Research Corner
Research: Sensory integration differences are real for people with ADHD
New research is clear: Sensory integration differences are real for people with ADHD. And as occupational therapists, we cannot overlook this. The 2025 meta-analysis confirms what many of us already know through practice: sensory processing challenges significantly affect participation, wellbeing, and regulation in ADHD. These are not just behavioural quirks — they’re neurobiological realities. The […]
21 Apr, 25 
Research: Sensory Integration Across the Lifespan. Reflections on Practice in Adult Neurology and Mental Health
While Ayres Sensory Integration® (ASI) is most often associated with children, many therapists have quietly and consistently applied its principles with adults for decades. At ASI Wise & Sensory Project, our Director’s own journeys began in the early 1990s—initially in adult neurology from 1995, extending into learning disabilities and mental health from 1996, and into […]
19 Apr, 25 
New research alert for those of us working with ADHD!
A brand new meta-analysis (April 2025) in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry confirms what many of us see in practice every day: sensory processing differences are common and significant in individuals with ADHD. This systematic review looked across multiple studies and found that people with ADHD are much more […]
19 Apr, 25 
Join Us at ISIC 2024 – with no travel down under!
A Global Gathering – Research and Evidence for Sensory Integration in Practice For occupational therapists working in sensory integration, there’s an exciting opportunity coming up—the International Sensory Integration Congress (ISIC) 2024. Whether you’re deeply embedded in the world of Ayres Sensory Integration® (ASI) or just beginning your journey, ISIC 2024 promises to be an event […]
17 Oct, 24 
Research Update| Muting, filtering and transforming space
In this 2022 article; “Muting, filtering and transforming space: Autistic children’s sensory ‘tactics’ for navigating mainstream school space following the transition to secondary school.”, the take-home messages are: There are sensory challenges in mainstream school environments for ASD children. Working with young people post-transition to secondary school has highlighted these challenges. Sensory challenges exist across […]
08 Mar, 22 
Coffee and Chat | Sensory Integration, ARFID and Travel
FREE| Wednesday 2 March 7.30 pm GMT Book Here Dr Yana Wengel is an associate professor at Hainan University. Yana takes a critical approach to tourism studies; her interests include volunteer tourism, tourism in developing economies and nature-based tourism. Her dissertation examined the social construction of host-guest experiences in volunteer farm tourism. Her current projects are focused on nature-based tourism […]
01 Mar, 22 
Research Update: Examining overlap and homogeneity in ASD, ADHD, and OCD: a data-driven, diagnosis-agnostic approach
“Our results motivate a paradigm shift to challenge how ASD, ADHD, and OCD are currently defined, diagnosed, and treated. In particular, this paper adds to the evidence that these diagnoses may not exist as uniquely-defined diagnostic constructs, and highlights the need to discover other groupings that may be more closely aligned with biology and/or response […]
09 Dec, 19 
CPD: Understanding and Applying Trauma-Informed Approaches Across Occupational Therapy Settings
AOTA has really helpful and supportive articles right now – promoting the best clinical practice, with an emphasis on participation in occupation. This article is particularly pertinent to OT’s using ASI theory and practice to create therapeutic environments supporting and scaffolding participation in daily life for those with trauma. Read the full article here.
16 Oct, 19 
Research update: Forest design for mental health promotion—Using perceived sensory dimensions to elicit restorative responses
Forest design for mental health promotion—Using perceived sensory dimensions to elicit restorative responses, research into the qualities of the natural environment which promote restoration download full article – open access pdf here
06 Aug, 19 
Sensory (and people) avoidance may be an appropriate adaptive response.
It turns out that some animals have changed their habits to survive competition with humans for space and resources humans. And it’s a relatively recent phenomenon. This got me thinking about our lives and I reminded of the question I ask when lecturing. It will give my age away but it’s relevant. When you grew […]
30 Jul, 19 
