Category: advocacy

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Research Update: What is Ayres’ Sensory Integration Therapy(ASI) and what is not? Do not believe everything you read – ASI shows promise as an intervention for those with Autism.

It is so disappointing to once again read research about Ayres’ Sensory Integration purporting to examine ASI versus other therapies, reporting ASI does not have an effect. This is especially important when there is an evidence for ABA, the behavioural intervention in these studies possibly resulting in trauma.

2011 – Comparison of Behavioral Intervention and Sensory-Integration Therapy in the Treatment of Challenging Behavior

2017 – Comparison of behavioral intervention and sensory integration therapy on challenging behavior of children with autism

2018 – Evidence of increased PTSD symptoms in autistics exposed to applied behavior analysis

There is a growing evidence base, not just for the existence of sensory integration difficulties and sensory processing difference across the lifespan and across a range of different clinical presentations, but also for the therapy as developed by Jean A Ayres.

Research by Smith Roley el al 2015, Lloyd, MacDonald and Lord 2013 and Flanagan et al 2012 supports earlier evidence by others including Adamson, O’Hare and Graham 2006, and Siaperas et al 2011 that Sensory Integration difficulties are common in Autism.

Intervention studies that provide evidence sensory integration may be effective include Pfeiffer et al 2011 and most recently a systematic review by Schaaf et al 2018 also examines growing evidence in support of ASI.

“evidence is strong that ASI intervention demonstrates positive outcomes for improving individually generated goals of functioning and participation as measured by Goal Attainment Scaling for children with autism. Moderate evidence supported improvements in impairment-level outcomes of improvement in autistic behaviors and skills-based outcomes of reduction in caregiver assistance with self-care activities”  Schaaf et al 2018

Recently there has been a spate of research comparing ASI to other behavioural approaches. Sadly, what is described as ASI is most definitely not. Spinning someone 10 times one way and then the next, with a few pushups thrown in, is not Ayres’ Sensory Integration!

If you read or report studies that say that ASI doesn’t work compared to other therapies for Autism, please do so very very carefully. Those of us properly trained in ASI, to postgraduate level, as per the International Council for Education in Ayres Sensory (ICEASI) guidelines read the descriptions of what is delivered, we do not recognise it as being ASI therapy. This therapy was carefully researched and developed by Jean Ayres, and overtime has been researched and further developed including the development of the ASI FIdelity Tool (Parham et al 2011).

A parent who works in advertising and marketing pointed out to me that if what is written in these studies was on a website advertising these behavioural services instead of ASI, their description of ASI and their claims may be grounds for an argument for false advertising!

Ayres’ Sensory Integration is a very specific therapy, carried out in a very specialist way, but very experienced clinicians who plan and deliver intervention only after person-specific assessment. The individualised intervention is determined and driven by the clinical data that is collected and analysed as part of the assessment, and ongoing observations and reflection are essential to the intervention.

Ayres’ Sensory Integration is about specific, personalised and targeted assessment and therapy; it includes the setting of goals and the measurement of outcomes. The therapist needs to have specialist, typically postgraduate, education in Ayres’ Sensory Integration, in line with internationally agreed standards as agreed by ICEASI.

 

Watch more about what Ayres’ Sensory Integration is here.

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Position Statement on the Legal structure of SI Network – a comment for discussion

I was pleased to get a response from the Chair to my concerns that there had been no Annual Conference available (an earlier request) to share the latest research and network with the membership, along with a General Meeting, which the current Articles of Association require, annually.

 Clarification of the legal structure of SI Network, and notice of adoption of up to date Articles of Association for a company limited by guarantee

03 Nov 2017 16:14Suzanne Leyland (Administrator)

To Members of the Sensory Integration Network (UK & Ireland):

I have asked that this Position Statement outlining the status of our organisation be put on our website, in order to inform all our membership as to how this organisation’s governance is structured.

Chair: Board of Directors, Sensory Integration Network UK & Ireland

Date: 3 November 2017

Position statement

Clarification of the legal structure of SI Network, and notice of adoption of up to date Articles of Association for a company limited by guarantee

Background

In 2004, as a growing not-for-profit organisation promoting quality education in Ayres Sensory Integration, SI Network adopted the legal structure of a private company, limited by guarantee. It remains in this format today. The name of that company is Sensory Integration Network (U.K. and Ireland) Limited  (“the Company”).

SI Network has a large, active and highly valued membership: these people are members of our network and not legal members of the Company per se.

In compliance with good governance practices, SI Network has reviewed its governing body*  and has adopted appropriate modern Articles of Association**  suitable for a company of this nature.

Position Outline

  • As we have grown as an organisation and responded to new challenges***, we have reviewed the management requirements to ensure that the roles cover the necessary mix of academic and business skills to take the company forward.
  • The revised structure is made up of the Company’s Board of Directors -Chair, Postgraduate Education, Research, Membership, and Business Operations.
  • The legal members of the Company are the five directors of the Company under the new structure. These corporate legal roles should not be confused with SI Network’s highly valued network memberships who are not legal members of the company.
  • Annual General Meetings have for some time now no longer been required to be held under company’s legislation and to the extent that they are held would be attended by the full Board, which are the legal members of the Company, only.
  • In order to clarify the roles and obligations of the Board and legal members of the Company, the Board of Directors adopted new Articles of Association for a company based largely upon the model articles for a company limited by guarantee, under The 2006 Companies Act. These Articles of Association comply with all legal requirements expected of a not-for-profit organisation.
  • We have created this simpler, clearer structure to allow SI Network to continue to thrive and evolve in response to the needs of our network membership, whilst complying with good governance best practice.

*Governing Body – made up of the directors who have a legal responsibility for the company and ensure it carries out its activities properly

**Articles of Association –  rules which set out how the company is run, governed and owned.

***This refers to changes in the range of providers and in the funding sources of training.

Below was my reply and comments

  • 04 Nov 2017 18:42| Ros Urwin
    I am really concerned that such fundamental changes, to include updating the Articles of Association of the SI Network, have been done with no reference or intended consultation with the SI Network members.
    I strongly disagree with the Position statement first assumption that:
    ……”we have reviewed the management requirements to ensure that the roles cover the necessary mix of academic and business skills to take the company forward.” NOOOOO Not academic mix with business skills. Where are the occupational therapists and clinicians to help shape and inform the future direction of the Network? The Board appoint the Universities to bid for the Module postgraduate programme on a three year cycle, as required – the relationship has been that the “academics” work in partnership with the Board. The Board invited a Business representative to support the Board in its decisions. The Directors have a limited term of office, being required to stand for re-election after 3 years.
    I cannot see the new Articles of Association on Companies House website – therefore these announcements and changes are not currently available to the membership.
    I am particularly concerned that these changes have been announced during a period when there have been no occupational therapists on the Board of Directors since 1 April 2017 (the Articles state there should be a minimum of 5 directors) and that these decisions have been taken by 2 Speech and Language therapists/academics (who are not SI practitioners), a physiotherapist (who is an Advanced Si Practitioner) and a business manager – with the Chair, having the casting vote?
    I am very sorry to see these announcements – I have petitioned quietly for the last year asking for when the SI Network would be holding a legal AGM. There has not been one since 2014 (Unless the `Articles of Association” are changed – which the SI Network’s ones have not since 2011), the position is (you can see the link below the following statement):
    Must a company hold general meetings?
    There is now no statutory requirement for a private company to hold any general meetings, not even an Annual General Meeting. This change was introduced when Part 13 (sec281 – sec361) of the Companies Act 2006 came into effect on 1st. October 2007. Before that, all companies were required to hold an Annual general Meeting, though since the 1989 Act came into effect it has been possible for private companies to opt out if holding AGMs, by passing a (now defunct) elective resolution.Some companies’ articles will require them to hold an AGM and any such provision will continue to be binding on the company until the articles are amended. A company may hold an AGM even though not bound to by the Act or its articles.
    The former statutory requirement to lay accounts before the general meeting has been replaced by a provision requiring them to be sent to the members: CA 2006, sec423 – sec425.http://www.companylawclub.co.uk/must-a-company-hold-general-meetingsI am very pleased to see that the Network are holding an Annual Conference; which I had hoped would become ‘annual’ again (not had one since 2014 post 2015 ESiC).
    I hope it will return to being a members’ Network for the members, responsive to all those who are passionate about Ayres’ Sensory Integration.
    Ros Urwin
    Previous Director Postgraduate Education (SI Network 2012-2015)
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A great message from young people about ending the stigma around disabilities

Amazing to listen to, and well worth sharing, as many of us work with young adults with complex presentations, but it is personal too. I remember when I was in a wheelchair following foot surgery, many years ago, and a waitress asked my Dad “Does the little girl want a milkshake?” – my Dad looked at me and told her to ask me myself, adding there was nothing wrong with my brain. It was my first experience of the stigma about disability, and a lesson for life – shaping my future career choice to be at OT. I can’t believe that in 2017, we have not yet moved on.

I remember when I was in a wheelchair following foot surgery in 1980, many years ago now, and a waitress asked my Dad “Does the little girl want a milkshake?”. My Dad looked at me and winced, and then told her to ask me myself, adding there was nothing wrong with my brain. It was my first experience of the stigma about disability, and a lesson for life – shaping my future career choice to be at OT. I can’t believe that in 2017, we have not yet moved on.

 

Listen to Jadine Baldwin’s story, where she talks about how some people don’t see her “as a person” due to her cerebral palsy. Maddy Hearne, talk about being part of a Toronto rehabilitation hospital’s campaign to end

Maddy Hearne, another young person then let’s us know more about how teenagers are working with Toronto Rehabilitation Hospital on a campaign to end stigma around disabilities. (Aug. 28, 2017)

This link will let you read more young people’s messages, this one particularly relevant to many of the young people and adults we work with.

 http://deareverybody.hollandbloorview.ca/

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http://deareverybody.hollandbloorview.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Dear-Everybody-Position-Paper_FA.pdf