Abstract:
Developmental Dyspraxia and Sensory Modulation Dysfunction (SMD) are disorders of
Sensory Integration (SI) and widely known to occupational therapists who use a SI
framework to guide clinical practice. These disorders have been widely researched and
documented as separate disorders of deficient sensory processing. The co-occurrence of
these disorders has also been reported as concomitant and described as such. SMD is
viewed as the tendency to over or under respond to sensory information and Developmental
Dyspraxia has a confirmed relationship with inefficient sensory discrimination. The aim of
this article is to determine if a relationship exists between Developmental Dyspraxia and
sensory responsivity. This was accomplished by correlating data from the Sensory Profile
and Sensory Profile School Companion with data from the Sensory Integration and Praxis
Tests. The results of the study did not confirm a relationship, but yielded interesting
correlations that add value to the interpretation of children’s sensory responsivity tendencies
in the presence of Developmental Dyspraxia.
