Interrater Reliability and Discriminative Validity of the Structural Elements of the Ayres Sensory Integration® Fidelity Measure©

Abstract

This study examined the reliability and validity of the structural section of the Ayres Sensory Integration Ò Fidelity Measure Ó (ASIFM), which provides a method for monitoring the extent to which an intervention was implemented as conceptualized in studies of occupational therapy using sensory integration intervention methods (OT-SI). We examined the structural elements of the measure, including content of assessment reports, availability of specific equipment and adequate space, safety monitoring, and integration of communication with parents and other team members, such as collaborative goal setting with parents or family and teacher education, into the intervention program. Analysis of self-report ratings by 259 occupational therapists from 185 different facilities indicated that the structural section of the ASIFM has acceptable interrater reliability (r ³ .82) and significantly differentiates between settings in which therapists reportedly do and do not practice OT-SI (p < .001).

A systematic review of ayres sensory integration intervention for children with autism

“…All participants assigned to ASI received a full assessment of sensory integration, enabling interventionists to individualize treatment. The description of the ASI treatment environment is consistent with fidelity guidelines [May‐Benson et al, ]. Internal validity is strengthened by documentation that the “usual care” received by the study group and control group was equivalent.…”

“…However, despite the high utilization of ASI for children who receive special education, there is lack of consensus regarding its evidence base. One reason for this is that many studies included in existing systematic reviews and meta‐analyses report on sensory‐based interventions which are not consistent with the principles of ASI as described by Ayres [Ayres, , , ; Ayres & Robbins, ] and operationalized in the Ayres Sensory Integration Fidelity Measure (ASIFM) [May‐Benson et al, ; Parham et al, ]. Instead, many reviews and meta‐analyses include studies of interventions that use isolated sensory stimuli as the active ingredient of the intervention (hereafter referred to as sensory‐based interventions) and do not adhere to the core principles of ASI [Barton, Reichow, Schnitz, Smith, & Sherlock, ; Lang et al, ].…”

“…The intervention takes place within a context of play, emphasizes active involvement of the child, involves a collaborative relationship between therapist and child, and focuses on participation‐oriented outcomes that are collected at regular intervals throughout the duration of the intervention program, making it possible to examine the child's response to intervention and to allow for adjustments to the intervention plan. Characteristics of the ASI intervention approaches have been delineated in textbooks as a guide to pediatric occupational therapy practice from 1972 to the present [Ayres, , ; Ayres & Robbins, ; Bundy, Lane, & Murray, ; Case‐Smith & O'Brien, ; Kramer & Hinojosa, ; Lane & Bundy, ; Schaaf & Mailloux, ] and described in peer‐reviewed literature [May‐Benson et al, ; Parham et al, ; Schaaf, Benevides, Kelly, & Mailloux‐Maggio, ; Schaaf, Hunt, & Benevides, ]. Sensory‐based interventions stand in contrast to ASI in that their application often contradicts many of the core principles of ASI.…”

Assessment of Sensory Processing Characteristics in Children between 3 and 11 Years Old: A Systematic Review

“…In this respect, we excluded 10 tests: Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (91); Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III (92, 93); Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2 (94); Batelle Developmental Inventory (95); Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (96); Test of Visual–Motor Skills-3m (97); Developmental Test of Visual Perception (DTVP) (98); Developmental Test of Visual–Motor Integration sixth ed (99). ; Test of Visual Perceptual Skills (TVPS-3) (100) and Motor-Free Visual Perception Test (101); and the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (102) (see Annex S1 in Supplementary Material) (103–107). …”

Ayres Sensory Integration® Intervention

“…It is unique from other sensorimotor therapies in its focus on the improvement of sensory factors impacting behavior and eliciting of adaptive responses during treatment activities, usually contextualized within play, which require active participation of the child. The basic elements of ASI, are specified by Parham et al (2011) and May-Benson et al (2014). The ASI intervention Fidelity Measure© specifies structural and process components of the intervention.…”