Event Details
Date/Time/Location
Tuesdays, September 9,16, & 23, 2025
4:00 – 5:30PM
Zoom
Training Description
Session 1- My Sensory Life
Life is sensory! How the brain processes sensory information impacts engagement in all areas. Imagine life where faces look like animals, sounds cause pain, food textures change in different lighting, and movements are unpredictable. Experiences like these can be reality for some with sensory processing disorder (SPD). In this session, attendees learn about sensory processing challenges from an inside perspective. With the help of her husband, an autistic occupational therapist shares her inner experiences while educating about sensory processing, and how SPD can manifest within the 8 senses.
Session 2 – Sensational Coping: Discovering the problem
Supporting sensory needs of autistic students goes beyond providing fidgets, a quiet area, a movement break, deep breathing, or headphones. Offering supports once during the day is not enough. Sensory challenges must be considered throughout the day, every day, with everything for autistics with SPD to truly access life. Furthermore, autistic people have neurological differences affecting how they take in, process, and express information. This makes it essential to use an autism lens when analyzing whether a problem is sensory based and when providing supports. In this session, attendees learn the importance of using an autism lens to discover the why behind a challenge as well as learn ways to incorporate sensory supports into areas such as communication, executive functioning, social, and emotional regulation. Numerous coping tools and evidenced based strategies are explored.
Session 3 – Sensing Myself: Strategies for discovering sensory and regulation needs
Dysregulation is a term used to describe a state of inner chaos prohibiting successful engagement. Sensory, emotional, and physical are just three out of many categories of dysregulation an autistic person may experience. While a dysregulated brain is prohibitive, a regulated one allows a student to learn and participate. Discovering regulation needs is a journey, a journey that includes interoceptive awareness, or sensing your internal experiences. This skill is needed for developing overall regulation proficiency. During this session attendees learn about different types of dysregulation and how to help students develop interoceptive awareness using sensory based “experiments.” Ways to help students learn to identify, communicate, and regulate their inner feels to optimize their regulation levels will also be discussed.
Training Objectives
Session 1
- Explain the 3 categories of sensory processing disorder
- Define the 8 senses and describe at least 2 ways sensory processing challenges can manifest in each.
- Identify at least 3 signs that can point to an underlying sensory processing problem in students with autism.
Session 2
- Summarize the importance of using an autism lens when supporting sensory challenges in autism.
- Describe 3 ways to make sensory supports accessible for the autistic student.
- List 3 ways to incorporate sensory supports into the classroom for autistic students.
- Identify at least 1 sensory based adaptation that can be incorporated into classroom instruction for an autistic student with SPD.
Session 3
- Define interoception
- List at least 2 types of dysregulation and 2 of their contributing factors.
- Explain interoception’s role in discovering regulation needs.
- Create 3 “experiments” to help an autistic student build interoceptive awareness.
Target Audience
Educators and related professionals
About the Presenter
Kim Clairy, OTR/L
Autistic occupational therapist, speaker, consultant, author, and self-advocate
Kim Clairy OTR/L, is an autistic occupational therapist, speaker, consultant, author, and self-advocate who has provided over 200 trainings on autism world-wide. Kim broke through barriers as she defied a healthcare system that said, “your autism is severe; you need to live in a nursing home.” Her difficult experiences forged a passion for educating others on autism. Through hands-on learning Kim uses personal experiences and professional expertise to educate on many facets of autism across the lifespan Accompanying Kim is her husband, William who helps with aspects of presenting that are challenging for Kim. Their presentation style is unique; they are “an open book” and through their interactions demonstrate positive ways to assist autistic individuals. When not speaking, Kim can be found climbing trees!
Accommodations
We strive to host accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. To request accommodations or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact Dr. Danielle Liso at 352-265-2241 or card-training@ufl.edu.
Contact
Danielle Liso
card-training@ufl.edu
352-265-2241