Sensory Needs Quiz- Your Sensory Needs Assessment - Autism and ADHD Sensory Processing Integration

Have you ever found yourself feeling overwhelmed, irritable, or simply drained by your surroundings? It's not uncommon to experience these emotions, especially in a world that's constantly buzzing with activity and stimuli. But what many people don’t realize is that these feelings could be closely tied to our sensory needs. Understanding and acknowledging our unique sensory preferences is like discovering the secret code to feeling more comfortable and at ease in our daily lives. In this video, we’ll explore what your specific sensory needs are in each of 7 sensory areas, and we’ll talk about how you can adapt to them. Because this can help you regulate your emotions and improve your mental health.
So, let’s jump in.
OK, first a disclaimer, this is not an official psychological assessment. You should always work with your individual providers as you explore what your individual needs are. An Occupational Therapist or a Mental Health provider skilled in sensory processing disorders can help you get tailored interventions.

That being said, we all know that you can learn a ton from the internet, and this is one of those cases. We aren’t diagnosing you with anything, we’re just exploring what your sensory needs might be so that you can adjust your actions and environment to help yourself be more relaxed and regulated throughout the day.

We’re going to explore 6 main sensory needs areas. With each item, you can evaluate whether you are a sensory seeker, sensory avoider, or neutral. Then we’ll talk about a few ways that you can adapt to meet your needs. Again- if you’d like to learn more, there’s a bunch of great books out there that go into more detail about how to accommodate these sensory needs. For one- “A buffet of sensory interventions” is great.

Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.
In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

[cristinafrick]

I teach students with disabilities and many of them have specific sensory preferences. I love my work and am always looking for ways to become a better teacher, so this was very helpful- thanks Emma!😀 Take care and God bless- thanks so much for all you do- we all appreciate you😀 Have a wonderful, safe, happy, and healthy day!😀

[unitedstaites]

for those who experience menstrual cycles out there- it's worth considering your different menstrual seasons/phases and how this affects your sensory preferences :) I'm going to fill out the checklist during each season to see how this differs!

[nicholasisaiahjohn]

I have struggled with misophonia and its really important for me to just take time to be somewhere quiet sometimes. Even small noises can add up to my overall discomfort before it all explodes in my face when I have an overreaction to a seemingly normal noise.

[quinnm.]

thanks! i dont have adhd or autism, but am really creative, like visual stimulation, and like working with my hands, so this was really fun to visually fill out the chart and have it while you spoke cuz it's harder for me to concentrate on just someone speaking for a long time without the visual aid/stimulation.
i learned i need to prioritize minimizing the noise coming from my roommate's room for me to feel better regulated, and maybe try to find quieter hours to work!
i also learned i need to prioritize saving to buy more comfortable seating in my house, as well as a table that's not my desk for a nice place to sit and eat as well.
have a great day:)

[kimberlywithers]

This is great...I seem to know all the sensory input I avoid...but it's fun to discover all the sensory seeking that goes on! Great video, thanks!

[veertje_kijkt]

Wow this is so interesting, thank you! I'm an ADHDer, thought of myself as an avoider (HATE noisy crowds and bright lights), but the results show I'm very much a seeker in every aspect. I guess most of the avoidance patterns come from anxiety and migraine in my case (except some textures, clothing tags are a special kind of torture)

[jacqueb]

I’m a sensory avoiding but I work with kids that are sensory seeking. How can I make my classroom the best for both of us?

[GTaichou]

Interesting little questionnaire. I never really thought about my sensitivities before, but maybe I should pay more attention to them. What I'm curious about though, is when I'm in a heavily triggered and panicked state, I become intolerant of like... all of the senses. It's like having a bad migraine. Is this normal? What do you do?

[AnthonySchneider]

Thanks so much for this! Especially liked the disclaimer to not completely avoid things.

Side note - I hope you're doing ok! You seemed slightly overwhelmed in this video and there were a couple small mistakes (like repeating "offer stability aids" at 18:40ish - probably just a minor editing mistake tho 😊)

In any case, these past two videos have really helped me make sense of what helps me and what doesn't help me, particularly if I'm feeling overwhelmed. If I'm happy or having a good day, often those things won't bother me as much, but it's good to know what I need to seek out and what to avoid temporarily if I'm feeling completely overwhelmed.

[amenhotep]

Yes i have, Thank you again Emma and a thousand blessings.

[smutnaryba]

Just thinking about #6 gave me tinnitus, I think it’s safe to say I’m avoidant to auditory stimulation. May I add that my fiancé has Tourettes and chronic couch. I try to avoid annoying sounds but I can’t always make myself comfortable. Thank you for your video. ❤

[timraffelt]

Thank you for the Video, now I realized that I was disgarding my autistic needs as weard, so I never explored my feelings that way. Now I am discovering all my Senses new,
Thank you for that.

[olivia]

I am shocked to find out just how sensitive I am in every single category. I know I am an H.S.P., but I didn't realize how far reaching my need for calm and quiet and smooth was.

but I do instinctively know I need to put myself in uncomfortable situations sometimes and I do.

[imogensharma]

I am someone who is a full on seeker of most sensory experiences, except visual, but I am very easily overwhelmed. So to be happy and secure, I need a lot of stimulation, but when I have what I like I soon become overstimulated and can't focus on what needs to be done. I am most productive when I am sad and inert because I have no sensory input to distract me, but then of course I am miserable. I have been struggling to get through this issue for years.

[mostlyvoid.partiallystars]

Dude this is so informative. Thank you.

[fayerichards]

I did this for myself- but also with what i know of my family and think it'll help us as family

Like two of us differently need vestibular things (rocking chairs or swing), and one needs headphones (auditory seeker )to help out the other two auditory avoiders.

[gh]

This is so much fun to follow thank you so much

[tracirex]

thanks for this topic. it will help a lot of people

[Afishionado]

I would like to point out that the advice to not "overdo" sensory avoidance and try gradual exposure doesn't apply to everyone.

Studies with autistic individuals have found that some sensory sensitivities will actually increase with repeated exposure, not decrease.

[kat_h]

Does avoiding wind fall into any of the catagories? I'm not sure if it's the feeling in my ears but it is completely overwhelming to me, thought it was pretty odd til I mentioned it to my Nana and she also has the same thing!

Great video, loved the ideas to expand on things I am seeking more of too, not just avoid things. I feel like some things have also changed as I've gotten older eg I used to love rollercoasters but don't anymore. Or I used to strongly dislike hair in my face, but have found it's not so irritating anymore.