Research: Occupational Therapy with Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

This article describes the importance of sensory integration in occupational therapy, and reports the importance of child-centered play in any sensory integration program.

Some studies have revealed that sensory integration approaches are associated with performance gains in children with autism. Consequently, most occupational therapists are trained in child-centered sensory integration approaches. This is because the founder of sensory integration therapy (A.J. Ayres) believed that child-centered activity is an essential component of sensory integration therapy. This article reports the results of a survey distributed to occupational therapists asking them about their role in the treatment of autism. Occupational therapists who reported use of sensory integration therapy and child-centered play reported more improvement in childrenâ??s sensory integration and play skills than occupational therapists who did not use these therapeutic approaches. The authors suggest that future studies on the effect of sensory integration therapy ensure that child-centered play be included whenever sensory integration therapy is performed.