EmphaSIze December 2025: Socialising and Sensory Differences
By Sensory Integration Education, 5th December 2025
Welcome to the December issue of EmphaSIze where this month we're focusing on Socialising and Sensory Differences!
With December upon us and Christmas fast approaching, this means social gatherings and family get-togethers. For people with sensory processing differences, these gatherings can be difficult to manage with extra noise, Christmas lights, unfamiliar foods, lots of social interaction and changes to daily routines.
In this month’s newsletter, we've put together useful information, articles and resources - including our Christmas Sensory Survival Kit <include link> - for you to share with your clients to help it make it a sensory-friendly Christmas for everyone.
Also don’t miss out on our early Christmas Gift to you! From now until 31st December, we’re offering our online Sensory Inclusion Facilitator course at the discounted fee of £350! See article below for further details.
Wishing you and your loved ones a happy, sensory-friendly Christmas!
News & Features
Don’t Miss Out on This Month’s Festive Offer – Become a Sensory Inclusion Facilitator
This December, we’re spreading a little festive cheer — and giving you the perfect opportunity to boost your skills, enhance your practice and make a real difference to the people you support!
Throughout December, you can enrol on our online Sensory Inclusion Facilitator course for the special festive discounted price of £350 (usual fee £395). All you need to do to secure this reduced price is simply enter the discount code XMASGIFT2025 at checkout!
Unlocking Potential—In Children and Myself: Reflections on My PGCert in Sensory Integration Journey
Written by Eva Nakopoulou, 2024/2025 Winner of the Elizabeth Fairgrieve Award for the Postgraduate Certificate in Sensory Integration: Outstanding Student of the Year, this reflective article explores how studying for the PGCert in Sensory Integration has transformed Eva’s clinical practice – enabling her to integrate sensory strategies into real-world contexts and collaborate meaningfully with multidisciplinary teams.
Her journey illustrates how the PGCert not only advanced her professional competence but also empowered her to advocate confidently for children with complex sensory needs.
If you’re interested in joining our next cohort, applications for Module A close on 9th January 2026. Find out more about how to apply here.
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Our 2025 Sensory Gift Guide
Finding the perfect gift can sometimes leave even Santa’s helpers scratching their heads, so the Sensory Integration Education elves have done the hard work for you compiling this year’s Sensory Gift Guide!
Packed full of sensory gift ideas offering differing sensory inputs for all ages – from babies, toddlers and children right through to teenagers, adults and older adults – it’s the ideal place to start if you or any of your clients are in need of some shopping inspiration!
Check out the full guide here.
Thoughts from a Therapist: Protecting Your Social Spoons During the Festive Season
In her latest Thoughts from a Therapist blog, Anna Willis discusses how social connection is anything but simple—and how a recent conversation with a teen client reminded her how uniquely we each experience it. From the deeply personal meaning of eye contact to the way sensory cues shape our understanding of others, there are infinite ways to interpret the very same moment.
As we move into the festive season—a time filled with extra social demands and sensory load—it becomes even more important to notice what drains our energy, what restores it and how we can use our ‘spoons’ wisely.
Self-care for Parents of Children with Sensory Differences in the Holiday Season
For parents caring for a child with sensory processing differences (or connected neurodivergence), the holiday season often intensifies challenges: bright lights, loud music, extra visitors, surprises and disrupted routines. These changes don’t just affect children; they also impact their parents.
In her latest blog, SIE’s Dr Lelanie Brewer highlights some practical ideas and self-care strategies for the sensory-aware parent.
Also see:
Nene Valley Railway near Peterborough offers sensory ‘quiet day’ for visitors this Christmas
Autism-friendly Christmas events around Newcastle and the North East
West Berkshire autism charity’s new film highlights the struggles faced by families
8 SEN-friendly Christmas events
Upcoming Courses and Webinars
We have a number of live webinars that take place throughout the year covering a broad range of SI-related topics. Below is a snapshot of webinars happening in the first few months of 2026 or click here to view a summary of all the upcoming live events.
All these webinars are available to you by signing up to our Lifelong Learning Programme or can be purchased as individual courses:
Ø (Sensory Spotlight Talk) Psycho-Sensory Intervention – 8 January 2026
Ø Why Does Proprioception Work? - 15 January 2026
Ø Embodied Reasoning for Paediatric Occupational Therapists – 6 February 2026
Ø Sensory Integration and Burnout in ADHD – 18 February 2026
Ø (Sensory Spotlight Talk) Postural Control and Reflexes in Sensory Integration – 3 March 2026
Ø Viewing Eating and Drinking Through a Sensory Lens – 23 March 2026
Boost Your CPD This Festive Season
From 15th December – 14th January we will be running our LLP Winter Webinar Replay Offer!
Lifelong Learning members will have the opportunity to watch replays of 8 of this year's most popular LLP webinars. Click here to find out which of this year’s webinars you’ll able to watch (or re-watch) this month!
SI Research Digest
Below are links to the most popular sensory integration and sensory processing research papers and findings published on our social channels last month:
Impact of Fidget Devices on Anxiety and Physiological Responses in Adults with ADHD
This recent study investigated the use of fidget tools in adults with ADHD as a tool to manage anxiety. Whilst adults with ADHD in the study who indicated higher self-rated anxiety exhibited more fidgeting, it was found that there was no difference in using a fidget ball compared to intrinsical fidgeting to reduce anxiety for study participants.
Sensory Sensitivity and Food Disgust in ARFID Presentations across Ages
This new study investigated Sensory Processing differences in individuals with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) across the lifespan. The researchers found that food disgust played a distinctive role in the relationship between sensory sensitivity and ARFID symptoms and recommend that this link is further investigated.
This new study investigated sleep and sensory processing in autistic children age 3-5 years. The study found that a higher level of reported sensory processing difficulties were associated with more severe caregiver-reported sleep problems and higher levels of emotional dysregulation.
This new study investigated eating behaviours in autistic and neurotypical children aged 3-6 years. The study, which consisting of 36 participants, found that autistic children presented with higher levels of 'picky eating', drank less water and were more likely to skip breakfast compared to their neurotypical peers.
Resources
Take a look at our books and product recommendations for this month:
When My Senses Feel Safe: Written with empathy and insight, this book is a gentle story for sensory-sensitive and autistic children. It’s a heartfelt picture book that gives voice to children who experience the world through a different lens. Through beautifully illustrated scenes of nature, creativity, learning, and connection, young readers will discover the joy of feeling understood—and the empowerment of expressing their needs.
Cloud Boy: Written by Gregg Stobbs, this is a beautifully written story that gently explores what it’s like to experience the world differently. Told through the eyes of a neurodivergent child, it offers insight into sensory experiences, emotions and the importance of acceptance and understanding.
This book is a wonderful way to open conversations about neurodiversity, both with children and adults. It reminds us that everyone’s mind works in its own unique and beautiful way.
A Very Sensory Christmas: Written by Australian neurodivergent author Bec Walraven, this book centres on the main character Milly who always loves Christmas but this year is different. The food is strange, the noise is loud, and everything around her feels way too overwhelming.
This Christmas story gently explores how celebrations can be exciting and nerve-racking at the same time, especially for kids who experience the world a little differently- and reminds us that it’s perfectly okay to take a break.
Light Up Sensory Tambourine: This Light Up Tambourine is a fun tactile multi-sensory toy which provides lots of input for the senses with touch, lights and music. The bright lights and sound make for a great sensory resource in a darkened environment or sensory room for children and adults with sensory needs.
Rainbow Fidget Puzzle Ball: This fidget toy comes with 12 holes of different neon colours that match the 11 moveable-coloured balls. Shuffle the smalls balls by pushing one ball to empty the hole, and then another and the goal is to move the balls around until all the balls and holes match by colour. This toy is good for fine motor development and hand and eye coordination skill development.
Calma Llama Squidgy Stress Toys: Stress balls for adults don't have to be boring. This squishy llama toy is perfectly sized so adults can fidget and squeeze on the go to help with stress and anxiety relief.
Discounts & Special Offers
Throughout December, you can enrol on our online Sensory Inclusion Facilitator course for the special Christmas discounted price of £350 (usual fee £395). All you need to do to secure this reduced price is enter the discount code XMASGIFT2025at checkout!
From 15th December to 14th January, all SIE Lifelong Learning Programme members can enjoy unlimited access to our Winter Webinar Replay Offer—a curated collection of 8 of our most popular and impactful webinars from this year. Simply log in to your dashboard and search ‘Winter CPD Booster’!
Please quote DISCOUNT CODE SIE20 for 10% discount on Southpaw orders up to £100. Orders must be placed by phone on +44 (0) 115 718 0020.
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Best wishes,
Sensory Integration Education
NB: Sensory Integration Education is not responsible for the content on external websites. Sharing a resource does not imply endorsement by Sensory Integration Education.
