Occupational Therapy Assistant Test Occupational Therapy Assistant Test Sensory Processing and Integration 3

Question 1

A child with dyspraxia (developmental coordination disorder) is MOST likely to have difficulty with:

Accepted Answer

Planning and executing novel motor sequences in a coordinated way

Answer

Registering sensory input from the environment

Answer

Over-responding to vestibular stimulation

Answer

Discriminating between textures on the skin

Question 2

Interoception refers to the sensory system responsible for:

Accepted Answer

Perceiving the internal state of the body, including hunger, thirst, heartbeat, and toileting needs

Answer

Detecting the body's position in space through proprioceptors

Answer

Processing information about the external environment through touch

Answer

Providing information about head movement and balance

Question 3

When a child tolerates loud sounds in a structured therapy session but becomes overwhelmed in a noisy cafeteria, this is BEST explained by:

Accepted Answer

Cumulative sensory load — multiple simultaneous sensory inputs exceed the child's threshold

Answer

Inconsistent hearing ability across environments

Answer

Inadequate auditory discrimination skills

Answer

A behavioral problem unrelated to sensory processing

Question 4

The 'just right challenge' in Ayres Sensory Integration intervention means:

Accepted Answer

Activities should be slightly beyond the child's current ability to promote an adaptive response without causing distress

Answer

Tasks should be exactly at the child's current skill level with no room for failure

Answer

Therapy sessions should last exactly 45 minutes to avoid overstimulation

Answer

Sensory input should always be provided at the lowest possible intensity

Question 5

An adult with autism spectrum disorder reports difficulty knowing when they are full after eating and often overeats. This is MOST consistent with a deficit in:

Accepted Answer

Interoceptive awareness

Answer

Tactile discrimination

Answer

Auditory processing

Answer

Visual-motor integration

Question 6

An OTA working in an outpatient pediatric clinic documents that a child shows 'gravitational insecurity.' This MOST accurately describes:

Accepted Answer

An emotional overreaction to any type of movement, particularly changes in head position relative to gravity

Answer

Fear of falling due to poor postural control and muscle weakness

Answer

Avoidance of all physical activity due to anxiety

Answer

Decreased vestibular response requiring intense movement stimulation