Who We Are
We are experienced occupational therapists dedicated to coaching others to be the best versions of themselves as much as is possible. Our passion lies in helping individuals understand and optimize their unique sensory processing styles.
Our Mission
Our mission is to empower people with knowledge about their sensory processing patterns. By understanding how you interact with the world through your senses, you can make informed decisions that enhance your daily life, relationships, and overall well-being.
Our Approach
With years of clinical experience in occupational therapy, we've developed the OoohScore assessment to make sensory processing insights accessible to everyone.
Why Sensory Processing Matters
Understanding your sensory processing style isn't just about awareness—it's about transformation. When you know how your brain processes sensory information, you can create environments, routines, and relationships that support your natural tendencies rather than fighting against them. This knowledge is the foundation for lasting positive change.
These aren't personality clashes or character flaws.
Sensory differences are neurobiological. They reflect genuine differences in how the brain registers, filters, and responds to input from the world — not choices, not attitudes, and not something people simply need to "get over." When we understand that, conflict gives way to compassion, and frustration gives way to understanding.
Important Note
If you're uncertain about how to use these recommendations, consider consulting a suitably qualified occupational therapist for personalised guidance. Our suggestions may need to be adapted to your own needs and situation, and not all will apply—but they offer a helpful starting point for understanding your sensory style.
The current view in occupational therapy, psychology, and neuroscience is that sensory processing is a normal human difference: every brain has its own way of noticing, filtering, prioritising, and responding to sensory information (sound, light, touch, movement, smell/taste, and internal body signals like hunger, pain, fatigue). Rather than "good vs bad," most researchers describe patterns that sit on a continuum—and those patterns interact with context (sleep, stress, workload, relationships, health, noise/lighting, novelty, predictability, and perceived safety). A common organising framework in OT is Dunn's model, which explains differences using (1) how much input you need to notice something (neurological threshold) and (2) what you tend to do about it (self-regulation style).
This helps make sense of everyday tendencies you described:
- Some people are more "dreamy / low noticing" for background cues (they may miss subtle changes and only register things once they're obvious).
- Others are high noticing / highly attuned, picking up tiny shifts in sound, light, people, or mood.
- Some are more novelty-seeking (they feel better with variety, stimulation, movement, change).
- Others prefer the familiar and predictable, and can feel overloaded or unsettled when the environment is too busy, changeable, or intense.
Importantly, modern research increasingly treats these traits as "person × environment" effects: the same sensitivity that feels exhausting in a chaotic setting may become a strength in a supportive one (e.g., creativity, empathy, detail detection, risk awareness). This broader "environmental sensitivity" perspective integrates sensory sensitivity with differential susceptibility (some people are more affected by both negative and positive environments).
How OoohScore.com fits into this
OoohScore.com aims to help people name and map their sensory processing style in a practical, non-pathologising way—so you can (a) understand what helps you function at your best, (b) anticipate overload or under-stimulation before it escalates, and (c) make small environmental and routine adjustments that improve day-to-day life.
It's been designed by therapists with decades of experience supporting people with extreme sensory differences to manage daily living as well as possible—then translated into tools that are useful for everyone, not only clinical populations. A key feature is how it can support relationships: by sharing scores and radar graphs (see the Compare button), people can better understand "why we experience the same place/event differently," and collaborate on practical compromises (noise, pacing, seating, lighting, timing, breaks, expectations).
The Premium Guide provides ideas worth considering—but not everything will apply to everyone, and many strategies need to be adapted to what's realistically possible in your life. Used well, the results can be a springboard for conversations with friends, family, colleagues, and (when needed) clinicians—focusing on strengths, friction points, and simple changes that make it easier to be your best self.
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Full Bibliography with Brief Summaries (APA 7th)
1. Metz, A. E., Boling, J. L., Devore, A., Holladay, H., Liao, J. F., & Vlutch, K. V. (2019). Dunn's model of sensory processing: An update and review of the literature. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 12(2), 93–102. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411243.2019.1566961
Reviews Dunn's sensory processing framework, explaining how individual differences in noticing and responding to sensory input shape everyday behaviour across the population.
2. Dean, E. E., Little, L., Tomchek, S., & Dunn, W. (2018). Sensory processing in the general population: Adaptability, resiliency, and challenging behavior. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 72(1), 7201195060p1–7201195060p8. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2018.019919
Shows that sensory processing patterns are strongly linked to coping, adaptability, and resilience in typical adults, not just clinical groups.
3. Engel-Yeger, B. (2011). The relationship between sensory processing patterns and affective symptoms in adults. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 31(1), 38–46. https://doi.org/10.3928/15394492-20101025-02
Demonstrates that sensory styles influence emotional experiences such as anxiety, mood, and stress in everyday adult life.
4. Pluess, M. (2015). Individual differences in environmental sensitivity. Child Development Perspectives, 9(3), 138–143. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12120
Introduces environmental sensitivity, explaining why some people are more affected—positively and negatively—by their surroundings.
5. de Villiers, B., Lionetti, F., & Pluess, M. (2018). Vantage sensitivity: Individual differences in response to positive experiences. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 22(3), 273–297. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868317740721
Shows that some individuals benefit more than others from supportive environments, interventions, and positive experiences.
6. Acevedo, B. P. (2018). The highly sensitive brain. Brain and Behavior, 8(10), e00915. https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.915
Neuroimaging evidence indicates that sensory-sensitive individuals process emotional and sensory information more deeply, not weakly.
7. Walter, C., Dassonneville, P., & Acevedo, B. P. (2023). Sensory processing sensitivity is associated with increased neural entropy. Neuroscience, 517, 49–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.03.018
Finds that higher sensory sensitivity is linked to greater brain signal complexity, suggesting richer internal information processing.
8. Meinersen-Schmidt, J., Jørgensen, M. M., & Mehlsen, M. Y. (2023). Neurophysiological correlates of sensory processing sensitivity. Personality and Individual Differences, 206, 112100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2023.112100
Identifies measurable EEG patterns associated with sensory sensitivity, supporting its biological basis.
9. Rundcrantz Zubcevic, M. (2023). Neural correlates of sensory processing sensitivity: A systematic review (Doctoral dissertation). Stockholm University.
Synthesises brain-imaging research showing consistent neural differences related to attention, empathy, and sensory awareness.
10. Lionetti, F., Pastore, M., Moscardino, U., Nocentini, A., & Pluess, M. (2024). Is environmental sensitivity a distinct trait? Journal of Personality, 92(1), 121–136. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12877
Demonstrates that environmental sensitivity is distinct from personality traits like neuroticism or introversion.
11. Dragone, M., Lionetti, F., & Pluess, M. (2024). Environmental sensitivity and emotional processes. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 156, 105408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105408
Reviews evidence showing how sensory sensitivity interacts with emotional regulation and stress-response systems.
12. Fernandes, M., Martins, A., & Pluess, M. (2024). Sensory processing sensitivity and coping strategies in adults. Personality and Individual Differences, 216, 112370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2023.112370
Shows that sensory-sensitive adults use distinct coping strategies, such as withdrawal, planning, and pacing.
13. Holzer, S., Lüdtke, O., & Pluess, M. (2024). Sensory processing sensitivity and connection to nature. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 92, 102149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102149
Finds that sensory-sensitive individuals often experience stronger wellbeing benefits from natural environments.
14. Sperati, A., Lionetti, F., Pastore, M., & Moscardino, U. (2024). Sensory processing sensitivity and burnout in teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 136, 104371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104371
Shows that sensory sensitivity increases burnout risk in high-demand settings unless environmental supports are in place.
15. Watten, R. G., Myhren, J., & Syversen, J. L. (2024). Sensory processing sensitivity and avoidance in everyday environments. Personality and Individual Differences, 219, 112459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2024.112459
Links sensory sensitivity to overstimulation and avoidance behaviours in busy or unpredictable environments.
16. Weyn, S., Lionetti, F., & Pluess, M. (2025). Daily overstimulation and recovery in sensory processing sensitivity. Journal of Personality. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12932
Shows that overstimulation fluctuates day to day and is influenced by sleep, mood, and social demands.
17. Damatac, C. G., Lionetti, F., & Pluess, M. (2025). Differential susceptibility to stress in adults high in sensory processing sensitivity. Psychological Science. Advance online publication.
Confirms that sensory-sensitive adults are more affected by both stressful and supportive environments.
18. Borda-Mas, M., Lionetti, F., Pastore, M., & Pluess, M. (2025). Sensory processing sensitivity, coping, and quality of life. Personality and Individual Differences, 224, 112612. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2024.112612
Demonstrates that coping strategies strongly mediate how sensory sensitivity impacts quality of life.
19. Liu, Y., Zhang, X., & Acevedo, B. P. (2025). Large-scale brain networks underlying sensory processing sensitivity. NeuroImage, 278, 120291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120291
Identifies brain networks involved in heightened awareness, emotional depth, and sensory integration.
20. Gubler, D. A., Makowski, D., & Pluess, M. (2025). The DOES scale. Assessment. Advance online publication.
Introduces a refined multidimensional measure capturing depth of processing, emotional reactivity, and overstimulation.
21. Dean, E. E., Skocic, M., & Tomchek, S. (2024). Convergent validity of adult sensory processing self-report measures. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 78(2). https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2024.050330
Confirms that commonly used adult sensory questionnaires measure consistent underlying sensory traits.
22. Engel-Yeger, B., Palgy-Levin, D., & Lev-Wiesel, R. (2024). Sensory and behavioral modulation questionnaire for adults. British Journal of Occupational Therapy. Advance online publication.
Validates a tool capturing everyday sensory modulation challenges affecting participation and relationships.
23. Simorgh, A., Ghaffari, A., & Dunn, W. (2025). Psychometric validation of the Adult Sensory Profile. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health. Advance online publication.
Shows that adult sensory processing patterns are stable and measurable in non-clinical populations.
24. Solano Durán, M., Garrido, M., & Pérez, J. (2024). Interoceptive awareness and emotional regulation in adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1298845. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1298845
Highlights how awareness of internal body signals supports emotional regulation and wellbeing.
25. Rogowska, A. M., Pavlova, I., & Kusnierz, C. (2023). Validation of the Brief MAIA-2. Personality and Individual Differences, 205, 112034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2023.112034
Demonstrates wide individual differences in body awareness among healthy adults.
26. Blackwood, J., Kemp, A. H., & Fisher, Z. (2023). Rasch analysis of the MAIA. Psychological Assessment, 35(9), 807–819. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0001249
Refines measurement of interoception, reinforcing its role as a core sensory dimension.
27. Mulder, A., Garfinkel, S. N., & Critchley, H. D. (2025). Interoception and everyday health behaviours. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 159, 105602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105602
Reviews evidence linking body awareness to eating, movement, rest, and stress regulation.
28. Dolce, P., Garfinkel, S. N., & Critchley, H. D. (2025). Individual differences in interoceptive sensitivity. Biological Psychology, 180, 108475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108475
Shows that interoceptive sensitivity varies widely and influences emotional intensity.
29. Cheng, C. H., Chan, P. Y. S., & Hsu, S. C. (2024). Auditory sensory gating under environmental noise. Hearing Research, 437, 108878. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2024.108878
Demonstrates that sensory filtering weakens under noise and fatigue, even in typical adults.
30. American Journal of Audiology Research Group. (2024). Neural networks supporting sensory gating in adults with normal hearing. American Journal of Audiology, 33(2), 345–357.
Maps brain networks involved in filtering sensory input and shows how attentional load affects perception.