Updated
Original VAYEMA symptom and impact self-check – not a validated scale
Sensory experiences and participation
Answer the symptom statements below to see which experiences and areas of daily life you report as most affected. These are original VAYEMA questions, not a validated diagnostic scale. No clinical severity or probability score is calculated.
Answers are processed only in this page by this assessment. They are not submitted, monitored or automatically saved. No name, email or account is required. Use a private device and clear your answers when finished.
For adults aged 18 and over. This self-check cannot diagnose or rule out a condition. Concerns about a child require an age-appropriate professional assessment.
Thinking about the past four weeks, how well does each statement describe your experience?
Additional context – not included in any questionnaire score
These are original VAYEMA questions, not a diagnostic instrument or a validated severity scale. They summarise the experiences you select and do not predict a diagnosis or future harm. Background condition information; this source does not endorse this self-check.
Clarify which professional assessment is needed
The term sensory assessment can refer to different processes. An occupational therapist may investigate participation in daily activities, while hearing, vision, balance or neurological symptoms may need another specialist. A service should explain what it assesses and which conclusions are outside its scope. Do not assume that any questionnaire labelled sensory can answer every medical or developmental question.
The NELFT occupational therapy description shows one functional approach combining interviews, observation and selected assessments. Its local service arrangements are not rules for every provider. Ask what your proposed appointment includes, what information is needed and how the findings will be connected with practical recommendations.
Choose one activity to describe clearly
A concrete activity often provides more useful information than a long list of disliked sensations. You might describe toothbrushing, wearing work clothes, travelling or concentrating in a shared room. Explain which part is difficult, what happens and what the consequence is. A clinician can then explore whether sensory, motor, communication, medical or other factors are relevant.
Include the person’s own account wherever possible. An observer may notice avoidance, but the person may describe pain, unpredictability or a smell the observer did not notice. Neither perspective alone necessarily explains the whole situation. The aim is to understand the activity, not prove that the person is overreacting or that a particular diagnostic label must apply.
Describe the environment and timing
Sound level, lighting, crowding, touch and the ability to predict or control input may affect experience. Note whether the same activity is easier elsewhere or at another time. A person may tolerate a familiar sensation but find an unexpected version difficult. These comparisons can reveal adjustments worth considering without deliberately exposing someone to distress.
The NICE adult autism guidance addresses environmental adaptations in care. Its emphasis on noise, lighting and personal space can inform practical questions when autism is relevant, but sensory needs should still be assessed individually. A quieter room may help participation without establishing the cause of every symptom.
Include strengths, preferences and successful strategies
The assessment should identify what works as well as what is difficult. Perhaps written instructions reduce uncertainty, a familiar texture makes dressing easier or advance warning makes an examination manageable. Explain how consistently the strategy helps and whether it has disadvantages. A preference is not automatically a symptom that needs correcting.
The NELFT sensory resource connects sensory understanding with everyday support. Use such information to generate questions, not to assign a profile yourself. A professional can help decide whether the next step is a simple adjustment, further assessment or a more structured intervention with defined goals.
A change from the usual pattern deserves attention
Ask when the difficulty began and whether it is stable, fluctuating or new. Illness, poor sleep, stress or changes in medication may alter what is manageable. A sudden hearing or vision change, severe pain, fainting, weakness or confusion needs appropriate medical attention rather than being explained away as sensory processing.
Bring relevant health information without trying to diagnose the cause. A person with autism or another developmental condition can also develop a new medical problem. The autism guide explains why a developmental diagnosis should not obscure other needs. If there is immediate danger or an acute medical emergency, seek urgent help before completing any preparation tool.
Questionnaires describe reported patterns, not the whole person
A professional may use standardised questionnaires with appropriate training and interpretation. Different measures have particular purposes, age ranges and reporting methods. A result should be considered alongside observation, history and the activities involved. It does not independently diagnose autism, establish every medical cause or determine the best intervention.
The worksheet here is not one of those measures. It contains original prompts and has no clinical cut-off or severity label. Repeatedly completing online profiles may not clarify the underlying problem. Ask how a formal tool contributes to the assessment rather than assuming that a numerical chart is more informative than a careful explanation of daily difficulties.
Observation should be respectful and purposeful
An assessor may want to observe an activity in a clinic, home, education or another relevant setting, depending on the service. They should explain what they are looking for and how the observation relates to your goals. A single comfortable appointment may not represent a busy everyday environment, so the history remains important.
No one should be required to endure harmful or unnecessary discomfort merely to demonstrate that a problem exists. Discuss consent, communication and how to pause. For children, the process should be developmentally appropriate and involve caregivers without ignoring the child’s responses. For adults, another person’s participation should be agreed rather than assumed because they helped arrange the appointment.
Separate sensory needs from feeding, anxiety or motor questions
Similar-looking difficulties can have different contributors. Avoiding a meal may involve texture, pain, fear of choking or another feeding issue. Avoiding movement may involve dizziness, motor coordination or anxiety. The assessment should consider these possibilities rather than fit every difficulty into a sensory category.
The ARFID preparation page and coordination assessment guide describe related questions. You do not need to complete all the forms. The professional should explain which referrals are useful and why, particularly when nutrition, growth, safety or a new physical symptom is affected.
Ask for a report that leads to a practical plan
A useful outcome explains the activity barriers, relevant strengths and recommended changes. Ask how each strategy addresses the findings and when to review it. If a specialist therapy is proposed, request an explanation of the evidence, the practitioner’s training and the alternatives. A sensory label alone does not justify an open-ended programme.
Our sensory support guide discusses why evidence differs between interventions and populations. Recommendations should be proportionate and usable in the settings that matter. Where information is shared with school, work or another clinician, agree what is relevant and respect privacy. A long report is useful only when people understand the next steps.
Keep preparation optional and private
You can bring a short spoken account rather than completed notes. Ask about a quieter room, written information or breaks before the appointment where possible. The assessment should not become a test of whether you can manage the very environment that prompted your concern. It should make the conversation accessible while gathering clinically useful information.
The worksheet does not send entries to VAYEMA or alert a clinician. Optional downloaded notes remain on your device and should be stored privately. Use the separate assessment inquiry for arrangements, with specialist availability confirmed individually. The understanding guide is optional background. Urgent medical or safety concerns require direct appropriate services, not an online score or routine message.
Frequently asked questions about sensory assessment
Does this page diagnose sensory processing disorder?
No. It offers original unscored prompts about activities and needs. Diagnostic language and assessment pathways vary between services. A professional can explain what their evaluation establishes and which questions require another specialist. The worksheet cannot diagnose autism or exclude medical explanations.
Do I need a formal diagnosis before asking for an adjustment?
You can explain discomfort and discuss simple appropriate changes based on your needs. Access to particular funded or formal services may have additional requirements. Ask the relevant service to clarify them rather than assume an online score provides eligibility. Practical support and diagnostic assessment have different purposes.
Can a parent complete the worksheet for a child?
They can record clearly identified observations, including what the child communicates. An observer’s account is not the same as the child’s internal experience. Use brief examples and avoid interpreting every response as a diagnostic sign. An age-appropriate professional assessment may draw on several perspectives.
Should I provoke the sensation so I can describe it accurately?
No. You do not need to create discomfort or risk to prepare for an appointment. Describe what has already happened and what is uncertain. Any clinical observation or intervention should have a clear purpose, appropriate consent and safety arrangements rather than being improvised from a website.
What if the problem is completely new?
Tell an appropriate clinician, especially when hearing, vision, balance, pain or other physical symptoms have changed. A new problem should not automatically be treated as a longstanding sensory difference. Sudden severe symptoms or an emergency require urgent medical help rather than a routine worksheet.
What should I receive after the assessment?
An understandable account of the findings, practical priorities, recommended support and any further referrals. Ask why each recommendation is appropriate and how benefit will be reviewed. A questionnaire chart or label alone is not a complete plan, and a larger therapy package is not automatically necessary.
Resources and references
[1] NELFT NHS: Occupational therapy assessment and sensory FAQs
[2] NELFT NHS: Understanding sensory processing
[3] NICE CG142: Accessible assessment and sensory environments