27/04/2025
Are you feeling confused about Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)?
Have you been told you need a sensory diagnosis to access support?
Or been asked to pay thousands of pounds for a private sensory assessment, marketed as an “investment”?
If so, you’re not alone, and you deserve clear, honest information.
Here’s the truth:
🚫 Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is not a recognised diagnosis in the UK.
🔍 Occupational Therapists in the UK cannot diagnose SPD.
✅ What we can do — and what we always do at Seirrah Therapies — is assess sensory integration and processing difficulties, and show how they impact your child’s daily life, learning, and participation.
Sadly, some companies are still offering sensory assessments costing families thousands of pounds, selling them as an “investment” in certainty and answers.
But SPD is not recognised in NHS, education, health, or tribunal frameworks.
Families are often left feeling misled, disappointed, and even more out of pocket — without the guaranteed support they were promised.
At Seirrah Therapies, we will always give you clear, evidence-based assessments that focus on supporting your child’s real-life needs, not selling labels or false guarantees.
We are proud to stand alongside organisations like Ayres' Sensory Integration WISE and The Sensory Project, who have clearly reinforced that SPD is not a recognised diagnosis, and who continue to advocate for honesty, clarity, and ethical practice.
You deserve better.
You deserve information you can trust — not marketing spin.
You deserve real, meaningful support for your child, and it doesn’t need to cost thousands of pounds!
At Seirrah Therapies, we stand for honesty, integrity, transparency, and truly child-centred care — every step of the way.
In response to recent LinkedIn discussions about Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), we wanted to clearly share the position of ASI Wise & Sensory Project.
See the post here:
https://lnkd.in/ecA9MxPK
At ASI Wise & Sensory Project, we deliver evidence-informed post graduate MSc accredited education for Occupational Therapists (OTs), Physiotherapists (PTs), and Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) across the UK and Ireland.
We are often asked:
“Do you teach how to diagnose SPD?”
The answer is no. We do not. And neither do those who learn with us.
SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) is not a recognised diagnosis in the UK or Ireland. It does not appear in the ICD-11 or DSM-5, and it is not accepted within NHS, HSE, education, or tribunal frameworks.
This is reflected in the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) 2021 position statement, which confirms that Occupational Therapists in the UK do not diagnose Sensory Processing Disorder, and that terminology around sensory integration and processing should focus on describing functional impacts to support participation.
No allied health professional practising in the UK or Ireland should be diagnosing SPD.
Yet families are still being told—incorrectly—that a “sensory diagnosis” is necessary for accessing support. Many are paying significant fees for private assessments that do not align with national standards, often leading to confusion and frustration.
We find this deeply concerning.
At ASI Wise & Sensory Project, here’s what we do teach:
• How to assess sensory integration and processing using internationally respected, evidence-based frameworks
• How to deliver sensory-informed practice within each profession’s domain of practice—occupation, movement, or communication
• How to embed participation as the central goal of all intervention
• How to use language that is accurate, defendable, and meaningful within health, education, and tribunal contexts
We are proud to stand for clarity, professional integrity, and ethical practice.
We teach what empowers people—not what sells.
If we want to truly support individuals and families, we must prioritise honesty, transparency, and the highest standards of professional responsibility.
https://sensoryproject.org/2025/02/06/why-we-recommend-using-sensory-integration-and-processing-and-framing-reports-around-strengths-and-difficulties-impacting-participation/
