USING THE SAISI MODEL FOR THERAPY PLANNING, TO GIVE CONTINUOUS FEEDBACK AND FOR RECORD-KEEPING.
By Marié Greyling
This is the second blog in a series about SAISI’s exciting new tool; the SAISI model. In a previous blog by Amy Rode, we provided an overview of the model and how it can help therapists communicate with parents, teachers, and caregivers. This blog focuses on how it can assist therapists in planning Ayres Sensory Integration® (ASI®) therapy sessions (setting the stage), providing session-to-session feedback, and supporting record-keeping.
To explain how I personally use this model in my day-to-day therapy, I first want to clarify two key questions:
- Why can using a model be helpful?
- How do I use the SAISI model?
Why use a model?
Models are representations that help define and communicate a set of concepts. SAISI uses different models in our training to explain concepts in a simplified, concrete way. Some examples include the Spiral Process of Self-Actualisation (Bundy & Murray, 2020), the Ecological Model of Sensory Modulation (EMSM) (Miller et al., 2001), and the Model of Clinical Reasoning (developed by Dr Annamarie van Jaarsveld). These models help ASI® therapists develop an understanding of the science behind ASI® while also embedding the art of ASI® into their sessions.
For this reason, I use the SAISI model not only to communicate my assessment data with parents, but also to support my clinical reasoning during my daily ASI® sessions.
How do I use the SAISI model?
As ASI®-trained therapists, we begin our clinical reasoning with a 50-page protocol, which we then condense into the Data-Driven Decision Making (DDDM) process. A common question from many therapists is: How do you apply clinical reasoning during therapy sessions?
For me, the answer lies in this: What is the “picture” of each child during your sessions?
The SAISI model offers a visual representation for therapists, and because parents are already familiar with this “picture,” it helps link assessment data to a child’s daily functioning. It serves as a quick reminder before a session on how to set the stage, what the goals are, and what the occupational performance challenges may be.
The choice of using a model depends on each therapist’s preferences and strengths. Personally, as someone with a strong visual system, I process information better through images rather than words, so I find this model extremely useful.
With a quick scan of the model, highlighted with my assessment data and feedback notes, I can pair a child’s stronger and weaker sensory systems to tailor the session to their specific needs, aiming for an adaptive response.
Using the model for record-keeping and feedback
Call me old-fashioned if you like, but I still use paper-based record- keeping. During my sessions, I keep my treatment notes with the model attached at the back, to guide my reasoning.
- At the start of a session, I can use the model to do a quick check-in with parents or caregivers about the child’s areas of occupational performance.
- During the session, the visual “picture” helps me make moment-to-moment decisions about providing just-right challenges and ensuring success.
- After the session, I can use the model to give feedback on the focus of the session, the level of adaptive response achieved, and suggestions for carry-over activities to occupational performance areas.
My therapy progress notes follow the same outline as the model: reactivity, perception, refined use, and linking/checking in on occupational performance. This structure guides my reasoning before, during, and after each session, especially when I need to make substantial changes to my approach in response to occupational performance challenges.
I also find the model helpful when I revisit a child’s therapy journey. It allows me to highlight their progress by reviewing the various levels of functioning and linking those to where the child lives and plays.
In short, this is a lovely visual tool which not only guides my clinical reasoning, but also keeps the whole therapy team informed and aligned.
Stay tuned for the final blog in this series by Ninette Visser, where we’ll explore how to use the SAISI model for report-writing.