CHCS - Perspectives - Summer/Fall 2014

PERSPECTIVES • SUMMER–FALL 2014 34 The impact of sensory processing problems on individuals with disabili- ties and their families continues to gain recognition worldwide. New di- agnostic criteria for disorders such as autism now include sensory pro- cessing difficulties—a problem identi- fied, researched, and addressed by occupational therapists since the early 1960s. In the O.T.D. Tampa Program, sev- eral threads intersect in the curriculum to prepare students in the theory, as- sessment, intervention, and scientific inquiry of these concerns. Sensory processing difficulties are known to im- pact individuals’ development, learn- ing, behavior, well-being, and participation in daily activities. These problems are oftentimes at the core of children’s daily challenges and family stress, as many everyday tasks don’t seem to work or are performed with significant difficulty and frustration. To best prepare students, the O.T.D. Tampa Program takes a worldwide perspective rooted in faculty knowl- edge and experience related to teach- ing as well as seeking knowledge throughout the globe. Our program continues to shape the future genera- tion of occupational therapists work- ing with sensory integration. In January and April 2014, I visited Spain and Peru to teach clinicians the impact of sensory processing on chil- dren and how to implement evi- denced-based intervention strategies. 1. A group of occupational therapists attending a sensory integration intervention course in Madrid, spain. 2. Utilizing specialized sensory integration equipment during an intervention session in Lima, Peru. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY Tampa 1 2 SENSORY INTEGRATION at O.T.D. Tampa By gustavo Reinoso, Ph.D., OTR/L, Assistant Professor and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator