Occupational Therapy Using Ayres Sensory Integration®: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Brazil

Abstract Importance: Research conducted in the United States has found that occupational therapy using Ayres Sensory Integration® is an effective evidence-based intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Replication of this research in other cultures is needed. Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of occupational therapy using Ayres Sensory Integration in a sample of Brazilian children with ASD. Design: Prospective randomized controlled trial. Setting: Occupational therapy clinic. Participants: Seventeen children with ASD ages 5–8 yr (n = 9 in the intervention group, n = 8 in the usual-care control group) recruited from a local hospital via flyers and word-of-mouth. Completed pretreatment characterization and baseline measurement. Interventions: The intervention group received occupational therapy using Ayres Sensory Integration, and the control group received usual therapeutic and educational services only. Outcomes and Measures: We conducted a pre–post assessment of self-care and socialization using the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory and individualized goal ratings. Results: Participants in the intervention group scored significantly higher on outcome measures of self-care (p = .046, rb = .57), social function (p = .036, rb = .61), and parent-identified goal attainment (p < .001, rb = .94) compared with the control group. Conclusions and Relevance: Occupational therapy using Ayres Sensory Integration was effective in enhancing self-care, socialization, and goal attainment for children with ASD in a Brazilian cohort. What This Article Adds: This study contributes further support from outside the United States that occupational therapy using Ayres Sensory Integration is an effective evidence-based intervention to improve self-care, socialization, and parent-identified goal attainment in children with ASD.