Get to know me
Hi, I’m Ali. I knew I wanted to be an OT from my mid-teens as I loved the idea of helping people do the things they need and want to do in daily life. I qualified in 1994 and initially worked in a variety of areas gaining general experience in acute hospitals, mental health hospitals and in adapting houses for those with physical disabilities.
Then in 2003 I started working in the local NHS community paediatrics team and found my speciality for life. I loved working with children and young adults, their families and their schools trying to work out how we could help every person with a range of SEN reach their potential and achieve the things that were important to them, as well as to their families and schools. It soon became apparent to me that as children spend the majority of their waking hours in school, getting things right in school was vital.
Around this time I was introduced to sensory integration theory and quickly realised that difficulties processing and responding to sensations had a huge impact on learners’ participation in school. I embarked on my sensory integration training, a journey that took several years and truly changed the way that I worked. I immediately saw the impact that first understanding a pupil’s sensory needs and then providing the right solution had on a pupil’s learning and general ability to function in school. I witnessed first-hand the huge difference I could make by empowering education staff to make some simple changes.
Unfortunately, like many NHS trusts our service was not commissioned to provide a sensory service and this frustrated me. I could see the problems, knew the solutions but was powerless to help. So, in 2010 I took a big breath and set up my own independent practice, Midlands Occupational Therapy. I can honestly say I have never looked back and have never regretted this decision for a second. Midlands OT grew and is now a thriving small team of 5 OTs providing face-to-face services to parents and schools across the Midlands.
Over the years my love of sensory integration grew and I became a lecturer on the MSc in Sensory Integration through Ulster University and the Sensory Integration Network (now Sensory Integration Education), training other therapists in sensory integration. My second love was then established, I loved teaching others and seeing just how many more children could be helped that way. I went on to develop my own introductory course which has run through the National Centre of Rehabilitation Education for the last 5 years. I’ve trained hundreds of therapists now.
I’ve stayed active in my own professional development to ensure my knowledge stays up to date. I’ve completed additional training in Sensory Attachment Interventions, on Interoception and have refreshed my Sensory Integration training via CLASI, a worldwide training provider.
I acted as deputy lead for England as part of a worldwide research project run by CLASI to develop a new assessment test for sensory and integration functions that underpin learning, behaviour and participation 9(the EASI). I’ve been delighted to be asked to speak at national events including the Autism Show in 2022, 2023 and 2024 and the OT Show in 2022 and 2023, and I’ve delivered bespoke training to an ever increasing number of schools.
Demand for support in schools is ever-increasing as the number of SEN pupils rises and I’ve seen the complexity of pupils needs increase in both mainstream and special schools. I’m as frustrated as all the educators and parents out there about the lack of support available, especially regarding sensory processing.
So, I got to thinking about how I could help. I developed some online webinars and then training programs and some activity interventions to use and have received astounding positive feedback on these. With my passion for empowering others to help meet the sensory needs of pupils in schools I decided to create my own training academy and so, Schools Sensory Solutions was born.
If you’d like to find out more about my bespoke online training please click below to explore my membership and the other products and services I have available. I’m always looking to develop new things so please do email me if you have any questions or want to discuss a particular need.
About Us
School Sensory Solutions is an online training, resource and solutions service that will empower your school to support pupils who have SEND or are neurodivergent.
