Sensory profile checklist

Work through each sense and mark what soothes, what overwhelms, and what's still unclear.

For: Parents, autistic adults, therapists · Free to print, copy and share · No sign-up

How do I work out my child's sensory needs?

Go sense by sense and note what they seek out, what they avoid, and what happens right before things get hard. Patterns show up fast once it's written down. This checklist is an observation tool for you and the people who support them — it is not an assessment or a diagnosis.

Get the PDF See all printables

The PDF is built in your browser on the next screen — nothing is saved or emailed.

How to use it

  1. Print one sheet and fill it in over a normal week, not in one sitting.
  2. For each sense, mark whether they seek it out, avoid it, or you're not sure.
  3. Write down the specific thing, not the category: 'hand dryers', not 'noise'.
  4. Note the time of day — the same input often lands differently when tired.
  5. Bring the completed sheet to appointments, school meetings, or a new setting.

Things worth knowing

Where a paper sheet stops

A printed sheet is fixed. It can't change when the routine changes, it doesn't know the person using it, and it can't put anything in writing for a school or clinic.

Want this made for your situation?

Nova has sensory tools you can use in the moment, and can suggest regulation ideas that fit what you noticed here.

Nova is a support companion for autistic people, families and the professionals who help them. Every printed sheet carries a scannable code and this short link: portal.novaautism.com/s/sensory-checklist

Explore Nova's calm tools Get the PDF

Other free printables

Visual schedule template

Blank picture-and-word boxes for a morning, school, or bedtime routine.

First / Then card

Two big boxes: what happens first, what happens after. The simplest transition support there is.

Social story template

A blank, first-person story frame for a new place, a change, or something that keeps going wrong.

Meltdown & triggers log

Record what came before, what helped, and how long recovery took. Patterns show up within two weeks.

This sheet is a practical support, not medical, legal, or diagnostic advice.