EASI – Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration

The method of evaluation and therapy based on the theory of sensory integration has proved to be a necessity especially in the areas of child neurology and child psychiatry. The goal of the project is to produce reliable EASI standard values for Finnish occupational therapists to set standard values for sensory integration problems.​

Occupational therapists with specialization training have successfully used the method of evaluation and therapy of sensory integration in the rehabilitation of children with various sensory problems. Precise problem definition is the basis for choosing a therapy method and supporting a child and the family. Problems with the sensory integration of children have been assessed by the neuropsychological diagnostic “Sensory Integration and Praxix Tests” by Dr. Ayres in 1989. Based on over 30 years of experience, scientific advancement and clinical need, there has been a need to change some test sections and develop new tests, especially for sensory regulation and practice.

The Finnish Sensory Integration Therapy Association supports training in the field and is involved in the development of the industry. The association participates in this large-scale project with the collection of normative material from 30 children, designed for the designed for the Finnish population and informative training of data collectors. Combined with global data, the data of 30 children will be very small. In addition, it can be assumed that in global data, normative values become too loose for use in Finland, so the objective of evaluation to determine the child’s problems will not be achieved. Therefore, it is appropriate to collect such a large amount of material from Finnish children, as comparing these samples with international data will provide the Finnish children with sufficiently accurate reference values and the EASI test can be used as a reliable indicator.

The purpose of this study is to collect a sufficient amount of normative material (300 children) from Finnish children so that it can be statistically reliably compared to the data collected globally. The goal is to produce reliable EASI standard values for Finnish occupational therapists to set standard values for sensory integration problems.