Sensory Integration Education

Understanding the Role of Sensory Processing in Function and Participation

If your client is experiencing difficulties regulating their responses to sensory input, coordinating their movements, or participating meaningfully in daily activities, it is essential to explore the full range of potential contributing factors. One often-overlooked yet critical area to consider is sensory processing and integration, the way the nervous system receives, organises, and responds to sensory information from the body and environment.

When sensory processing is disrupted, the brain may struggle to interpret and integrate this input effectively. This can manifest as challenges in self-regulation, postural control, motor coordination, attention, and engagement in everyday tasks such as dressing, eating, writing, or navigating social interactions.

Sensory Integration (SI) theory, originally developed by Dr. A. Jean Ayres, highlights the foundational role that sensory processing plays in supporting motor planning (praxis), behavioural organisation, and participation in life roles. With a solid understanding of SI principles, practitioners can better appreciate how sensory factors may be influencing a client’s movement patterns, emotional responses, and functional performance.

Through training in sensory integration, you will:

• Develop the skills to assess the various dimensions of sensory processing, including modulation, discrimination, and praxis (the ability to conceptualise, plan, and execute motor actions).

• Gain insights into how dysregulation in these systems can present in different populations, such as children with developmental coordination disorder, individuals with autism spectrum disorder, adults post-trauma, or those with neurological conditions.

• Learn to apply evidence-informed assessment tools and therapeutic strategies that are sensitive to individual sensory profiles and promote adaptive functioning.

Our SI training modules go beyond introductory concepts, offering a comprehensive approach to understanding how sensory systems, including vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile, visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, and interoceptive inputs, contribute to regulation, postural control, and skilled movement. You will explore how difficulties in praxis and modulation are assessed and addressed, enabling a more nuanced and clinically effective response to your clients' needs.

This training will expand your professional capacity by:

• Enhancing your ability to integrate sensory-based observations into clinical assessments.

• Strengthening your clinical reasoning and intervention planning by linking sensory processing differences to functional outcomes.

• Equipping you with practical tools and frameworks to support clients across the lifespan in achieving their developmental, therapeutic, or rehabilitative goals.

In Summary:

• Sensory processing is a foundational neurological function that underpins movement, behaviour, and participation in everyday life.

• Disruptions in sensory integration can significantly affect motor coordination, emotional regulation, and engagement in functional activities.

• Professionals need appropriate training and tools to identify and interpret sensory processing differences effectively.

• Becoming a qualified Sensory Integration Practitioner equips you with evidence-based assessment and intervention strategies to address these challenges and support clients in reaching their full potential.