AYRES SENSORY INTEGRATION THERAPY

  • Young girl with painted hands smiling and showing her hands covered in colorful paint.
  • Child lying on their back on a yellow and green indoor play area, smiling or laughing with arms outstretched and head hanging back.
  • A young girl with curly hair playing on gym equipment in a playroom.

Therapy sessions based on Jean Ayres’ Theory of Sensory Integration may help a child with sensory difficulties. Ayres Sensory Integration (ASI®) follows a formal protocol and specific standards which support children to improve their ability to recognise and respond to sensory experiences (Watling & Clark, 2011). The purpose of ASI® is to provide opportunities for sensory input in a child centred way.

Ayres SI includes:

  1. Presenting opportunities within sessions which target multiple senses (e.g. movement, taste, smell, touch)

  2. Challenging the child’s muscle tone through different postures

  3. Promoting the use of two sides of the body together (for motor control and planning)

  4. Tailoring the child’s chosen activities so that they work together in a cooperative way

  5. Presenting activities that are not too easy or too hard ensuring that the child is successful

  6. It should motivate the child to play (Parham, et al., 2011)

  7. ASI® is a brilliant therapy technique to address sensory concerns