Clinically reviewed by Angela Lander, AHPRA-registered Occupational Therapist and Director of Occupational Therapy — last reviewed September 2026.
What is a sensory profile?
Everyone processes sensory information differently. A sensory profile is a description of how your nervous system takes in and responds to everyday sensory information — sound, touch, movement, light, taste and smell. It isn't a test you pass or fail, and it isn't a diagnosis. It sets out your sensory preferences and sensitivities, and what those mean in practice.
In occupational therapy, a sensory profile is usually built during a sensory assessment, where a therapist combines a standardised questionnaire with conversation and observation of your everyday routines.
The four sensory processing patterns
Sensory assessment in occupational therapy is commonly built on Dunn's model of sensory processing, which describes four patterns. Most people show a mix, and the pattern can differ between senses.
Sensory information needs to be strong before it's noticed. May appear as missing details, seeming unaware of surroundings, or taking longer to respond.
Actively looking for sensory input. May appear as fidgeting, needing movement or background noise, or enjoying strong flavours and textures.
Noticing sensory information readily and being easily distracted or bothered by it, while continuing to stay in the situation.
Noticing sensory information readily and actively limiting exposure to it, often through routine and controlled environments.
These patterns come from the relationship between your neurological threshold — how much input is needed before you notice it — and how you respond to that input. Understanding which patterns apply to you is what makes the recommendations useful rather than generic.
The Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile — what it measures
Our therapists primarily use the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (Brown & Dunn), published by Pearson. It's a self-report questionnaire of 60 items, suitable from age 11 upwards, which asks how often you respond in particular ways to everyday sensory experiences.
The six sensory areas
- Taste and smell processing
- Movement processing
- Visual processing
- Touch processing
- Activity level
- Auditory processing
If these patterns sound familiar and they're getting in the way of work, study or daily life, you can book a sensory assessment with our occupational therapists in Ivanhoe East, at home, or via telehealth.
What your results mean in daily life
Results are scored across the four sensory processing patterns described above, which gives both a broad picture and detail about specific senses. Your therapist then interprets those results alongside conversation about your daily routines, your environments, and what you want to be different.
The aim is to identify which situations are likely to be draining or overwhelming, which are likely to help you feel regulated, and what can be adjusted to make daily life easier. In a sensory assessment report, the findings are translated into your actual environments and routines, with practical adjustments, environmental changes, equipment, and approaches to try.
Sensory differences in adults
Sensory differences are not limited to childhood, and many adults are assessed for the first time later in life — often after recognising long-standing patterns, or alongside an autism or ADHD assessment.
For adults, a sensory profile often explains something that has been present for a long time without a name for it — why open-plan offices are exhausting, why certain fabrics are intolerable, why you fidget constantly in meetings, or why you feel flat and unfocused in quiet environments.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile?
A 60-item self-report questionnaire published by Pearson, suitable from age 11 upwards. It covers taste and smell, movement, visual, touch, activity level and auditory processing, and scores results across four sensory processing patterns.
What are the four sensory processing patterns?
Low registration, sensation seeking, sensory sensitivity and sensation avoiding. Most people show a mix, and patterns can differ between senses.
Can adults have sensory processing difficulties?
Yes. Sensory differences are not limited to childhood, and many adults are assessed for the first time later in life — often after recognising long-standing patterns, or alongside an autism or ADHD assessment.
Does a sensory assessment diagnose anything?
No. A sensory assessment describes sensory processing patterns and their functional impact. It does not provide a diagnosis, though it is often used alongside other assessments and can form part of a broader picture.
Want to understand your own sensory profile?
Find out more about our sensory assessment service for adolescents and adults — in clinic, at home, or via telehealth across Melbourne.
