Occupational Therapy

My name is Kay Morrish, and I’m an independent occupational therapist and a sensory integration practitioner. I currently work in special, mainstream and independent schools throughout Hampshire.

A child’s life is made up of “occupations,” or daily activities. These occupations include playing, learning, and socialising. Paediatric occupational therapists have specialist knowledge and experience of how children develop and acquire skills. They aim to maximise a child’s functional ability at home, school, and play and leisure activities.

Children with sensory processing issues have difficulty handling the information their senses take in—things like sound, touch, taste, sight, and smell. In addition, two other less well-known senses can be affected—the first is a sense of body awareness, while the second involves movement, balance, and coordination. Also, children with sensory issues can be over-sensitive or under-sensitive to input, or both. These can affect their motor skills, visual perceptual skills, attention, learning and self-regulation skills.

Normangate School is keen to support their pupil’s sensory processing needs, and I go into school for 3.5 hours a week to give specialist sensory advice and intervention. This may include assessment, sensory ‘diets’ and regulation strategies, individual programmes, classroom intervention, direct therapy or advice and training for staff and parents,

I very much work as part of the team at Normangate, liaising and communicating with school staff and helping the pupil’s skills across the curriculum.

If you would like to find out more about sensory issues, please see What is Sensory Processing? I also have a Facebook page, Milestone Therapy, updated regularly with helpful information and articles.