Sensory Integration Therapy in Malaysia and Singapore: Sources of Information and Reasons for Use in Early Intervention

Abstract

Sensory integration (SI) therapy is a popular form of intervention for children with disabilities, particularly those with autism spectrum disorders, even though research evidence demonstrating beneficial outcomes from the use of SI therapy is limited. A questionnaire was distributed to early intervention education service providers in Malaysia and Singapore to explore the reasons why they choose to use SI therapy, their sources of information and training in its use, and the ways in which it was employed. Occupational therapists were consistently reported as a major source of information and training in SI therapy, and their advice was a primary reason for using SI therapy. SI therapy was provided to students based on a wide range of criteria, of which challenging behaviors related to sensory stimuli were the most consistently reported. About half of the participants appeared to believe that there was sufficient evidence on the efficacy of SI therapy from research, even though they seemed to lack direct access to sources such as university courses and academic journals. Based on these findings, it was recommended that efforts be taken to disseminate research information to service providers in order to promote evidence-based practice.