Procesamiento Sensorial en niños de 2 a 3 años del Centro de Educación Inicial El Arenal mediante la aplicación de la escala de evaluación SPM – Preschool. Cuenca, 2025-2026

Abstract

Background: Sensory processing is a neurological process responsible for receiving, organizing, and interpreting the various stimuli in a child's environment, it is essential for the development in early childhood. Alterations in this process may manifest as inappropriate reactions or behaviors, impacting children's daily lives. The SPM–Preschool scale is an instrument that helps identify sensory processing difficulties based on observations made by parents and teachers. Objective: Evaluate the sensory processing in children aged 2 to 3 years at the “El Arenal” Early Education Center through the application of the SPM–Preschool scale. Methodology: This study adopted a quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional approach, involving legal guardians and teachers of 25 children aged 2 to 3 years. The data collected were processed using statistical software and presented in tables. Results: Of the population studied, 60.9% were man, and 13.0% were womans aged 3 years and 5 months. The type of family nuclear had 43.5% of the cases, followed by nuclear families with 39.1%. Additionally, 47.9% of parents had a high-school level education. Conclusions: In the home context, 52.2% of the children evaluated presented definite sensory processing dysfunction, while 56.5% showed some level of difficulty at school. The total of 43.5% exhibited a different evidence, showing more challenges at home than at school, while 13.0% demonstrated a probable difference, with more difficulties at school than at home.