What it is
The Sensory Processing Measure, Second Edition (SPM-2; Parham, Ecker, Miller Kuhaneck, Henry & Glennon, 2021) is a set of norm-referenced behaviour rating scales that assess sensory processing, praxis (motor planning), and social participation across multiple settings and throughout the lifespan. The SPM-2 is published by Western Psychological Services (WPS) and is grounded in Ayres Sensory Integration (ASI) theory.
The SPM-2 is an update and expansion of the original SPM (2007) and SPM-Preschool (SPM-P; 2010), now covering infancy through adulthood with five age-level form sets. It was standardised on 3,850 typically developing participants plus 639 clinical participants.
What it measures
The SPM-2 assesses sensory processing across multiple sensory systems (visual, auditory, tactile, proprioceptive/body awareness, vestibular/balance and motion), plus higher-order integrative functions (praxis/planning and ideas) and social participation. Unlike the Sensory Profile, it is explicitly rooted in Ayres Sensory Integration theory and includes praxis alongside sensory modulation.
Items describe behaviours in terms of under-responsivity, over-responsivity, sensory seeking, and perceptual difficulties within each sensory system. T-scores (mean = 50, SD = 10) are generated for each scale, falling into interpretive ranges: Typical, Some Problems, or Definite Dysfunction.
A distinctive feature of the SPM-2 is its multi-informant, cross-setting design. Multiple forms can be administered for the same individual across settings (home, school, community), and a Difference (DIF) score allows systematic comparison of sensory functioning between settings or between raters.
Who it’s for
- Infant/Toddler forms (4 months – 2 years)
- Preschool forms (2–5 years)
- Child forms (5–12 years)
- Adolescent forms (12–18 years, including self-report)
- Adult forms (18+ years, including self-report)
Each age level includes caregiver, teacher, and (for adolescents and adults) self-report forms.
How it works
Raters who have observed the individual for at least one month rate the frequency of behaviours. Administration takes approximately 15–20 minutes per form. Scoring can be done on paper or electronically through the WPS Online Evaluation System. The SPM-2 Quick Tips (currently available for preschool and child levels) link assessment results directly to intervention strategies based on ASI principles.
Strengths
- Multi-setting assessment is a genuine advantage. Sensory processing is context-dependent; a child may function very differently at home vs. school. The DIF score makes this comparison systematic.
- Grounded in Ayres Sensory Integration theory, which has a long clinical tradition and strong practitioner familiarity among occupational therapists.
- Includes praxis and social participation alongside sensory modulation — a broader assessment scope than the Sensory Profile.
- The SPM-2’s expansion to include infant, adolescent, and adult forms addresses a significant gap in the original SPM.
- New clinical validity studies with autism, ADHD, intellectual/developmental disability, and speech-language pathology populations.
- Standardised on a large normative sample with clinical comparison groups.
Limitations
- Like the Sensory Profile, the SPM-2 does not explicitly assess interoception.
- The original SPM was standardised primarily in the US and showed overrepresentation of higher-education, two-parent, and Midwestern households. The SPM-2 normative sample is improved but cultural bias may persist.
- No validated Dutch version is currently available. As with most sensory assessment instruments, this is a barrier for Dutch-speaking practitioners and an identified evidence gap.
- The SPM-2 is relatively new (2021 release), and the independent research base specifically on the second edition is still building.
- Comparison between the SPM-2 and Sensory Profile 2 can be confusing for practitioners, as the instruments use different theoretical frameworks and scoring systems but measure overlapping constructs.
Availability and language versions
Published by WPS. Available in English. The original SPM Home Form was adapted for Malay-speaking populations (Ahmad et al., 2020) with good validity, but formal Dutch-language validation does not exist for either the SPM or SPM-2.
Relationship to other instruments
The SPM-2 and Sensory Profile 2 are the two most widely used caregiver/teacher-report sensory processing measures. They have moderate convergent validity (Dugas et al., 2018), but key differences include: the SPM-2 is grounded in Ayres SI theory while the SP-2 uses Dunn’s quadrant model; the SPM-2 includes praxis while the SP-2 does not; and the SPM-2’s multi-setting DIF score has no equivalent in the SP-2. Dugas et al. (2018) found that the SPM Home Form identified more children with autism as having sensory features across every domain compared to the Sensory Profile.
Key sources
- Parham, L.D., Ecker, C., Miller Kuhaneck, H., Henry, D. & Glennon, T. (2021). Sensory Processing Measure, Second Edition (SPM-2). Los Angeles: WPS.
- Parham, L.D., Ecker, C., Miller Kuhaneck, H., Henry, D. & Glennon, T. (2007). Sensory Processing Measure (SPM). Los Angeles: WPS.
- Dugas, C., Simard, M.-N., Fombonne, E. & Couture, M. (2018). Comparison of two tools to assess sensory features in children with autism spectrum disorder. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 72(1). doi: 10.5014/ajot.2018.024604
- Ahmad, H. et al. (2020). Adaptation of the SPM-Home Form for the Malay-speaking population. This area requires further citation for exact reference.