPD","Social Skills","Child Psychology","Clinical Psychology","Developmental Psychology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/955"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a condition marked by a consistent inability to integrate and process information received from the senses. This disorder, which affects between 5% and 16% of school-aged children, most commonly manifests as either under- or over-responsivity to sensory stimuli, but may also present with other atypical sensory behaviors. Children with SPD may struggle with nearly all aspects of daily living, having poorer social problem solving, reduced empathic concern, difficulty reading social cues, and atypical behaviors ranging from mild disruptions in self-regulation to severe behavioral problems, all of which may persist across the lifespan. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to identify potential relationships between sensory processing challenges and various social and behavioral outcomes in children. Patient data from an occupational therapy center focusing on children’s social and behavioral histories as reported by their parents, alongside scores from the Sensory Processing Measure, were analyzed to answer the following research questions: Does age affect the severity of Sensory Processing Total (SPT) scores? Do children between the ages of 2 and 17 years with high SPT scores have difficulty with social participation? Do those with sensory processing difficulties also have sleep wakings? Simple linear and binary logistic regression modeling indicated age and SPT did not have a statistically significant relationship; however, SPT significantly predicted difficulty with social participation (R2 = .37, p < .001). Finally, SPT did not predict sleep wakings. Understanding the dynamics between socialization and sensory processing can help to refine the diagnostic procedures for SPD, enabling children with the condition to receive tailored supports to mitigate the challenges associated with the condition, leading to better, more responsive treatment.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Sensory Processing Difficulties and Their Impact on Social Skills and Behavioral Responses"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Horvath","Laura Zuniga"],"dc:creator":["LaBlonde, Amy L"],"dc:date.available":["2029-02-09T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a condition marked by a consistent inability to integrate and process information received from the senses. This disorder, which affects between 5% and 16% of school-aged children, most commonly manifests as either under- or over-responsivity to sensory stimuli, but may also present with other atypical sensory behaviors. Children with SPD may struggle with nearly all aspects of daily living, having poorer social problem solving, reduced empathic concern, difficulty reading social cues, and atypical behaviors ranging from mild disruptions in self-regulation to severe behavioral problems, all of which may persist across the lifespan. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to identify potential relationships between sensory processing challenges and various social and behavioral outcomes in children. Patient data from an occupational therapy center focusing on children’s social and behavioral histories as reported by their parents, alongside scores from the Sensory Processing Measure, were analyzed to answer the following research questions: Does age affect the severity of Sensory Processing Total (SPT) scores? Do children between the ages of 2 and 17 years with high SPT scores have difficulty with social participation? Do those with sensory processing difficulties also have sleep wakings? Simple linear and binary logistic regression modeling indicated age and SPT did not have a statistically significant relationship; however, SPT significantly predicted difficulty with social participation (R2 = .37, p < .001). Finally, SPT did not predict sleep wakings. Understanding the dynamics between socialization and sensory processing can help to refine the diagnostic procedures for SPD, enabling children with the condition to receive tailored supports to mitigate the challenges associated with the condition, leading to better, more responsive treatment.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/955"],"dc:subject":["Sensory Processing Disorder","SPD","Social Skills","Child Psychology","Clinical Psychology","Developmental Psychology"],"dc:title":["Sensory Processing Difficulties and Their Impact on Social Skills and Behavioral Responses"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Clinical Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation - NLU Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Psy.D. Doctor of Clinical Psychology"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:21:46Z"}