Sensory Integration Education

Last reviewed: June 2026

Sensory Integration Education's practitioner training pathway is accredited by Sheffield Hallam University and leads to UK postgraduate university awards (PGCert, PGDip, MSc) alongside clinical qualification as an SI Practitioner or Advanced SI Practitioner. ICEASI — the International Council for Education in Ayres Sensory Integration, also written ICE-ASI — is a voluntary membership body, not a regulator, and we have made a considered decision not to take part in its programme-recognition process. This does not affect the standing or quality of your qualification.

What is ICEASI / ICE-ASI?

ICEASI stands for the International Council for Education in Ayres Sensory Integration. It is a not-for-profit membership organisation made up of bodies that provide education and training in Ayres Sensory Integration® (ASI®). Its stated aim is to support best practice and greater consistency in ASI education internationally.

ICEASI is not a regulatory or licensing body. There is no legal or professional requirement to hold an ICEASI-recognised qualification in order to practise Ayres Sensory Integration. In the UK and Ireland, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists are regulated by the HCPC and CORU respectively, and supported by their professional bodies (such as the Royal College of Occupational Therapists).

Training organisations may choose to submit their programmes to ICEASI for assessment against its standards. This is a voluntary route, and the choice not to take part is equally valid.

Our involvement in ASI education standards

We have a long history in this field. In 2016 we hosted and led an international retreat on behalf of the group that later became ICEASI, bringing together leaders from ASI education organisations worldwide. The framework developed for that work — authored by our Chair, Rosalind Rogers — was subsequently published in the American Occupational Therapy Association's OT Practice (2017). It set out the learning outcomes expected at different levels of ASI expertise.

The standards ICEASI went on to adopt in 2019 took a different direction, moving towards prescribing particular teaching and assessment methods rather than focusing on learning outcomes. This is where our approach and ICEASI's diverge.

Our position

Sensory Integration Education has chosen not to submit its pathway for ICEASI recognition.

Our curriculum is built around clinical learning outcomes — what a practitioner understands, can do, and can achieve alongside the people they work with — and is designed, delivered and assessed to UK university standards. We took the view that reshaping our programme to fit ICEASI's prescribed methods would not be in the best interests of our students or the people they support. Our decision is therefore a deliberate one about educational design, not a gap in our provision.

We continue to welcome efforts to raise the quality of ASI education internationally, and we keep our position under review.

What this means for you

If you have trained with us, are training now, or are considering doing so, you can be reassured:

• Your qualification is accredited by Sheffield Hallam University. 
• It carries a recognised UK postgraduate university award — PGCert, PGDip or MSc, depending on your pathway.
• It is accompanied by clinical qualification at SI Practitioner or Advanced SI Practitioner level.
• Our pathway is mapped to UK Allied Health Profession standards and to recognised advanced clinical practice frameworks.

These awards are widely recognised by employers, the NHS and professional bodies, and the academic qualifications are transferable in the way any UK university postgraduate award is.

If you are planning to work in a particular country or service that specifies a certain form of ASI accreditation, we'd encourage you to confirm their exact requirements directly — and you are very welcome to contact us to talk it through.

Questions?

If you have any questions about your qualification or our training pathway, please contact us at [email protected] and we will be glad to help.