Sensory Integration Education

I invite you all to our first edition of 2021, SensorNet 57, and I hope you take some time to enjoy and catch up on all this edition has to offer. Putting a new edition of SensorNet together is like weaving a patchwork quilt, intertwining various pieces, voices and features to create a beautiful design at the end. The process of speaking with experts in the field, researchers, educators, students and allied health professionals who are all working towards a shared vision is a wonderful one. Connecting and bringing people together on the topic of sensory integration, is a privilege. 

A lot has happened since our previous edition of SensorNet in August 2020 and as we continue to battle through the COVID-19 global pandemic and all the restrictions that come with it, I hope that this edition will bring you some interesting reading on all that has continued to evolve and develop within the field of sensory integration. My reflections during the course of this past year, is that as humans, we are incredibly adaptable. While it feels like this new normal is all we talk about now, we have by virtue still managed to adapt, change and become accustomed to this new and different way of life. It may not feel like it, but in a way, much of life has carried on, in an adapted manner. Similarly, SI practice has had to dramatically change and adapt over this past year in particular. In our August edition, we featured nine stories on change and adaptability during COVID-19. Be sure to take a look back at these stories if you haven’t had the chance. Since the development of SI therapy and practice by Dr. Jean Ayres in 1979, SI as a frame of reference and as an intervention approach has continued to adapt and change with the times, while still maintaining its core ethos and foundations. 

As an organisation we have been connecting with all our members continuously, through our student forums for those on the SI modular pathway, online workshops and courses and our Masterclass Series, where we have had international experts in the field come and share their knowledge in an accessible and engaging way. Our SIE community is very important to us and while this past year has had many challenges, we have still maintained our strong communication links and bonds to all our members. 

We hosted a free SIE Virtual Autumn Conference in November 2020, which was open to all and what an event it was to behold. 2020 was an extraordinary year so we wanted to give back and provide an event which promised exciting research, insights and experiences from the field of SI. While we missed the opportunity to gather in person for our usual annual conference, we adapted our event to suit the times and provided a rich and full schedule steeped in expertise, with the latest SI evidence and a valuable continued professional development opportunity for you. 

In this month’s edition, we bring you a wealth of information from a collection of experts in the field. Sharing the evidence base and extending this expertise out to all our readers is our main aim. The community of SI practitioners is a solid one and we are driven and motivated to keep this community engaged, connected and involved with one another as we all strive to implement best practice. Our big interview features Dr. Georgia DeGangi, a retired clinical psychologist and occupational therapist. She is internationally recognized as a leading expert and has over 40 years’ experience working with children, adults and their families. She is the renowned author of the books “Pediatric Disorders of Regulation in Affect and Behavior: A therapist’s guide to assessment and treatment” (1st and 2nd editions), “Effective Parenting Strategies for the Hard-to-Manage Child” co-authored with Anne Kendall, and “The Dysregulated Adult: Integrated Treatment Approaches”, which I know many of you, our readers, will be familiar with. 

SIE and Megan Faure have collaborated to bring you the Infant Sense Integration Training courses online. Megan Faure (B.Sc OT, OTR) is an Occupational Therapist who has worked in paediatrics in the USA and South Africa. Megan lectures internationally to both professionals and parents on baby care issues, including how to soothe infants, manage sleep habits and feeding problems. We have an exclusive feature article from Megan which focuses on the “womb to world” – a fascinating insight into fetal development. 

We have a special feature on how the role of mentoring relationships across sensory integration Practitioner Training Pathway, so be sure to have a read on through our SIE modular pathway we enhance the student experience and extend the learner’s ability. 

Dr. Aimee Piller is returning to this month’s edition to provide us with an update on her new role as chair of the AOTA Sensory Integration & Processing Special Interest Section (SIPSIS), which offers leadership, resources, and information, ensuring that AOTA members are current in the research and development of sensory integration theory, assessment, and intervention as applied in occupational therapy practice. We hear more about her plans as she embarks on this new role. 

Fresh off the back of American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Inspire Virtual conference in April, Amy Hartman, MS, OTR/L, American paediatric occupational therapist, who is studying sleep health in children with sensory over-responsivity, shares her expertise on her PhD research. 

There is a summary from my attendance at the RCOT CYPF Specialist Section ASD Forum in February which involved reviewing the evidence around interoception. The area of interoception is getting continued attention within the field of sensory integration. Kelly Mahler is one of the key figures in this topic in Occupational Therapy and she is continuing her research in this area. We interviewed Kelly Mahler in our February 2018 edition and we look forward to hearing more about her work over the coming months. 

Sue Delport has linked in with us to provide an update on the progress of the senITA research study. 

And so, we have another edition full of expertise, highlights, research updates and a shared collective vision of furthering the field of Sensory Integration. Be sure to share your favourite feature and tag us on Twitter (@SINetwork) - we look forward to hearing your highlights from the edition and what you might like to hear more about in the future. 

Until next time, 

Gina Daly 

Editor