Brief Report: Reliability of the Participation and Sensory Environment Questionnaire: Home Scales.

The team asked 451 parents of 2- to young learners to fill out a new form. Half the kids had autism, half were typical. The form is called the P-SEQ: Home Scales. It asks how lights, sounds, and textures at home help or block daily play.

Parents answered twice, two weeks apart, so the researchers could check if answers stayed the same.

The scores stayed steady across time. The math showed excellent internal consistency and moderate test-retest reliability. In plain words, the questionnaire gives a stable picture of how sensory features shape home life.

Sobhy et al. (2022) did a conceptual replication. They also built a parent sensory form, but theirs flags autism or ADHD instead of tracking participation. Same method, different goal.

Schwartz et al. (2018) used the PROMIS Family Involvement CAT. Both tools are quick parent reports, yet Justin’s measures family involvement while Beth’s measures sensory impact on play.

Chezan et al. (2019) seem to contradict. They found high sensory sensitivity lowers school and social success. Beth’s tool, however, only maps sensory patterns, not outcomes. The clash fades once you see one paper predicts, the other measures.

You now have a free, reliable way to open parent talks about sensory triggers at home. Use the P-SEQ: Home Scales during intake or re-assessment. Spot items that score high, then plan around them. Dim lights, add headphones, or swap fabrics so the child can join meals, play, and bedtime routines with less stress.