AOTA Responds to Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders Article on Efficacy of Sensory Integration
As part of multiple ongoing activities underway in support of occupational therapy’s important role in addressing autism spectrum disorders, AOTA responded to a negative article about occupational therapy and sensory integration therapy. The article was published in the July–September 2012 issue of Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders and analyzed 25 studies involving sensory integration. AOTA’s response challenges the researchers’ questionable conclusions about sensory integration therapy.
AOTA members and autism experts Jane Case-Smith, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA, and Roseanne Schaaf, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, wrote the response with the following goals: making occupational therapy practitioners aware of the article; illuminating some of the issues in the research methodology; and giving occupational therapy practitioners information about the accumulating evidence that occupational therapy interventions that adhere to sensory integration therapy principles produce beneficial research for children with autism spectrum disorders.
Read the response here.
