Innovation in Practice | Sensory Integration for Mental Health & Wellbeing

Kath Smith

Occupational Therapists within the NHS have used Ayres Sensory Integration in clinical practice since 1999. This poster showcases the innovation of care pathways and resources for practice created in 1999 and implemented into clinical care across Cornwall and Dorset. The poster references the earliest audits and investigations focussed on the potential benefits of Ayres Sensory Integration (ASI) as a means to enhance Mental Health (MH) services and promote Sensory Integration for Mental Health & Wellbeing. This initiative involved improving therapeutic practices.

Ayres Sensory Integration, combined with Data-Driven Decision Making (DDDM), promotes a bottom-up approach to co-production and co-design approach within therapeutic services. Sensory Integration for Mental Health & Wellbeing focuses on the individual needs of the person. This methodology was designed to support patients throughout their recovery journeys by recognising and addressing their specific sensory processing challenges. By implementing ASI, therapists were able to understand better the factors that influence occupational performance, which is crucial for everyday life activities.

ASI aims to explore and build on individual challenges and strengths that impact an individual’s participation in their daily lives. Sensory Integration for Mental Health & Wellbeing fosters greater awareness and insight into the therapeutic process. One key benefit of this approach is its ability to reduce occupational injustice. The Be Smart Programme and Sensory Ladders ensure that all patients receive the support they need to participate fully in their communities and engage in meaningful activities.

This poster draws on data from 2003/2004 published in 2009 by researchers Brown, Shankar, and Smith, a seminal paper about Ayres’ Sensory Integration for clients with trauma within mental health services. This research from 2009 has been key to furthering our understanding of Sensory Integration for Mental Health & Wellbeing within the field of occupational therapy and mental health.