01
Visual
Light, movement, patterns.
Nº 01 / Sensory report2026 Edition
Your sensory experience, turned into useful information.
A structured psychoeducational analysis of the 7 sensory systems based on consolidated models and scientific literature on sensory processing, including the framework of Winnie Dunn, expanded with interoception literature (Garfinkel & Critchley), sensory masking (Hull et al.) and processing in autism (Bogdashina, Schaaf & Lane).
Designed for autistic and other neurodivergent people (ADHD, high abilities, dyspraxia, hyperlexia…), families and professionals seeking a clear, applicable reading of sensory functioning.
100 items from the PsicoCódice proprietary model (based on Dunn, SPM)
Custom PDF · DOCX report
25–40 minutes
Direct understanding of your functioning
Reference frameworks
Dunn · Garfinkel · Hull
Sensory processing, interoception and masking
Nº 02 / What you will understand
It's not just
identifying
sensitivities.
It's understanding why you become saturated in certain environments, why you avoid certain sensations, or why you need specific stimuli to regulate yourself.
This report lets you see
- 01Which stimuli overwhelm you.
- 02What you need to stabilize.
- 03Which patterns repeat in your daily life.
- 04How your behavior relates to your sensory system.
Not everything is psychological.
Often, it's sensory.
Nº 03 / What it's based on
Established models,
integrated
into a single system.
The report relies on consolidated sensory processing models and contemporary scientific literature:
01
Sensory processing model — Winnie Dunn
Base framework with the four patterns: sensitivity, avoidance, seeking and low registration.
02
Perceptual phenomenology — Olga Bogdashina
Adds experiential depth on hypersensitivity, hyposensitivity, distortion and overload in autism.
03
Sensory integration foundations — A. Jean Ayres
Classic foundation on how the nervous system organizes sensory input and its impact on behavior.
04
Interoception — Garfinkel & Critchley
Current research on internal-signal perception, interoceptive accuracy and its relation to emotion.
05
Sensory masking — Hull, Pearson & Rose
Contemporary model of the masking effort and its invisible cost. Allows estimating the gap between visible load and real load (ICM/ICE).
06
Modern reviews on autism
Ben-Sasson et al. (2009), Robertson & Baron-Cohen (2017), Schaaf & Lane (2015) as a contemporary evidence base.
07
PsicoCódice model — IFS · IR · ICM · ICE
Proprietary integration of the previous frameworks into four quantifiable clinical indices: Sensory Friction, Regulation, Masking and Effective Load.
All of it integrated into a single interpretation system that translates your answers into understandable, actionable patterns.
Nº 04 / Interpretation method
A
structured system.
Your answers aren't just shown as is. They are organized through a structured interpretation method.
- 01Group answers by sensory system.
- 02Set comparative levels (0–100).
- 03Detect patterns of sensitivity and seeking.
- 04Translate those patterns into clear explanations.
The goal isn't to label you,
but to make your experience legible.
Nº 05 / PsicoCódice model
Sensory
Friction
(IFS) Model.
Built upon established scientific frameworks, the PsicoCódice model integrates sensory processing, interoception, sensory masking and recovery dynamics into a unified interpretive system.
Its purpose is not to assign diagnoses, but to make sensory experiences easier to understand, identify recurring patterns and support more informed environmental and self-regulation decisions. The Sensory Friction Index (IFS) is the first of those pieces, on a 0–100 scale.
What does each index measure?
Five dimensions01
IFS
Friction
Level of stimulus interference with activity.
02
ICM
Masking
Effort to appear regulated despite the load.
03
IRS
Recovery
Time and cost to return to baseline.
04
ICE
Effective load
Real impact combining friction, masking and recovery.
05
IVS
Vulnerability
Pattern when high friction, high masking and slow recovery converge.
Computation
How is it
computed?
The IFS is obtained from four components rated 0 to 10. They are combined through a fixed weighting to produce a final 0–100 scale.
The model also incorporates masking (ICM) and recovery (IRS), allowing the estimation of effective load (ICE) across different contexts.
- 01Stimulus intensity
Perceived magnitude of the sensory input. This dimension is the classic one collected by the Dunn (Sensory Profile) and SPM-2 frameworks. It appears across the literature on sensory thresholds.
- 02Unpredictability
Degree to which the stimulus appears without anticipation. Included because studies on allostatic load and autism show that unpredictable stimuli cost more resources than strong but anticipated ones.
- 03Functional impact
Interference with the ongoing task or activity. Measured separately from intensity because two people may perceive a stimulus as equally strong but only one of them sees their activity interrupted.
- 04Recovery
Time and cost to return to baseline after exposure. Captures the dimension least represented in classic instruments: what happens after the stimulus, not only during it.
Scale0 — 100
Effective load · ICE
How the ICE is composed.
ICE is not magic. It combines the three previous dimensions and modulates the result by the recovery cost.
Computation structure
ICE = f ( IFS , ICM , IRS )
where IFS provides the main weight, ICM raises the load when active masking is present (because it consumes additional energy), and IRS modulates upward when recovery is slow. The specific weighting formula is documented in the model technical notebook and can be requested by email.
ICE is an interpretive indicator, not a diagnostic measure.
Variability
The sensory system is not entirely stable.
A single person may score differently depending on the moment. Literature on allostatic load, autistic fatigue and burnout shows that the sensory profile fluctuates with physiological and contextual state.
We therefore recommend repeating the analysis at different moments if you intend to make important decisions based on it.
01
Sleep and sleep debt
Fewer hours and poorer quality reduce sensory tolerance the next day.
02
Accumulated stress
Long stretches of tension reduce the margin against everyday stimuli.
03
Hormonal cycle
Different phases of the menstrual cycle can modify sensory reactivity.
04
Migraine and pain
Active episodes or prodromes amplify multisensory sensitivity.
05
Autistic burnout
After long periods of over-demand, friction increases and recovery takes longer.
06
Physical environment
Space, lighting, acoustic density and temperature change the real load.
Overload Vulnerability Index · IVS
When everything aligns.
The IVS detects a specific pattern; it does not predict a crisis. It identifies profiles where four conditions converge simultaneously:
- +High sensory sensitivity (elevated IFS).
- +High functional friction (impact on activity).
- +High masking (elevated ICM).
- +Slow recovery (low IRS).
How to interpret it
When these four conditions converge, the literature describes a higher likelihood of sensory overload episodes (which some people call meltdown or shutdown depending on the expressive direction).
What it is NOT
The IVS does not diagnose meltdown or shutdown. It does not predict any individual episode. It is a statistical-clinical pattern that invites reducing load preventively.
References
Supporting literature.
The PsicoCódice model is grounded on consolidated frameworks and recent reviews:
Sensory processing
- Dunn, W. (1997, 2014). Sensory Profile / Sensory Profile-2.
- Parham, L. D. & Ecker, C. (2007–2021). Sensory Processing Measure (SPM-2).
- Robertson, C. E. & Baron-Cohen, S. (2017). Sensory perception in autism. Nature Reviews Neuroscience.
Interoception
- Garfinkel, S. N. & Critchley, H. D. (2017). Interoception, emotion and brain.
- Quadt, L., Critchley, H. D., Garfinkel, S. N. (2022). Reviews on interoception and mental health.
- Mul, C. L. et al. (2018). Alexithymia and interoception in autism.
Masking and compensation
- Hull, L., Mandy, W., et al. (2019–2023). Camouflaging in autistic adults (CAT-Q).
- Lai, M.-C., Lombardo, M. V. & Baron-Cohen, S. (2017–2021). Compensation and adaptation in autism.
- Cook, J., Crane, L., et al. (2022). Masking, fatigue and burnout in autistic women.
Allostatic load and burnout
- Raymaker, D. M. et al. (2020). Autistic burnout: Defining and theorising.
- Mantzalas, J. et al. (2022). What is autistic burnout? A scoping review.
Theoretical framework
Inspired by consolidated sensory processing frameworks (Dunn, SPM-2), incorporating dimensions less represented in those instruments:
- —Contextual variability and physiological state.
- —Cost of regulation and masking.
- —Time and energy of recovery.
- —Vulnerability pattern to overload.
Limitations
- Based on self-report and environmental observation.
- The result depends on the current state (sleep, stress, cycle, context).
- It is a tool for understanding, not a diagnostic test.
- It does not replace a clinical assessment when one is required.
Use
This psychoeducational tool helps identify in which situations sensory overload may appear and which adjustments can reduce it.
It is not a clinical diagnosis or an official psychological evaluation.
Nº 06 / What's included
A report
designed
to be used.
01
Profile of the 7 systems
Score and interpretation of each sensory channel.
02
5 clinical indices
Friction, Masking, Recovery, Effective load and Overload vulnerability.
03
Ecological heatmaps
How your system behaves at work, home, social, transport and sleep.
04
Per-system recommendations
Concrete, actionable strategies according to your pattern.
05
Pocket IVS card
1 page with QR code to share with a professional or keep with you.
06
Needs letter
Adaptable to school, high-school, work or family. Explains what you need and why.
07
Downloadable PDF + Word
Both formats included. Selectable text, ideal for printing.
Nº 07 / Sample result
“We observe a high auditory sensitivity alongside a low tendency to sensory seeking. This may explain avoidance of noisy environments without the appearance of active regulation strategies.”
Nº 08 / Systems assessed
Seven key
areas.
The model integrates systems that are rarely looked at together. Here they appear on a single map.
02
Auditory
Sound, volume, frequency.
03
Tactile
Touch, texture, temperature.
04
Vestibular
Balance, movement.
05
Proprioceptive
Body, force, posture.
06
Gustatory / Olfactory
Tastes and smells.
07
Interoception
Internal signals.
Nº 09 / Process
Direct.
Four steps, with no unnecessary registrations or superfluous friction.
01
Payment
Access through a one-time payment from PsicoCódice.com.
02
Code
You receive your access within 24h.
03
Questionnaire
100 items organized into 5 blocks: sensory, habits, ecological contexts, masking and differentials. 25–40 minutes, at your own pace.
04
Report
Immediate download of the result as PDF.
Nº 10 / Who is it for
Designed
for those who
need clarity.
01
Autistic adults
To understand and adjust their environment.
02
Families
To better understand certain behaviors.
03
Professionals
As supporting material for analysis.
Nº 11 / What it is and what it isn't
A psychoeducational
analysis tool.
It isn't
- It is not a clinical diagnosis.
- It is not an official psychological evaluation.
- It is not a diagnostic test.
- It does not replace a professional assessment.
It is
A psychoeducational analysis tool for the sensory profile that helps understand patterns and make better-adjusted decisions in daily life.
This analysis is a psychoeducational tool that organises information about your sensory profile. It can help you understand your responses to the environment, but it does not replace a complete professional assessment when clinical, legal or forensic use is required.
Nº 11.5 / Frequently asked questions
Before deciding.
What people about to do this actually ask themselves. No jargon, no detours.
If you have ever thought «I don't understand why certain places exhaust me so much», «I don't know why I need certain routines to feel okay», «I find it hard to explain to others what is happening to me» or «I feel I get overloaded sooner than other people», this analysis can help you identify patterns that until now seemed disconnected.
Nº 12 / Available edition
Start understanding
how you function.
One single payment. One code. One clear report.
Nº 13 / Reports with legal validity
Forensic
evaluation
in Spain.
If you need a report with legal or forensic validity, PsicoCódice offers complete psychological evaluations performed by qualified professionals, adapted to judicial and administrative contexts in Spain.
Request informationThese evaluations include
- 01Individual case analysis.
- 02Interview and gathering of relevant information.
- 03Structured interpretation of the sensory profile within the broader psychological functioning.
- 04Drafting of a formal report with possible legal use.