Psychometric Validation of the Sensory Experiences Questionnaire

INTRODUCTION. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the Sensory Experiences Questionnaire (Version 1; Baranek, David, Poe, Stone, & Watson 2006), a brief caregiver questionnaire for young children with autism and developmental delays used to identify sensory processing patterns in the context of daily activities. METHOD. Caregiver questionnaires (N = 358) were analyzed to determine internal consistency. The test-retest subsample (n = 24) completed two assessments within 2-4 wk. Internal consistency and test retest reliability were analyzed using Cronbach's coefficient a and intraclass correlation coefficients, respectively. RESULTS. Internal consistency for the SEQ was alpha = .80. Test-retest reliability for the total score was excellent, with ICC = .92. DISCUSSION. The SEQ is an internally consistent and reliable caregiver report measure of young children's sensory processing patterns of hypo- and hyperresponsiveness. The SEQ can be used as an early tool for identifying sensory patterns in young children with autism and other developmental disabilities.