Table 2.

Items of the SSP, Subscale Assignments, and Descriptive Statistics

Item Content	SSP Factora	ASD Factorb	Endorsedc N (%)	rcorrd
1. Expresses distress during grooming	TAC	TMV	167(43%)	0.45
2. Prefers long-sleeved clothing when it is warm or short sleeves when it is cold	TAC	TMV	43 (11%)	0.42
3. Avoids going barefoot, especially in sand or grass	TAC	TMV	52 (13%)	0.34
4. Reacts emotionally or aggressively to touch	TAC	TMV	28 (7%)	0.46
5. Withdraws from splashing water	TAC	TMV	36 (9%)	0.45
6. Has difficulty standing in line or close to other people	TAC	TMV	84 (22%)	0.52
7. Rubs or scratches out a spot that has been touched	TAC	TMV	30 (8%)	0.44
8. Avoids certain tastes or food smells that are typically part of children’s diets	TSM	TSM	145 (37%)	0.44
9. Will only eat certain tastes	TSM	TSM	147 (38%)	0.39
10. Limits self to particular food textures/temperatures	TSM	TSM	146 (38%)	0.43
11. Picky eater, especially regarding food textures	TSM	TSM	179 (46%)	0.42
12. Becomes anxious or distressed when feet leave the ground	MOV	TMV	28 (7%)	0.46
13. Fears falling or heights	MOV	TMV	44 (11%)	0.40
14. Dislikes activities where head is upside down	MOV	TMV	27 (7%)	0.33
15. Enjoys strange noises/seeks to make noise for noise’s sake	USS	SSD	130 (34%)	0.37
16. Seeks all kinds of movement and this interferes with daily routines	USS	SSD	200 (52%)	0.50
17. Becomes overly excitable during movement activity	USS	SSD	171 (44%)	0.45
18. Touches people and objects	USS	SSD	166 (43%)	0.33
19. Doesn’t seem to notice when face or hands are messy	USS	HYP	122 (31%)	0.32
20. Jumps from one activity to another so that it interferes with play	USS	SSD	114 (29%)	0.22
21. Leaves clothing twisted on body	USS	HYP	65 (17%)	0.35
22. Is distracted or has trouble functioning if there is a lot of noise around	AFL	AVS	193 (50%)	0.53
23. Appears to not hear what you say	AFL	HYP	217 (56%)	0.38
24. Can’t work with background noise	AFL	AVS	48 (12%)	0.47
25. Has trouble completing tasks when the radio is on	AFL	AVS	85 (22%)	0.49
26. Doesn’t respond when name is called but you know the child’s hearing is OK	AFL	HYP	189 (49%)	0.37
27. Has difficulty paying attention	AFL	SSD	251 (65%)	0.46
28. Seems to have weak muscles	LEW	LEW	88 (23%)	0.49
29. Tires easily, especially when standing or holding particular body position	LEW	LEW	83 (21%)	0.59
30. Has a weak grasp	LEW	LEW	87 (22%)	0.45
31. Can’t lift heavy objects	LEW	LEW	71 (18%)	0.53
32. Props to support self	LEW	LEW	61 (16%)	0.54
33. Poor endurance/tires easily	LEW	LEW	89 (23%)	0.52
34. Responds negatively to unexpected or loud noises	VAS	AVS	108 (28%)	0.42
35. Holds hands over ears to protect ears from sound	VAS	AVS	116 (30%)	0.40
36. Is bothered by bright lights after others have adapted to the light	VAS	AVS	41 (11%)	0.47
37. Watches everyone when they move around the room	VAS	AVS	53 (14%)	0.35
38. Covers eyes or squints to protect eyes from light	VAS	AVS	65 (17%)	0.41

Note. ASD = autism spectrum disorder; r_corr = Corrected item-total correlation; SSP = Short Sensory Profile; TAC = Tactile sensitivity; TSM = Taste/smell sensitivity; MOV = Movement sensitivity; USS = Underresponsive/seeks sensation; AFL = Auditory filtering; LEW = Low energy/weak; VAS = Visual/auditory sensitivity; TMV = Tactile and movement sensitivity; SSD = Sensory seeking/distractibility; HYP = Hypo-responsivity; AVS = Auditory and visual sensitivity

^aBased on the original factor analysis by McIntosh et al. (1999)

^bBased on the factor analysis in an ASD population by Tomchek et al. (2014)

^cResponse of 1 “Always” or 2 “Frequently”

^dCorrelations less than 0.4 appear in bold