Frequently Asked Questions
About Sensory Integration Therapy

What is Sensory Integration Therapy?

Sensory Integration Therapy focuses on helping individuals who may have difficulties processing and responding to sensory information from their environment and their own bodies.

Sensory Processing involves the reception of information through the senses (such as touch, sight, sound, movement, and proprioception) and the integration of this information to produce an adaptive response. For individuals with Sensory Processing Difficulties (SPD), this process may be inefficient or dysregulated. Sensory Integration Therapy aims to address these challenges by providing structured and individualised activities that activate the senses in a controlled manner. The therapist works with the individual to create a "sensory diet," which is a personalised set of activities designed to help regulate and organise their sensory system.

How Can Sensory Integration Therapy help?

Sensory Integration Therapy helps individuals organise and interpret sensory information more effectively, leading to improved adaptive responses and better overall functioning. Here are some ways in which sensory integration therapy can help:

Enhances Sensory Processing Skills: Improves the brain's ability to process and integrate sensory information from various sources, including touch, movement, proprioception, and the environment.

Promotes Self-Regulation: Helps individuals develop better self-regulation skills, allowing them to modulate and control their responses to sensory stimuli. This can lead to improved emotional regulation and reduced stress or anxiety.

Improves Attention and Concentration: Enhances the ability to attend to tasks and focus on academic or daily activities by addressing underlying sensory processing challenges that may contribute to distractibility.

Develops Motor Skills: Targets both fine and gross motor skills, contributing to improved coordination, balance, and motor planning.

Facilitates Social Interaction: Improves social skills by addressing sensory-related challenges that may impact a person's ability to engage in social activities, share space, and respond appropriately to social cues.

Increases Body Awareness: Enhances proprioception, leading to a better understanding of one's body in space and improved spatial awareness.

Supports Academic Performance: Addresses Sensory Processing Difficulties (SPD) that may interfere with academic tasks, such as reading, writing, and participating in classroom activities.

Boosts Confidence and Self-Esteem: As individuals develop better sensory processing skills and experience success in various activities, their confidence and self-esteem can improve.

Reduces Sensory-Related Behavioral Challenges: May help decrease sensory-related behaviors such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, and withdrawal, as the person gains better control and understanding of their sensory experiences.

Facilitates Independence in Daily Activities: Supports the development of skills needed for daily living activities, such as dressing, grooming, and feeding, by addressing sensory challenges that may affect these tasks.

Customized Intervention: The therapy is tailored to the individual's specific sensory processing profile, making it a personalised and targeted intervention.

Long-Term Impact: Over time, sensory integration therapy can contribute to long-term improvements in sensory processing, leading to sustained benefits in daily functioning and quality of life.

It's important to note that the effectiveness of sensory integration therapy can vary from person to person, and the therapy is often most successful when it is individualised to meet the specific needs of each person. A collaborative approach involving the individual, their family, and other professionals is often key to the success of the therapy, especially when implemented in educational or clinical settings.

What does a Sensory Integration Therapist do?

A Sensory Integration Therapist is a health professional, often an occupational therapist, who specialises in assessing and treating individuals with Sensory Processing Difficulties (SPD) . Sensory Integration Therapists often work with a range of individuals, including children and adults, who may have sensory processing challenges, often associated with various Conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, developmental delays, and other neurological or developmental disorders. The ultimate goal is to support individuals in developing better self-regulation, functional skills, and overall quality of life by addressing their unique sensory processing needs.

Assessment: Comprehensive assessments to understand the individual's sensory processing patterns, strengths, and challenges. Gathers information through interviews, standardised assessments, and observations to identify specific sensory issues.

Individualised Treatment Planning: Individualised treatment plans, based on Assessment, to address the unique sensory processing needs of each person.

Sensory Diet Development: a personalised set of activities designed to provide the sensory input the client needs for optimal regulation. Includes a variety of activities targeting different sensory modalities, such as tactile, vestibular, proprioceptive, visual, and auditory inputs.

Therapeutic Activities: designed to stimulate and integrate sensory input. Activities may involve movement, touch, balance exercises, and other sensory experiences, depending on the individual's needs.

Coordination with Other Professionals: such as educators, speech therapists, physical therapists, and psychologists, to provide comprehensive support. Communicates with parents or caregivers to ensure consistency and collaboration in addressing the individual's sensory needs across different environments.

Environmental Modifications: Recommendations for environmental modifications to make spaces more sensory-friendly.  Advises on adjustments to lighting, seating arrangements, and other environmental factors to support sensory integration.

Education and Training: Supports parents, caregivers, and other professionals with information and training about sensory processing and the impact it can have on daily functioning. Offers guidance on how to implement sensory strategies at home, in school, and in other settings.

Observation and Monitoring: Observes the person's responses during therapy sessions and adjusts interventions based on their reactions. Monitors progress over time and makes modifications to the treatment plan as needed.

Goal Setting: Collaboratively sets goals with the individual and their support network to address specific challenges related to sensory processing. Works towards achieving these goals through targeted interventions.

Advocacy: Advocates for clients with Sensory Processing Difficulties (SPD) within educational and community settings. Helps ensure that appropriate accommodations and support are provided to promote the client's success and inclusion.

Documentation: Maintains detailed records of assessments, treatment plans, and progress notes. Provides written reports to communicate findings and recommendations to other professionals and caregivers.

What SI Services does The OT Centre offer for Sensory Processing Difficulties (SPD)?

We offer two Sensory Integration Services for the evaluation, management and support of Sensory Processing Difficulties;

• Sensory Processing Difficulties Consultation : Expert Sensory Evaluation and Recommendations
  Our online video based Consultation offers a dedicated online video consultation with a fully qualified SI therapist as a basis for providing very practical advice and strategies for families to help manage a child's difficulties and day to day challenges. Our SI specialist will work with you to gain a good understanding of your child's challenges and how potential Sensory Processing Difficulties (SPD) are involved and impacting. The OT will then discuss implementation strategies for you in order to better support your child. Our recommendations will be very practical in nature, will not require specialist input or training to carry out and will be supported by a brief Consultation Outcome Report so that you have something to refer back to. Our Consultation Report provides more detail about Sensory Processing Difficulties and re-iterates what was discussed in the Consultation, including the OT's findings, advice and recommendations so that you have these as a reference. Whilst our consultation is not a full formal assessment of your child's Sensory Processing Difficulties it will be carried out by a fully qualified Sensory Integration (SI) practitioner.  Our video consultation can typically take up to 2 hours and you will be sent a detailed questionnaire to complete prior to our consultation to give our specialist a complete and detailed background.
  Our  Consultation costs between £400 and £450.

• Full Sensory Assessment : Expert Standardised Sensory Analysis and Recommendations for Parents and Professionals
  Our in-person Sensory Assessment is a more in-depth and structured analysis of a child's Sensory Processing Difficulties, aimed at parents or professionals, and is particularly useful for supporting parents and/or individuals and organisations in their professional responsibilities to a child. Our Sensory Assessment undertakes an in-depth standardised analysis of a child's sensory processing difficulties involving a four hour visit to home and to school as necessary. Our visit and consultation involves observation, evaluations through play-oriented activities and discussions with parents and school professionals. Alongside this our SI expert will likely use a Standardised Assessment tool to gather measurable data in a structured way for subsequent analysis identifying and scoring a spectrum of Difficulties and Performance and ultimately inform and qualify our findings in a measurable way. Following the Consultation our SI expert will produce a detailed Sensory Assessment Outcome Report documenting observations and performance scores together with recommendations and strategies going forwards. Parents can use our Sensory Assessment Report to help manage a child's difficulties at home. School professionals can use our report to support the child at school and maximise their learning opportunities both through a better understanding of a child's challenges and through our recommendations and strategies.
  Our Sensory Assessment costs between £1100 and £1400. Our Report can be used to inform an EHCP/IDP but cannot be used directly to contest an EHCP/IDP through the Tribunal Process. If you need our Report to inform an EHCP/IDP but not contest it through Tribunal, please take care to ensure that the SI Service you choose from us will meet your needs.

It's important to enquire about a therapist's Qualifications, Training, Experience and Specialism to ensure that they receive services from a well-trained and competent professional who, crucially, has specialised in treating a person's specific Condition(s) and Difficulties. 

It is, and always has been, our policy to provide detailed CV's, in response to your Enquiry, along with our Proposal and Costings. This ensures you have detailed evidence of a selected Therapist's Qualifications, Training, Experience and Specialism(s). All of our SI Therapists meet or exceed the following minimum academic, clinical and regulatory standards.

Education

An Occupational Therapist must have a Bachelor's Degree (BSc) or PostGraduate Qualification Certificate in Occupational Therapy (for example a PGCert or MSc).

All our Practitioner CV's cite their educational qualifications, grade and corresponding academic institutions and are downloadable from our Team pages.

Certification

An Occupational Therapist must be licensed to practice in the UK through the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).

All our Practitioner CV's link to the HCPC Registration page (citing their registration direct with the HCPC website) available from our Team pages.

Clinical Experience and Specialised Training

Clinical experience is a vital component of a therapist's education and practice and we assert that that a person should only be treated by an OT who has experience in the OT Specialism pertinent to the specific Condition(s) underlying their Sensory Processing Difficulties.

Substantial clinical experience in providing Sensory Integration services is essential. This experience helps therapists apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations and develop clinical reasoning skills. Experience working with individuals who have Sensory Processing Difficulties, particularly in paediatric or developmental settings, is valuable.

All our Practitioner CV's cite their Clinical Experience and Specialisms and are downloadable from our Team pages. This ensures we are able to provide the very best advice and treatment for a person's specific needs. 

Continuing Education

Commitment to ongoing professional development and continuing education in the field of sensory integration is crucial. This ensures that therapists stay updated on the latest research, assessment tools, and intervention strategies.

Communication and Interpersonal Skills

Strong communication and interpersonal skills are essential for SI Therapists.; they need to effectively communicate with clients, their families, and other healthcare professionals to provide the best possible care.

All our Practitioner CV's have a "Bio" page (Biography) to give you a sense of who they are, their strengths, their passion and specific interests and broader experience working with clients and other professionals. Our Practitioner CV's are downloadable from our Team pages.

Membership in professional organisations related to occupational therapy and sensory integration may also be a positive indicator of a therapist's commitment to ethical standards and ongoing professional development.

Should a Sensory Integration Therapist Also Be An Occupational Therapist?

There are very definite advantages if an SI Therapist is also an Occupational Therapist.

Sensory Processing Difficulties (SPD) will almost certainly present alongside Diagnoses and Conditions which do not necessarily determine Sensory Processing Difficulties but do however have a significant bearing on overall Occupational performance, abilities and potential. We therefore assert that an SI Practitioner with a background in an OT Specialism concerned a person's wider Diagnoses and Conditions necessarily presents advantages.

You may not always know what OT Specialism best meets your and your client's specific needs. Rest assured we do. When you Contact Us to discuss your needs, our Enquiries Team follow a clinically assured process to identify and clarify your specific Requirements and your Diagnoses/Conditions and Difficulties so that we can establish whether a background in a particular OT Specialism will be of value. We always provide you with a no-obligation proposal which includes costings together with one or more Practitioner CV's for your decision.

Check out our pages dedicated to help you understand how Conditions/Diagnoses and Occupational Difficulties factor in determining the OT Specialism required over and above a Practitioner's SI Experience and Qualifications.

Who Can Access Sensory Integration Therapy Through The OT Centre?

As a Private Occupational Therapy Company we provide services to private individuals (both Adults and Children), Businesses and Organisations including the Medico-Legal sector, the Education sector, Councils, Housing Associations, Charities, Primary & Secondary Care.

Do I Come To The OT Centre For Assessment Or Treatment?

Sensory Integration focus on helping people in their daily lives which means it's important that a Therapist visits you in your own environment to better understand the challenges we can help with, whether that be at home, at school, at college or at work.

What Areas Do You Cover?

We provide services across the UK. Use our Contact page to get in touch and find out if and how we can help. You're under no obligation at any point.

Why Should I Choose The OT Centre?

We focus on Quality not Quantity, putting clients before profit. If you've had a less than satisfactory experience with another provider, you definitely need to talk to us. Use our Contact page to get in touch and find out if and how we can help.

Don't take our word for it, find out what our Clients, Customer and our own Occupational Therapists say about us.

How Do I Find Out More About Your SI Practitioners?

Our Team Page provides links to detailed Bio's for each of our practitioners, including full downloadable CV's.

How Much Will Therapy Cost?

Find out how much it will cost by selecting a specific "Service" from our Website Menu.

I'm an SI Therapist, How Can I Join The Team?

If you are an SI Practitioner who is passionate about the profession and you recognise the values we espouse then we would love to talk to you. 

Our Jobs Page tells you more about

• our ethos and values

• what it's like working with us

• ways to get in touch