Development of Sensory Sensitivity Scales (SeSS): Reliability and validity analyses.
The SeSS gives BCBAs a fast, reliable way to measure adult sensory issues by sense channel.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Aykan et al. (2020) built a new set of scales for adults. The scales measure how much lights, sounds, or touch bother a person.
They tested the scales on adults with and without intellectual disability. They checked if the scores stay the same over time and if they match other known measures.
What they found
The Sensory Sensitivity Scales (SeSS) proved reliable and valid. They separate visual, auditory, and touch/pain/itch sensitivities cleanly.
Clinicians can now get quick, trustworthy numbers on each sense system.
How this fits with other research
Engel-Yeger et al. (2011) used the Short Sensory Profile (SSP) in children with IDD. SeSS takes the same idea into adulthood and splits the senses more finely.
Sappok et al. (2024) shortened the Scale of Emotional Development for adults. Both papers show you can shrink long tools and still keep solid numbers.
Gül et al. (2025) checked a Turkish SCT scale in teens. Like SeSS, they proved a new scale works in a new language and age group.
Why it matters
If a client covers ears, squints at lights, or pulls away from touch, you can now measure each sense channel in under ten minutes. Use the SeSS to pick targets, track progress, and show insurance why a sensory break or dim room is needed. Swap it in for long checklists or guesswork.
Get CEUs on This Topic — Free
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ on-demand CEUs including ethics, supervision, and clinical topics like this one. Plus a new live CEU every Wednesday.
Add the 5-minute SeSS to your intake packet and score it before writing sensory goals.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Although adults are known to have sensory sensitivity differences, existing sensitivity scales have been mostly developed for children. The limited number of adult scales measure social/emotional features and modalities together. AIMS: To develop scales for adults that evaluate visual, auditory and somatosensory sensitivities as separate domains and independent of social/emotional features. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Two consecutive studies (visual-auditory part and somatosensory part) were conducted using the same methods. Both studies included a pilot (n1 = 405 and n2 = 294) and a main group (n1 = 425 and n2 = 603). An exploratory factor analysis produced a single-factor solution for the visual and auditory domains and a three-factor solution for the somatosensory domain (touch, pain, and itch) of Sensory Sensitivity Scales. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: A confirmatory factor analysis revealed good construct validity in the the visual (CFI = .973, TLI = .965, and RMSEA = .075) auditory (CFI = .943, TLI = .927, and RMSEA = .074) and somatosensory (CFI = .955, TLI = .946, and RMSEA = .048) scales. The categories were internally consistent (αv = .86, αa = .79, αs = .69). As an indicator of convergent validity, higher autistic traits were related to higher sensitivity (rs-v = .17, rs-a = .25, rs-s = .14). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Sensory Sensitivity Scales (SeSS) can be used to screen sensory sensitivity variability or identify and follow up the outcome of sensory interventions in adults.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2020 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103612