Ayres Sensory Integration ® Implementation in Malaysian Occupational Therapists: Challenges and Limitations

Abstract

One of the most popular interventions provided by occupational therapy practitioners for pediatric clients is Ayres Sensory Integration (ASI). It has strict fidelity measures to be adhered to which consists of the process and structural elements. This fidelity measures makes Ayres Sensory Integration different from other sensory based interventions. This study describes challenges that Malaysian occupational therapists face when implementing Ayres sensory integration (ASI). A total of 161 occupational therapists working in various healthcare settings responded to the survey using a self-administered questionnaire. The results identified eight themes, i.e.: (1) Inadequate Training, (2) Resource Issues, (3) Physical Constraint, (4) Time Constraint, (5) Limited Information/Support Provided By Family, (6) Limited Support From Management, (7) Limited Information/Support Provided By Suppliers and (8) Issues in Implementing Evidence Based Practice. Identifying the challenges in implementing ASI is important to improve the occupational therapy assessments and interventions, thus, establishing effectiveness of the interventions provided.

Keywords:Ayres sensory integration; Occupational therapy intervention; Fidelity measures; Sensory processing issues.