International Coalition for Education in Sensory Integration

The International Coalition for Education in Sensory Integration   (ICE-SI)

In 2008, 40 international participants at the Sensory Integration Global Network (SIGN) meeting in Long Beach, California decided to issue clear and strong statements regarding the nature of Sensory Integration as well as the education in SI-Intervention. 

As a visible sign of this decision, representatives of five separate organizations offering training in sensory integration from as many countries founded the International Coalition for Education in Sensory Integration.

The ICE-SI intends to serve as a model of “integrity”, “commitment” and “excellence” to training specifically in Ayres Sensory Integration®. This international coalition will allow collaboration between these and other organizations involved in developing and delivering SI-training including certification in Sensory Integration and the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT),

The aim of disseminating the information about Ayres Sensory Integration® (SI) and educating Occupational Therapists (OT)/ PT in SI is to enable OTs around the world to apply Sensory Integration theory in evaluation and intervention based on related research and sound clinical reasoning. It is a central concern of Ayres’ successors affiliated with SIGN, to support the development of this knowledge worldwide through international collaboration without serving as a regulatory body. 

Each country is encouraged to develop locally relevant programs for SI-training and SI-practice, which are still strongly rooted in a valid understanding of Ayres’ concepts and its current understanding.

The founding organizations USC/WPS (USA), SI-Network (UK, Ireland), SAISI (South Africa), SI Finland and GSIO (Austria) want to demonstrate their common understanding of Sensory Integration and the common standards of the curricula they have been developing and implementing.

Despite of all formal differences, the SI-training of the member organizations share the level of the training and the orientation at Ayres Sensory Integration®. 

ICE-SI is not an exclusionary body; rather membership in this coalition offers the possibility for organizations who share this commitment, to make the quality and orientation of their SI-training visible and equivalent with the world-class standard as mentored by Dr. A. Jean Ayres and modeled by these organizations.