Qualitative Study Finds Parent-Reported Sensory Integration Benefits and Access Barriers

Parents interviewed in a qualitative study reported observing positive effects of sensory integration therapy in their children, while also describing difficulties in recognizing the need for therapy, obtaining a diagnosis, accessing services and continuing treatment. The research focused on caregivers’ experiences of early intervention from a child-development perspective, including how families evaluated the therapy and adapted to its effects on everyday life. The findings represent parents’ reported perceptions and observations rather than proof that the therapy caused specific developmental or behavioral changes.

Researchers collected data through individual, face-to-face interviews with 17 parents using a semi-structured interview guide. The study examined parents’ experiences of recognizing a possible need for sensory integration therapy, assessing its effects and managing its impact on family life. Data management and analysis were completed without computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software.

By centering caregivers’ accounts, the research explored both the perceived benefits of participation and the practical challenges surrounding diagnosis, referral, treatment access and continuity. Thematic analysis organized the interview material into five themes: recognizing the need for therapy and the diagnostic process; parents’ expectations of therapy; the therapy process and its effects on the child; parenting experiences and adaptive processes; and accessibility and continuity of therapy. The accounts indicate that entering treatment involved more than a child receiving sessions.

Parents also negotiated uncertainty about recognizing a need for therapy, securing a diagnosis, engaging with referral processes and maintaining participation once care had begun. Therapy also prompted changes within the family. Parents reported restructuring family life, adjusting parenting roles and reorganizing daily routines as they managed the intervention’s effects and demands.

The parents interviewed also described observing positive changes in their children during the therapy process, but the qualitative design centers their interpretations of those changes rather than providing a controlled estimate of the therapy’s effectiveness. Access and continuity emerged as central parts of the parents’ experiences. Participants encountered obstacles while seeking a diagnosis, obtaining referrals, accessing therapy and continuing the intervention.

The study therefore documents both reported therapeutic effects and the difficulties families faced in navigating the pathway into and through care. Its scope is limited to the experiences communicated by 17 interviewed parents, and the findings broaden understanding of the support needs surrounding sensory integration therapy without establishing causal clinical benefits.

Subject of Research: Parental experiences of sensory integration therapy during early intervention

Article Title: Sensory integration therapy as part of early intervention: a phenomenological study of parental experiences

Article References: Kuyucak, E., & Aybas, G. (2026). Sensory integration therapy as part of early intervention: a phenomenological study of parental experiences. BMC Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05511-4

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s40359-026-05511-4

Keywords: sensory integration therapy, early intervention, parental experiences, qualitative research, child development, diagnosis pathways, therapy access, treatment continuity, family adaptation, Sensory, integration, therapy