Sensory Integration Education's Team

30+ years • 100,000+ learners • 5-star Trustpilot • 1,700+ reviews

Our Team

Sensory Integration Education is led by an outstanding team of professionals who bring passion and deep expertise to improving support for people with sensory integration and sensory processing differences.

As a not-for-profit organisation, we reinvest any surplus into course development and the support of early-career researchers. Our Board of Directors provides strategic oversight, supported by our dedicated Support Team.

We work in close partnership with Sheffield Hallam University on course development and delivery, and with a valued and growing network of Contributors who help shape and deliver our training — creating content, leading lectures and workshops, and mentoring students on their journey to becoming SI Practitioners and Advanced Practitioners.

Rosalind Rogers - Chair

Rosalind brings decades of experience in education quality and health regulation to her role as SIE's Chair. She has worked with the UK Quality Assurance Agency, led the development of national standards for speech and language therapy, and helped shape the HCPC's Standards for Education and Training — giving SIE the strategic oversight and standards focus that underpins everything we do.

Stephanie Ruppel - Director of Postgraduate Education

Stephanie is a Specialist Occupational Therapist and Advanced SI Practitioner who leads SIE's postgraduate programme — from Module A through to MSc — working closely with Sheffield Hallam University to maintain the highest academic and clinical standards. Having completed her own MSc with SIE, she brings first-hand understanding of the student journey to everything she does.

Beth Smithson - Director of Lifelong Learning

Beth qualified as an Advanced SI Practitioner with SIE in 2016 and has since applied sensory integration across the NHS, schools, community trusts, and international settings. As Director of Lifelong Learning, she leads SIE's CPD offer and the Sensory Inclusion Facilitator Certificate — committed to empowering clinicians, parents, and schools to advocate confidently for sensory integration practice.

Dr Sylvia Taylor-Goh - Director of Research

Sylvia brings academic and clinical expertise to her role as Director of Research. A speech and language therapist and Advanced SI Practitioner with a PhD in Clinical Reasoning and Decision Making from King's College London, she is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Chair of the SI SLT Clinical Excellence Network, she presents at national and international conferences and has forthcoming publications in brain injury, interoception, and vestibular-related communication conditions.

Suzanne Leyland - Director of Business Operations

Suzanne joined SIE in 2010, bringing a background in NHS IT programme management that led the organisation's shift from classroom-based to online education. Since then, membership has grown from 400 to over 45,000. As Director of Business Operations, she oversees the operations team, IT, websites and financial management — and takes a close personal interest in ensuring every student's experience with SIE is a positive one.

Dr Lelanie Brewer - Professional Advisor for Lifelong Learning

Lelanie is an Advanced SI Practitioner and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy with a PhD from Newcastle University and a background in clinical practice and higher education. She served as Senior Lecturer and MSc Programme Lead in OT at Northumbria University before joining SIE in 2018, where she brings academic depth and clinical breadth to the Lifelong Learning programme.

Penny Stewart - Lead for Academic Programmes

Penny plays a key role in the day‑to‑day delivery of SIE's university‑validated courses. She contributes to curriculum development, oversees assessment processes and student progression, and helped translate SIE's programmes into a high‑quality online learning experience. An occupational therapist with a background in adult mental health and over 20 years' experience in higher education, Penny brings strengths in online learning, programme management, and student support.

Moira Veira - Lead Academic e-Mentor

Moira is a highly experienced Occupational Therapist with over 35 years of clinical practice spanning mental health, paediatrics, and intellectual disability. She holds an MSc in Sensory Integration and is deeply committed to fostering student development within modular learning pathways. Drawing on her extensive background in mentoring and clinical supervision, Moira works collaboratively with the wider academic team to ensure students receive the high-quality support they need to thrive.

Helen Leyland - Content Marketing Manager

Helen has spent 25 years helping organisations say complex things clearly. As Content Marketing Manager, she brings expertise in copywriting, editorial content, and learning resource development — with a background spanning innovative start-ups and global organisations. Her work at SIE draws on all of this: creating content that informs, engages, and supports the people SIE serves.

Tracey Brindle - Business Operations Manager

Tracey brings extensive customer service experience — including a career in the airline industry — to her role as Business Operations Manager. Calm under pressure, diplomatically skilled, and meticulously organised, she keeps SIE's day-to-day operations running smoothly across the Helpdesk, HR, payroll, administration, and the coordination of the Lifelong Learning Programme.