Here are the slides which the team sent to the SIE annual conference, where they were presented by Sue Delport (Lead for Wales) on behalf of the EASI INDC British Isles Regional and Country Leads. Here is a summary of the information shared.
Like the EASI, the SIPT was developed with reference to an earlier set of tests, these original tests, the Southern Californian Sensory Integration Tests (SCSIT) were Ayres’ original tests for identifying sensory integration difficulties.
Part of the development of the EASI includes the collection of normative data across the globe. This global project includes the establishment of EASI British Isles normative data collection team.
Currently, research and developments in Ayres’ Sensory Integration are very exciting, as a new test the EASI is being developed.
To date the team have helped to review items in development, creating a social media space to gather therapists trained in or learning ASI from across the UK and Ireland and most recently in developing the British Isles contribution to helping international testers learn the EASI so normative data collection can happen.
There is a copy of a slide from a presentation by Dr Smith Roley explaining the process of the EASI Test Development.
The green arrow indicates where the project is at right now – there is a still a way to go and the test won’t be ready to use until 2020. (Click here for the whole presentation.)
We will be hosting EASI parties with groups of therapists in the UK regions joining together to test young people in their local areas. If you are on a border or happy to travel to participate in another region’s party please note this also. [EASI Testing Regions are defined by EU NUTS – https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/nuts/background].
- England – North East
- England – North West
- England – Yorkshire and the Humber
- England – West Midlands
- England – East Midlands
- England – East Anglia
- England – South West
- England – South East
- England – Greater London
- Scotland
- Wales
- Northern Ireland
- Ireland
To carry out the data collection in the UK and Ireland, ethics applications are required.
The process for doing this is underway for Scotland as the first UK region, so that we can then easily replicate this process across the UK. Dr Sinead Rhodes Deputy Director of SMC Research Centre, University of Edinburgh is helping support the project, working with the EASI Lead for Scotland, Amanda Adamson and Kath Smith, Region Lead for UK and Ireland to ensure that the relevant ethics is in place for the project. Dr Helen Lynch is the EASI Lead for Ireland and an ethics application process is also underway for the data collection in Ireland.
ICO and GDPR require that the data of our volunteers is securely stored and that everyone agrees to receive further emails. Please help us ensure we are GDPR compliant by completing a regional signup at join on https://easibritishisles.wordpress.com/
Everyone is welcome, we need people who are familiar with standardised tests, and people who can support the children and families volunteering to be tested – from meeting and greeting, to making cups of tea and entering data. We have a job for anyone who wants to help.
Please share this link with others who might want to volunteer:
Join via the website: https://easibritishisles.wordpress.com/
Kath Smith
Regional Lead
British Isles EASI INDC Team
EASI UK and Ireland Project 