MS, OTR/L Susan Stallings-Sahler

Susan Stallings-Sahler

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BRIEF OR NEW 
Certification in 
Administration and 
Interpretation of the 
Sensory Integration 
and Praxis Tests 
Susan Stallings-Sahler 
Key Words: tests, by title, Sensory 
Integration and Praxis Tests 
Susan Stallings-Sahler, MS, OTR/L, is Director of Pediatric 
Rehabilitation, St. James Hospital Medical Center, Chicago 
Road at Lincoln Highway, Chicago Heights, Illinois 60411. 
She is also a part-time instructor at the University of Illi-
nois at Chicago, and an instructor of sensory integration 
theory and SIPT administration for Sensory Integration In-
ternational, Torrance, California. 
This article was acceptedfor publication March 1, 1990. 
The Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT) (Ayres, 1989) comprise 17 subtests revised from the Southern California Sensory Integra-
tion Tests (SCSIT) (Ayres, 1972) and supplemented 
with newly designed tests of practic ability. The cre-
dentialing process for clinical use of the SIPT is cur-
rently administered under the auspices of Sensory In-
tegration International, Torrance, California. l This 
process involves a five-step sequence of course work 
and evaluation in which the participant (a) acquires 
knowledge of sensory integration theory, (b) be-
comes trained in the technical aspects of SIPT test 
administration, (c) obtains information that enables 
interpretation of SIPT results, (d) is observed by a 
qualified evaluator for testing proficiency, and (e) 
successfully completes an objective competency 
examination. 
Sensory Integration International first imple-
mented the SIPT certification process in February 
1986 with an updated sensory integration theory 
course, as the SIPT normative and validity data analy-
ses were in their final stages. The first SIPT test ad-
ministration course was held in the fall of 1986 and 
the first competency examination was given in spring 
1989. In addition to sponsoring courses, Sensory In-
tegration International has approved courses in three 
related areas (theory, test administration, and inter-
pretation), which are offered by several universities 
across the country as part of their graduate occupa-
tional therapy programs. These courses may interest 
those who wish to obtain graduate credit for their 
certification studies. Sensory Integration Interna-
tional, however, does offer continuing education 
units for completion of their courses. 
SIPT Certification Course Work 
Sensory Integration Theory 
This 3-day course, which explains the underlying neu-
robiological mechanisms on which Ayres's theories 
are based, is offered periodically by Sensory Integra-
tion International at various sites across the United 
States and Canada. (Graduate occupational therapy 
courses may vary in format but provide similar infor-
mation.) Although this course is the initial phase of 
the certification process, it offers a valuable experi-
ence to those who desire simply to understand the 
theoretical background of sensory integration. Thus, 
this course is open to parents as well as teachers and 
clinicians from fields other than occupational and 
physical therapy. This course is also valuable for ther-
apists working with populations for whom use of the 
test instrument is inappropriate but for whom insights 
1 Mailing address: 1402 Cravens Avenue, Torrance, California 
90501. 
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about sensory processing deficits would add perspec-
tive to clinical observations and treatment ap-
proaches. The following topics are covered: 
• A general neurobiology review. 
• Neuroanatomy, function, and dysfunction of 
the vestibuloproprioceptive and somatosen-
sory systems. 
• Sensory registration, attention, and arousal 
mechanisms in the brain. 
• Basic anatomy and perceptual processing in the 
visual and auditory systems. 
• Theory and research on hemispheric special-
ization and lateralization. 
• Aspects of motor control, praxis, and dyspraxia. 
• Application of neurobiological concepts to 
treatment design. 
• An introduction to the SIPT battery and its 
purpose. 
Skills Acquisition 
This 4-day intensive workshop familiarizes partici-
pants with the purposes of each subtest of the SIPT 
and teaches the standardized procedures that must be 
adhered to in the testing of children. This course also 
emphasizes the importance of clinical judgment and 
of the maintenance of professional standards in the 
SIPT's proper use. The format involves the use of 
large lecture-style didactics combined with small 
group demonstrations and individual assistance. 
Some practice time is provided during class hours, but 
the bulk of practicing must be done in the evenings 
and, most importantly, continued until the partici-
pant's observation session. The prerequisites for ac-
ceptance into the course are registration as an occu-
pational therapist, physical therapist, or neuropsy-
chologist; completion of a Sensory Integration 
International-approved theory course within the last 
5 years; and satisfactory completion of a college-level 
statistics or test and measurements course. Each par-
ticipant must either bring his or her own test kit to the 
course or prearrange to share a kit with a partner. All 
participants must bring their own copy of the Sensory 
Integration and Praxis Tests manual (Ayres, 1989). 
After completing the test administration course 
and an appropriate period of practice, including ad-
ministering the SIPT to at least 10 children, the partic-
ipant may schedule an observation, or checkout, ses-
sion with a qualified observer. The session takes 
about 3 hr and requires the participant to administer 
part of each of the tests to another adult or to the 
observer. The purposes of the observation are for the 
observer to provide the participant with feedback 
about his or her proficiency with testing skills, to clar-
ify questions the participant may have, and to reiterate 
important points from the training, as necessary. Un-
like the SCSIT certification procedures, in which the 
observation of test administration skills was scored on 
a pass-fail basis, the SIPT observation only needs to 
be completed. The observer may, if the participant is 
extremely unprepared, discontinue the observation 
until a later time. Other unresolved testing difficulties 
may lead the observer to recommend that the partici-
pant take part in another observation session. The par-
ticipant can then request an additional test observa-
tion, but at his or her own expense. Completion of an 
observation is not required for admittance into a test 
interpretation course, but it is required for the taking 
of the competency examination. 
SIPT Interpretation 
Only participants who have completed the first two 
courses of the certification sequence may attend this 
3-day course, which involves the following: 
• A historical overview on measurement in sen-
sory integration and how it has evolved. 
• An explanation of relevant statistical concepts 
and their application to analysis of SIPT data. 
• A detailed description of each SIPT subtest, in-
cluding rationale, sensory systems tapped, 
cognitive and motor demands, related clinical 
observations, reliability and validity data, and 
its relationship to other SIPT subtests. 
• An explanation of the major SIPT diagnostic 
groups as identified through cluster and dis-
criminant analyses and meaningful score pat-
terns as identified through factor analysis. 
• For each subtest, a description of the perfor-
mance of children from several neurological 
dysfunctional groups (e.g., minimal brain dys-
function, mental retardation, spina bifida, lan-
guage disorder, cerebral palsy, autism, and 
preViously identified sensory integrative dis-
order). 
• Application of the preceding content to a criti-
cal analysis of the Western Psychological Ser-
vices (WPS) ChromaGraph results and other 
clinical data as well as to correct interpretation, 
professional reporting, and effective treatment 
recommendations. 
The course instructors present a variety of actual 
cases to illustrate the interpretative process, and the 
class participants can take part in group discussions 
that use problem solVing to reinforce their critical 
reasoning skills. 
Competency Examination 
The objective, multiple-choice examination serves to 
establish whether the participant has acquired a basic 
foundation in the neurobiological theories support-
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ing sensory integration as well as minimal compe-
tency in SIPT administration, scoring, and interpreta-
tion. The examination covers 
• Sensory integration theory. 
• Correct practices in test administration and 
scoring. 
• Psychometric aspects of SIPT tests. 
• Interpretation of actual WPS ChromaGraphs. 
• The manner in which the reporting of results 
should be handled. 
Before they are allowed to take this examination, the 
participants must have completed all of the previously 
mentioned steps and requirements. 
Reasons for Therapists to Become Certified 
Certification in administration and interpretation of 
the SIPT is an option for therapists who wish to use 
the instrument in their practice. A non-SIPT-certified 
clinician can legally administer the SIPT, and Western 
Psychological Services does not require the test pur-
chaser to be SIPT certified, although they do recom-
mend that the purchaser be trained in its use. Western 
Psychological Services strongly recommends, how-
ever, that the purchaser have a graduate degree, but 
because sales are often made to institutions rather 
than to individuals, this cannot be strictly enforced. 
Occupational therapists choose to go through the 
SIPT certification training process because they rec-
ognize that the SIPT is a state-of-the-art instrument for 
the objective diagnosis of sensory processing deficits 
in persons with learning disabilities. The capabilities 
of the SIPT have been greatly expanded over those of 
the SCSIT. Much effort has gone into the standardiza-
tion process with regard to enhancing the test's reli-
ability and validity, but a reliably measured normative 
population does not guarantee high interrater consis-
tency in the clinical situation. The child being evalu-
ated clinically must be tested in a manner that repli-
cates as closely as possible the procedures used on his 
or her normative counterparts or the comparison 
loses meaning. By most therapists who used it, the 
SCSIT was judged to be complex to administer, score, 
and interpret. Most therapists familiar with it would 
agree that the SIPT is more challenging, and few 
would attempt to learn how to administer the test 
simply by reviewing the manual. The SIPT certifica-
tion course instructors make every attempt to ensure 
that the course participants receive the same informa-
tion on how the test should be administered, scored, 
and interpreted. No certification process is foolproof, 
however, and such procedures in any professional 
field of endeavor are usually designed to provide only 
essential competencies in the areas addressed. Each 
therapist is responsible for developing and maintain-
ing his or her skills in SIPT administration and inter-
pretation. The assumption of such responsibility en-
ables families, other professionals, and employers to 
have a greater degree of confidence in the SIPT-certi-
fied therapist's knowledge, skills, ethics, and 
reports .... 
References 
Ayres, A.]. (1972). Southern Cal(fornia Sensory Inte-
gration Tests manual. Los Angeles: Western Psychological 
Services. 
Ayres, A. J. (1989). Sensory Integration and Praxis 
Tests. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services. 
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Certification in Administration and Interpretation of the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests

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Certification in Administration and Interpretation of the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests

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