Some red flags to look for include:

• Slow to reach developmental milestones such as sitting, crawling, walking, etc.
• Unusually over or under active
• Excessive seeking or avoiding of sensory stimulation
• Over-sensitive to clothing textures, being touched, or messy hands
• Trouble with hand and finger coordination
• Intense dislike of or gagging on food with certain textures
• Messy eater, spills food from mouth or stuffs food
• Poor social skills
• Difficulty transitioning from one activity to another
• Clumsiness
• Uses too much or too little force when playing or using objects
• Difficulty with puzzles and shape sorting
• Inability to follow simple directions
• Lack of awareness of danger or safety issues
• Difficult sucking, swallowing, or chewing
• Chewing on non-food items; not related to teething
• Seems under-sensitive to pain
• Poor posture, constantly propping self up
• Difficulty learning new motor tasks, experiences frustration
• Messy handwriting

Any behavior which seems inappropriate may indicate a need for professional evaluation. Pediatric occupational therapists are skilled in identifying clusters of symptoms that may indicate sensory processing disorders or other types of developmental disorders that may require further evaluation. Please contact us to schedule a free evaluation of your child.