EmphaSIze January 2025: Getting Back into Everyday Routines
By Sensory Integration Education, 9th January 2025
Welcome to the January issue of EmphaSIze where this month we're focusing on
Getting Back into Everyday Routines!
With the festive season behind us and a new year already underway, settling back into our daily routines can sometimes be a struggle.
While the new year can be an exciting time, for individuals with sensory integration or processing differences, it can also be anxiety-provoking as it brings its own challenges with seasonal changes in the weather, planning new activities for the year ahead and changes to routines.
In this month's newsletter, we've put together useful information, news articles, books and product ideas to help support individuals with sensory differences who are struggling to get back into their everyday routines.
We also bring you exciting news of an Early Bird Offer we’re running for the next intake of students interested in signing up to one of SIE’s Postgraduate Courses. So for this month only, we’re freezing fees for all our SIE Postgraduate Courses at 2024 prices! Read the article below to find out more.
Wishing you a happy, healthy and fulfilling 2025!
News & Features
Train as a Sensory Integration Practitioner at 2024 Prices – January Offer Only!
Are you ready to take the next step in your career and make a real difference in the lives of those with sensory processing differences? Here’s your chance to qualify as a Sensory Integration Practitioner or Advanced Sensory Integration Practitioner while saving on your training fees.
Throughout January SIE is offering an Early Bird Booking Offer that could save you up to £400 on our highly regarded postgraduate qualifications in Sensory Integration. But hurry – this exclusive offer ends at midnight on 31 January 2025!
Our postgraduate courses combine online learning with live online support sessions, enabling you to study at your convenience and around your schedule. You will be fully supported at every stage by a personal eMentor and have plenty of opportunities to interact with your cohort for peer support.
All our postgraduate courses are accredited by Sheffield Hallam University, one of the UK’s largest education providers for allied health professions. This means when you book onto SIE’s PG Pathway, you also gain the benefits of being a Sheffield Hallam University student with all the support and services that entails including access to extensive university library services and e-copies of core textbooks
Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in your future and make a lasting impact. Start your journey to becoming an SI Practitioner or Advanced SI Practitioner today. Simply visit our Early Bird Booking page to secure your place!
Our New Year Gift to You!
2025 is here and we want to get your year off to a flying start with our New Year Gift of 30% off the annual subscription fee of the SIE Lifelong Learning Programme!
If you’re not already familiar with our Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP), it’s an annual membership where you’ll have access to all the live webinars we run throughout the year as well as our Sensory Spotlight Talks and on-demand short courses. You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in our live peer support sessions and our SI Network Community Forum.
This offer runs until midnight on 31st January 2025 and all you need to do is enter the discount code XMASGIFT24 at the point of purchase to receive 30% off the annual subscription fee – that’s £136.50 for the year or less than the cost of purchasing 2 of our standalone webinars throughout the year!
Thoughts from a Therapist: Clearing the Clutter - Managing Visual Load with Organised Spaces
Back to normality! This month’s Thoughts from a Therapist blog is all about reducing visual load. Hands up any of you who secretly look forward to being able to pack away all the Christmas decorations to allow space and less visual load back into your home again?
In this month’s blog, Anna looks at how reducing visual load and organising spaces can help individuals who struggle with a lot of visual input. She also discusses how the ability to organise environments doesn’t come naturally to everyone and how praxis issues can play their part.
This is a great read if you’re working with any clients who struggle with a lot of visual input.
Reignite Your Passion for Practice: 3 Tips to Start the New Year Right
The start of the year is the perfect time to reflect on your practice, celebrate your achievements and set fresh goals for the year ahead.
If you’re in need of some inspiration, our latest blog 'Reignite Your Passion for Practice: 3 Tips to Start the New Year Right' shares 3 simple tips to reignite your passion for therapy and start the year with purpose.
From celebrating client successes to engaging with your peers or expanding your expertise, discover how to energise your professional journey by reading the full blog here.
Also see:
Hospital’s sensory garden helps dementia patients
Creating a sensory hallway: tips for schools and homes
What happens inside your brain when it's too cold?
Emirates to launch sensory guides for passengers. How they will help
San Francisco International Airport opens first sensory room
Resources
Take a look at our books and products recommendations for this month:
When My Brain Is Messy: Written in simple, engaging rhyme, this book helps children recognise and express their sensory needs; feel seen and validated in their emotions; and discover techniques for finding balance and regulation.
The Super Sensory Squad Save Buzz's Birthday: Through fun rhymes, colourful illustrations, and lovable penguin characters, this book teaches children about the importance of understanding and respecting each other's sensory needs.
60-Minute Visual Timer for Children: This visual timer is useful for young children with neurodivergent needs as it helps them understand time and to keep on track with daily tasks.
Calm Down Corner Kit: This calm down kit includes posters, sensory tools, and calming toys to provide sensory stimulation, physical release, and mental relaxation, helping children to manage stress and anxiety effectively.
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:
Out of Touch? How Trauma Shapes the Experience of Social Touch – Neural and Endocrine Pathways
This recent study investigated the impact of trauma on tactile sensory processing and an individual's perceptions of social touch. The researchers found evidence that trauma may affect sensory touch thresholds and individuals who were exposed to trauma were more likely to prefer larger interpersonal distances.
Perinatal Factors Associated with Sensory Processing Difficulties in Infancy
This new cohort study investigated sensory processing in infants and the perinatal risk factors contributing to sensory differences in this population. From a cohort of 9861 babies, over 21% presented with definite sensory difficulties and the researchers found that for this group of infants, there was a higher rate of adverse conditions during pregnancy including smoking.
Spatial Adaptation in Children with Autism - a Study Based on Behavioural Dynamic Video Data
This new study investigated spatial adaptation and movements in autistic children. The researchers found that autistic study participants demonstrated distinct patterns of spatial orientation and showed a preference for specific locations in a room, such as corners or walls. It is speculated that these positions helped to manage anxiety and sensory emotions which has implications for classroom layouts or other spaces designed for children.
Follow us on our social channels to keep up-to-date with the latest SI and sensory processing research and findings.
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 over the next few months 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:
- Sensory Processing and Dementia: Assessment and Intervention Through Case Studies - 10 January 2025
- Sensory Spotlight Talk with Dr Varleisha Lyons: Womb to the Tomb: Understanding Brain Development and Sensory Processing Across the Lifespan – 23 January 2025
- Sensory Processing and My Experience of an Eating Disorder - 17 February 2025
- Neurodiversity and Sensory Needs in HMP Pentonville - 26 February 2025
- Gestalt Language Processing and Sensory Integration - 21 March 2025
Latest Job Listings
Are you thinking of making a career move this year? Check out our latest job listing:
Occupational Therapist, N.C. Therapy Services, London, UK
Sensory Integration Practitioner, Creative Occupational Therapy Solutions, Midlands, UK
Discounts & Special Offers
January Early Bird Offer! Enrol now on one of our SIE Postgraduate courses and save up to £400 on course fees. Offer closes at midnight on 31 January 2025. Visit our Early Bird Booking page to secure your place.
Please quote DISCOUNT CODE XMASGIFT24 for 30% discount on annual SIE Lifelong Learning membership. Offer closes at midnight on 31 January 2025. Sign up here today.
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.
