Awareness, Knowledge, and Attitude About Sensory Processing and Its Disorders: An Online Survey Among Student Speech-Language Pathologists

Abstract

Background: There is not much known about how speech-language pathology students address the sensory processing issues of children in their clientele. Understanding sensory processing disorders (SPD) will help Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP) to understand the root cause of the behavior, avert meltdowns, how to tackle the situation better, and to give adequate referrals so that better progress can be made in intervention. Aims: This study aimed at assessing the awareness knowledge and attitude about sensory processing and its disorders among student SLPs from Tamil Nadu, India. Methods & Procedures: A questionnaire was developed and validated, which was used for an online survey among student SLPs. A total of 110 students participated in the study. Outcomes & Results: Although students of speech-language pathology have some awareness about SPD, they lacked thorough understanding of sensory difficulties associated with other neurodevelopmental disorders, which interfered with the implementation of sensory-based activities during therapy. Conclusions and Implications: This study provides clinical significance in the field of speech-language pathology, particularly for SLP who work with children experiencing developmental difficulties.