This guide tells you how to access a therapist qualified in sensory integration, including how to seek a referral or source a private practitioner, what to look for in a therapist, and what to expect during the initial consultation.

What is Sensory Processing and Sensory Integration?

The terms sensory processing and sensory integration both refer to processes in the brain and body that allow us to take the signals from our senses, make sense of those signals and respond appropriately.

Sensory processing naturally varies between individuals, but some people's differences make everyday activities more challenging, and that's when we use the term sensory processing challenges. 

People with sensory processing challenges may find it hard to:

  • to tolerate or respond to sensory input
  • to discriminate or make sense of the input
  • to start, follow, and complete a deliberate action


Sensory processing challenges can co-occur with other diagnoses, including autism, ADHD, OCD, developmental delays and others.

Find out more via these free short online courses:

What is Sensory Integration Therapy?

Sensory integration therapy (or SI interventions) includes structured exposure to sensory input; movement therapy; balance treatments; carefully designed and customised physical activities; and accommodations (eg, changes to the environment or routine). 



There are various sensory-based approaches. Ayres Sensory Integration® or ASI therapy is evidence-based and developed from the clinical work and research of Dr A Jean Ayres. 

Sensory Integration Therapy is:

Based on comprehensive assessments of your child, aiming to understand their unique sensory processing patterns, motor skills and functional abilities.

Person-centred: interventions (activities) are created collaboratively with your child to take account of their interests and preferences.

Carried out in specialised clinics with a range of equipment such as swings, ball pools and climbing walls but it is increasingly being used in a wide variety of settings including homes, schools and community settings.

Personalised: your child’s therapist will work with them and you (and other relevant stakeholders such as your child’s school) to create tailored sensory strategies (suggestions of activities that your child, with or without support, can use to meet their sensory input needs, and changes that can be made to their routines and environments to better support them).

Who Provides Sensory Integration Therapy?

Sensory integration therapy should only be carried out by a qualified SI Practitioner: this is a qualified 

Occupational Therapist,

Speech and Language Therapist, or 

Physiotherapist 

...who has successfully completed rigorous, specialised, post-graduate training in assessing and treating individuals with sensory integration and processing differences.

This training involves developing a detailed understanding of the neuroscience and evidence base underpinning sensory integration as well as developing expertise in assessing and providing SI interventions.

In the UK, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy are all allied health professions and are all regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Occupational Therapists

Occupational therapists (OTs) support people of all ages with a range of interventions to enable them to return to or optimise participation in all the activities (occupations) that people do; for example, caring for themselves and others, working, learning, playing and interacting with others.

Speech and Language Therapists

Speech and language therapists (SLTs) in the UK provide treatment, support and care for children and adults who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking and swallowing.

Physiotherapists

Physiotherapists address problems of impairment, activity and participation and manage recovering, stable and deteriorating conditions – particularly those associated with the neuro-muscular, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and respiratory systems – through advice, treatment, rehabilitation, health promotion and supporting behavioural change.

Sensory Integration Qualifications

What To Look For

As Allied Health Practitioners, all SI Practitioners should be registered with Health and Care Professions Council, and independent therapists should have professional indemnity insurance.

Sensory integration therapy should only be carried out by an occupational therapist, speech therapist, or physiotherapist who has received extra, post-graduate training in sensory integration after their regular qualifications.

Therapists trained under Sensory Integration Education, have successfully completed rigorous postgraduate qualifications accredited by Sheffield Hallam University - one of the largest allied health professions education providers in the UK. To qualify as an SI Practitioner, a practising OT, SLT, or physiotherapist will have completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Sensory Integration and completed a set number of clinical practice hours under the supervision of an Advanced SI Practitioner. An Advanced Practitioner will hold a Postgraduate Diploma in Sensory Integration or possibly an MSc in Sensory Integration.

Accessing Sensory Integration Therapy

Please note that access to therapists with sensory integration training via NHS routes varies greatly and can be extremely limited. For example, NHS provision may be limited to specific services or may be only available to individuals who have specific diagnoses (eg, autism) or who attend certain schools. With this caveat in mind, it is still worth checking NHS provision in your area.

Referral from GP: This is the first route to try. Speak with your GP about your concerns and ask if a referral to a relevant Allied Health Professional is appropriate. If your concerns are about sensory integration or sensory processing challenges, at this stage ask if you or your child be referred to a therapist with SI training.

Referral From Health or Social Services Professionals: If you or your child regularly see a social worker, health visitor, district nurse or other healthcare professional, you can ask them if they can refer you to an NHS-based or voluntary sector therapist.

Referral from School or Nursery: If your child attends nursery or school, you can explore if they are able to refer your child for an assessment with a sensory integration trained therapist. The provision varies greatly across the country, but some schools have access to an OT and/or SLT.

Self-Referral: In some areas of the country, you can also self-refer to a physiotherapist, OT or SLT service. The reception staff of your GP or local NHS hospital should be able to advise you on how to do this and whom to contact.

Independent Therapists: The waiting list to see an independent (or private) sensory integration trained OT, SLT or physiotherapist is likely to be much shorter than an NHS-based service but you will, of course, be charged for this service. If contacting independent therapists, try to contact more than one therapist and compare the information given. You could also have a free initial telephone conversation to gauge if you can get on with them.

You can search the SIE SI Practitioners Register for therapists with the SIE university-accredited qualifications in SI. Or you can search for independent therapists via:

...and then look for SI-trained practitioners.

What Happens Next?

This varies across the UK because services are organised in different ways. In some places, the demand for services is very high. For NHS therapists or those working in the voluntary sector, there may be a long waiting list: you can ask how long you may be expected to wait for an initial appointment.

If you are in contact with an independent therapist, you can arrange your initial consultation with them as soon as you both have availability.

SI Practitioners will conduct an initial consultation to assess the underlying causes of your child's sensory integration or sensory processing chall. They will discuss these findings with you and explain any changes you can make at home, school or work and, if appropriate, set an individualised plan of therapy.

What Should You Expect From an Initial Consultation?

The initial consultation will greatly vary depending on the challenges that you want addressing; the setting of the consultation (eg, clinic, school or home) and the primary profession of your SI Practitioner (ie, OT, SLT or physiotherapist). 

During the initial consultation, you can expect a detailed discussion of your child’s challenges, daily activities, medical history and hopes for improvement. Depending on the primary profession of your SI therapist, you or your child may be physically examined and asked to attempt physical tasks as part of the assessment. ASI (Ayres Sensory Integration) is a therapeutic intervention delivered through play, and so part of the assessment for children might look like the therapist is just playing with the child but the therapist is actively assessing all the time.

The therapist should also explain how they work, if and how they will liaise with other health, education or social services professionals and what they will ask you or your child to do outside of the sessions.


You should be prepared to discuss:

  • What do you observe as sensory needs or sensory challenges?
  • What impact are the SI challenges having on your child’s life?
  • What activities/environments make the symptoms better or worse?
  • Have they already had any treatment for the challenges? If so, what was the outcome?
  • Your child’s medical history and any medication.
  • What are you and your child hoping to achieve from sensory integration therapy?


Following your consultation, your SI Practitioner will discuss their findings with you and, if appropriate, an individual plan of intervention which aims to improve your child’s sensory processing. The therapy is highly individualised to the sensory profile of your child and involves using structured activities to expose them to specific sensory input to encourage their brain and body to process and react to sensations more efficiently. Your SI Practitioner will also be able to advise on specific modifications to your child's environments and routines to better meet their sensory needs. 

Sensory Integration Education

This guide to accessing sensory integration therapy was written by Sensory Integration Education. Established in 1994, Sensory Integration Education is a not-for-profit organisation working with allied health professionals, education and health experts, academic researchers and families to improve awareness, understanding and the treatment of sensory integration and sensory processing challenges. SIE is a world-class provider of sensory integration training.

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