Summary: This presentation will a) focus on the prevalence of Sensory Over-Responsivity symptoms in early childhood, b) highlight that the presence of elevated Sensory Over-Responsivity symptoms occurs more frequently in some sociodemographic groups than in others, c) present evidence about the stability of early emerging symptoms, d) demonstrate that Sensory Over-Responsivity occurs both in the context of other psychopathology but also independent of other psychopathology, and e) provide evidence that when children are bothered by sensory experiences their parents report greater difficulty participating in or completing routine tasks of daily life with their child, which we are calling family impairment.
Level: Intermediate
Intended Audience: Occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, physical therapists, special education teachers, psychologists, early intervention specialists, nurses, physicians, mental health providers and parents
Prerequisite: None
Presenter: Alice S. Carter, PhD, is a Professor and Director of the Graduate Program in Clinical Psychology in the Psychology Department at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Trained as a clinical psychologist, Dr. Carter’s work focuses on young children’s development in the context of family relationships, with an emphasis on the early identification of psychopathology and factors that place children at risk for difficulties in social and emotional development. A former fellow of Zero to Three, Dr. Carter is an author or co-author of over 150 articles and chapters, the co-editor of the Handbook of Infant, Toddler, and Preschool Mental Health Assessment with Rebecca Del Carmen, Ph.D., and the co-author of the Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) and the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA) with Margaret Briggs-Gowan, Ph.D. Her primary research interests include: 1) early identification and evaluation of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers experiencing and/or at risk for later psychopathology (including children experiencing challenges related to atypical sensory responsivity); 2) addressing health disparities by improving early identification, evaluation, and treatment of all infants and toddlers with autism spectrum disorders; 3) evaluating interventions that reduce early onset psychopathology and parenting stress and enhance child competencies and parenting efficacy; and 4) understanding reciprocal relations between young children’s developmental trajectories and trajectories of family functioning.
With respect to teaching and training, she has taught both graduate and undergraduate students at Yale University and the University of Massachusetts Boston. She has also conducted trainings on assessment of infant mental health and early detection of autism spectrum disorders nationally and internationally
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will understand that while some children with elevated Sensory Over-Responsivity symptoms show no other psychiatric conditions, some do and it is important to assess emotional and behavior problems among children who are bothered by auditory and/or tactile experiences.
- Participants will recognize the importance of early identification based on the stability of early emerging Sensory Over-Responsivity.
- Participants will recognize that Sensory Over-Responsivity can impact not only the child’s development but also interfere with family members’ capacity to participate in, complete, and enjoy daily family routines such as taking a child to the grocery store or talking with family members on the phone.
Continuing Education: STAR Institute for SPD is an AOTA Approved Provider of Continuing Education. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.
Upon full completion of the course video, participants must complete and pass a quiz with at least 80% accuracy to receive a certificate of completion.