Neurodiversity Affirming Exploration of Sensory Experiences
This session explores how occupational therapists can support neurodivergent clients to understand and navigate their sensory experiences using neurodiversity-affirming approaches. You’ll learn when and how to use different sensory assessment tools, how to adapt them, and how to translate findings into meaningful strategies that enhance participation. Ideal for OTs wanting practical, respectful, and client-centred ways to work with sensory needs.
Program Overview
Supporting clients to explore and understand their sensory needs and experiences are key in building self-understanding and self-compassion and facilitates creating supportive strategies for navigating the world.
We all experience the world through our senses, but for many neurodivergent people their sensory experiences are more extreme. Sensory differences are a core feature of some types of neurodivergence, or they can be present without another diagnosis. Being curious about sensory factors that may be impacting occupational participation is useful regardless of diagnosis or neurotype.
In supporting an individual’s sensory exploration, it is essential that we understand the strengths and limitations of the tools we can use and consider when adaptations may be needed to ensure the process is accessible to the person we are working with.
By understanding how to apply principles of neurodiversity affirming practice to the exploration of sensory experiences, occupational therapists will have new tools to support participation and engagement for neurodivergent clients.
This webinar will explore:
- A brief review of sensory processing patterns and systems, as well as useful metaphors such as sensory jars and buckets
- Application of neurodiversity affirming practice principles to sensory assessment
- Flags that might indicate the need for sensory assessment
- What to consider before starting an assessment
- Examples of screening tools and standardised assessments, with a discussion of adaptions and limitations
- Utilising sensory assessment information to support occupational engagement
- How we can support people’s sensory processing in our practice
- Cautions around exposure practices
The session will be mostly didactic content delivery, with some discussion and time for questions. Independent application of learning and ongoing personal reflection is encouraged.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand and apply concepts of neurodiversity affirming practice to the exploration of sensory preferences with clients.
- Understand when to use formal assessments and when to use other strategies and resources.
- Reflect on the strengths and limitations of current screening tools and assessments, considering potential adaptations.
- Utilise resources and strategies for translating sensory knowledge into practical tools for supporting occupational engagement.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
For occupational therapists at any stage of their career with an interest in neurodiversity affirming practice and sensory processing. Foundational knowledge of sensory processing systems and patterns will be assumed. Familiarity with terms related to neurodiversity (https://neuroqueer.com/neurodiversity-terms-and-definitions/) and neurodiversity affirming practice (https://www.livedexperienceeducator.com/blog/neurodiversityaffirmingpractice) is recommended.
WORKSHOP DETAILS
DATE:
Wednesday 25th March 2026
TIME:
12:30pm | NSW | ACT | VIC | TAS |
12:00pm | SA |
11:30am | QLD |
11:00am | NT |
9:30am | WA |
This session will run for approximately 90 minutes
Please login to Zoom 10 minutes before the scheduled presentation time
CPD HOURS:
Total CPD claimable workshop hours: 90 minutes
Please allow 48 hours for your CPD Certificate to be loaded in your CPD Tracker after course completion.
RECORDING ACCESS:
This session WILL BE RECORDED and registrants will have 12 weeks to access the recording via their OTA account.
REGISTRATION FEES & INCLUSIONS
EARLY BIRD FEES: Register on or before 11th February 2026
OTA Member: $54
Student New Graduate: $49
Non Member: $70
(All pricing is inclusive of GST)
STANDARD FEES: Book on or after 12th February 2026
OTA Member: $60
Student New Graduate: $54
Non Member: $78
(All pricing is inclusive of GST)
*Registrations close at 11:55pm AEDT on 23rd March 2026
Members must be logged in with username and password in order to register at the member rate.
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DISCLAIMER
All information is correct at the time of publication. OTA reserves the right to alter or delete items from the CPD calendar as required, and takes no responsibility for any errors, omissions and changes.
All workshop resources including copies of the presentation, along with all supporting documents and links are not for distribution and are the property of the presenter.
An OTA staff member or representative may be photographing this event for use in OTA publications and/ or on OTA social media sites. If you do not wish to be photographed, or have your image published please make this known to the OTA representative at your course or contact OTA on 1300 682 878 or at info@otaus.com.au
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Terms and Conditions including OTA’s refund and cancellation policy are available here
CONTACT US
Please email info@otaus.com.au or phone 1300 682 878
Presented By
Rebecca Rae Hodgson
Rebecca is a neurodivergent Occupational Therapist with lived experience of chronic illness. Known on social media as The Chronically Resilient OT, she has a small private practice offering supervision and consultation, as well as creating worksheets, writing blogs, and developing training. Current special interest areas are neurodiversity affirming practice, values exploration and sensory processing. She lives in New Zealand and loves board games, books, dogs and gentle nature walks. Rebecca has guest lectured for occupational therapy programs for the University of South Queensland and the University of Canberra on wellbeing and neurodivergence, and has run online and in person trainings on sensory processing. She is excited to be bringing you this new training on neurodiversity affirming exploration of sensory experiences for the first time.