ISIC2025/2026
Should Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists Use the EASI to Assess Dyspraxia and Developmental Coordination Disorder in Clinical Practice in the UK, Ireland and other National Health Services?
Authors: Kathryn Smith, Gina Rencken, Melissa King, Catherine Hauvette, Aniesa Blore, Maggie Morton, Katie Crowfoot, Amanda Adamson, Rosalind Urwin
Should Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists Use the EASI to Assess Dyspraxia and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)?
This poster examines whether the Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration® (EASI) should be incorporated into routine occupational therapy and physiotherapy assessment for children with suspected developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and dyspraxia across UK, Ireland, and national health service settings. The work presents a narrative synthesis comparing the EASI with commonly used motor performance assessments such as the MABC-2/3 and BOT-2/3.
The poster highlights how the EASI:
- extends assessment beyond motor output by measuring vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile, and praxis functions that underpin balance, postural control, motor planning, and motor learning domains not captured by traditional motor tests.
- provides psychometric evidence from Rasch analyses that demonstrates strong construct validity and internal reliability across sensory-motor domains
- supports its use as a robust assessment tool
Findings also demonstrate the cost-effectiveness and ecological validity of the EASI, with playful, interaction-based tasks that support engagement and strengths-based formulation. By identifying sensory-motor strengths, protective factors, and underlying mechanisms, the EASI supports neuro-affirming, participation-focused clinical reasoning, enabling more precise formulations, meaningful DCD subtyping, and targeted intervention planning.
This poster is relevant to occupational therapists, physiotherapists, paediatric clinicians, and NHS/HSE services, supporting evidence-based assessment and intervention for children with DCD, dyspraxia, and motor learning difficulties. It highlights that using the EASI enables better formulation, more targeted intervention, improved outcomes for children and families, and is seen to be a cost-effective tool.
Here you can find the different ASI learning routes:
ASI Wise Certificate in ASI with CLASI
Advancing Practice MSc Modules | ASI across the Lifespan
