Definition
Sensory Integration is a clinical occupational therapy framework developed by A. Jean Ayres in the 1970s that helps the brain organise sensory input through specific, individualised, play-based therapeutic activities. In the UK, only OTs with additional postgraduate certification from SI Network UK and Ireland or USC/WPS can deliver Ayres Sensory Integration (ASI).
In context for parents
Key checkpoints
- A clinical OT framework developed by A. Jean Ayres in the 1970s.
- In the UK, only OTs with additional postgraduate certification (SI Network UK and Ireland, or USC/WPS) can deliver Ayres Sensory Integration (ASI).
- Diagnostic battery: SIPT (Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests) or EASI (Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration).
- Evidence base (Schaaf et al., 2018; Cochrane 2019) supports specific outcomes (goal-attainment, motor planning, individualised participation), not broad cognitive or behavioural gains.
- For school provision, what flows from ASI is usually a sensory diet, environmental adjustments, and staff training, not the suspended swing in the classroom.
ASI is distinguished from broader "sensory approaches" by three things:
- The therapist's qualification: full ASI delivery requires postgraduate certification beyond the OT degree, typically a 12–24 month part-time course.
- The assessment: the SIPT (Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests) or the EASI (Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration) is the diagnostic battery.
- The intervention environment: a specialist sensory gym with suspended equipment, vestibular swings, deep pressure tools, and specific clinical apparatus, not a school's sensory corner.
ASI treatment typically runs as a 6–12 week block of weekly hour-long sessions in the clinical environment, with home and school sensory diet recommendations alongside. The evidence base (the 2018 Schaaf et al. fidelity-controlled trials, the Cochrane 2019 review with caveats) supports specific outcomes (improvements in goal-attainment, motor planning, and individualised participation goals) rather than broad cognitive or behavioural gains. The intervention is most effective for children with assessed sensory processing differences affecting daily function, particularly those with autism, ADHD, or DCD.
For school-side provision, what flows from ASI is usually a sensory diet, environmental adjustments, and staff training, not the suspended swing in the classroom. Section F provision in an EHCP can specify ongoing OT supervision of a sensory diet, periodic ASI assessment review, and a banded number of direct ASI sessions per term where indicated.
The distinction between ASI and "sensory approaches" matters at tribunal. LAs sometimes argue the school's existing sensory provision is equivalent to ASI; an independent OT with ASI certification can show whether that is or is not the case.
Related terms
The terms parents most often see alongside Sensory Integration.
Sensory Processing Disorder(SPD)
Difficulty taking in, organising, and responding to everyday sensory information (touch, sound, movement, taste, smell, sight, balance, and body awareness) in a way that supports daily life.
Sensory Diet
A planned, individualised programme of sensory activities scheduled across the day to help a child stay regulated. Usually devised by an occupational therapist.
Occupational Therapist(OT)
An HCPC-registered specialist who supports children to participate in everyday activities, working on fine motor skills, sensory processing, self-care, and handwriting.
Where parents ask about this
Parents usually find this page when an OT has recommended sensory integration but the LA is offering generic sensory support instead, or before tribunal where ASI provision is being contested. Searches include "Ayres Sensory Integration UK", "ASI versus sensory diet", and "sensory integration Section F". A Beaakon ASI-certified paediatric OT can carry out a full ASI assessment, deliver the treatment block, and write Section F-grade evidence that distinguishes ASI from generic sensory provision.
References
The primary legislation, statutory guidance, research, and clinical tools this page draws on.