SPD Foundation - Education and Events

Mentorship Program Description

Intensive Mentorships

The SPD Foundation provides clinicians with a unique opportunity to receive training in assessment and intervention for Sensory Processing Disorder during intensive, one-week programs at SPD Foundation and its sponsor clinic, the STAR (Sensory Therapies And Research) Center, in Denver.

Intensive Mentorships include a combination of didactic lecture sessions by researchers at the Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation (formerly KID Foundation) and mentored clinical experiences at STAR Center.

Certified by AOTA, this program consists of five course levels. Participants begin with the one-week, Level 1 course and may return later for Levels 2, 3, 4, and 5. Participants demonstrating mastery of the program content at each course level receive SPD Foundation competency credentials in SPD. Levels may be completed sequentially or over several years.

SPDF's exceptional Mentorship program provides an opportunity for clinicians to apply clinical reasoning through treatment co-planning and co-treatment with experienced therapists. On site at STAR Center, participants:

Pair with experienced STAR therapists to observe children in direct therapy using combined occupational therapy (OT) and listening therapy (LT).
Experience active mentoring before, during, and after treatment sessions.
Receive group processing/supervision guided by sensory pioneer Dr. Lucy Jane Miller and Dr. Sarah Schoen, director of clinical services for STAR.
Undergo training in and exposure to the newest assessment tools.
Practice and gain proficiency in administration, scoring, and interpretation of these scales.
Earn competency credentials.
Level 1: $1500 / five days
Level 3: $1200 / four days

Mentorship Program Objectives

The objective of Level 1 of SPD Foundation's Intensive Mentorship program is to provide participants with a basic understanding of the latest research in SPD and the ability to:

Differentiate subtypes of SPD
Choose appropriate tools to evaluate children with SPD
Administer, score, interpret and write-up standardized scales reliably
Interpret findings from evaluations for treatment planning
Engage clients and families in the treatment process
Document family needs and desires
Develop realistic and functional goals using Goal Attainment Scaling
Utilize clinical reasoning tools for intervention and home adaptation developed by Dr. Lucy Jane Miller
Show proficiency in writing synthesized assessment results, treatment notes using clinical reasoning approach, and physician communication.

Course Level Offerings

The Intensive Mentorship in Diagnosis and Treatment of Sensory Processing Disorder program consists of five course levels. Level 1 is a prerequisite for Levels 2 and 4. Levels 3 and 5 may be taken with no previous mentoring. To learn more about each course level, click the course title below.

Level 1 - Clinical Reasoning in Intervention (five days)
Level 2 - Differential Diagnosis Using Standardized Scales and Observational Data (five days)
Level 3 - Psychophysiology Training in the Sensory Challenge Protocol (four days)
Level 4 - Family-Centered Care in Pediatric Therapy
Level 5 - Design and Implementation of Applied Research

Primary Faculty

Lucy Jane Miller, PhD, OTR, Executive Director, SPD Foundation
Dr. Miller brings a wealth of research and treatment experience to share with participants, having authored more than 75 articles and two books about SPD and sensory issues. Her nine norm-referenced scales include: Miller Assessment for Preschoolers, Japanese Miller Assessment for Preschoolers, First STEP, Primer Paso, Toddler and Infant Motor Evaluation, Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised, Stoelting-Brief Intelligence Scale, Short Sensory Profile, and Miller Function and Participation scale. Two new scales under development include: Goal-Oriented Assessment of Life-Skills and the Sensory Over and Under-Responsivity Scales. She has received the Award of Merit, the highest award given by the American Occupational Therapy Foundation, and the Martin Luther King Jr., Humanitarian Award by the State of Colorado.

Sarah A. Schoen, PhD, OTR, Clinical Director at STAR Center and Director of Applied Research at SPD Foundation
Dr. Schoen is an occupational therapist with 25 years of clinical experience and a doctorate in occupational therapy from New York University (2001). She completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship awarded by the Developmental Psychobiology Research Group at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Department of Psychiatry, working with Dr. Lucy Jane Miller. During her fellowship she was awarded the Developmental Psychology Endowment Grant from the William T Grant foundation to study the Sensory Processing Scales which she is co-developing and researching with Dr. Miller. Previously, Dr. Schoen taught in the graduate program of occupational therapy department at New York University and served as an advisor for advanced master degree students' research. She is certified in Neurodevelopmental Treatment and has advanced training in Sensory Integration Therapy, Therapeutic Listening, and assistive technology. Dr. Schoen received the Recognition of Achievement Award from the American Occupational Therapy Association in 1997.

Roianne Ahn, PhD, Licensed Psychologist, Director of Parent Education at SPD Foundation
Dr. Ahn specializes in SPD in adults and the impact of a child with SPD on the family. She is on the faculty at Denver University and lectures at the University of Colorado-Boulder.

Barbara Brett-Green, PhD, Neuroscientist, Director of Psychophysiology Research Program at SPD Foundation
Dr. Brett-Green is the Director of Psychophysiology Research at the Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation and an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado and Health Sciences Center. She has a doctorate in psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a specialty in behavioral neuroscience, and has completed two post-doctoral fellowships. She has spent over ten years studying sensory processing at a neuronal level in an animal model using electrophysiologic methods, with numerous peer-reviewed publications appearing in journals such as: the Journal of Neuroscience, the Journal of Comparative Neurology, the Journal of Neurophysiology, and Brain Research. She is currently studying sensory processing in children with sensory processing difficulties using both central nervous system (EEG, ERP) and peripheral nervous system (EDA, VT) measures.

SPD Foundation Credentials

SPD Foundation awards competency credentials to participants who demonstrate proficiency at each individual course level. Participants receive credential certificates documenting completion of the specialized training in SPD.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

SPD Foundation awards AOTA Continuing Education credit for successful completion of each of the Mentorship program levels.*

Level 1 - Program dates

The Level 1 course, Clinical Reasoning in Intervention, is conducted in sessions of five consecutive days (Tuesday through Saturday). Courses are currently scheduled on the following dates:

2009
Level 1 Mentorship
April 28 - May 2
May 26 - 30
June 23 - 27
July 21 - 25
Nov 17 - 21

Level 2 Mentorship
Aug 18 - 22 - Level 1 completion is a pre-requisite to attend

IF YOU ARE AN SPDF PROFESSIONAL MEMBER, please use the Member Sign-in button at the top of this page to log in before your register. Your 5% member discount can be applied ONLY if you have logged on prior to registering.

Level 2 - Program dates

The Level 2 course, Differential Diagnosis Using Standardized Scales and Observational Data, is conducted in sessions of four consecutive days (Tuesday through Friday). Courses are currently scheduled on the following dates:

April 28 - May 2 - Level 1 completion is a pre-requisite to attend

Program Cost

The cost for five-day programs (Levels 1,2,4, and 5) is $1500. The cost for four-day programs (Level 3) is $1200. Program applicants must submit a registration form and attach a current CV or resume. There is a non-refundable registration fee of $250 (applicable toward the $1,500 tuition). For those accepted into the mentorship program, this fee is not refundable should you cancel your registration. However, if for any reason we are unable to accept your application, your deposit will be fully refunded.

Who Should Attend

This mentored program is designed for designed for therapists at all levels to enhance diagnostic and clinical reasoning skills. Therapists will be paired with other clinicians of similar experience and training level during the program. Applicants must currently work with children with Sensory Processing Disorder. Applicants must provide a copy of a recent CV or resume detailing specific SPD work experience and training. Courses will be limited to 6-10 participants so each person can receive individualized training.

Registration/Application Process:

Complete your registration on-line attach a copy of your curriculum vitae or resume and submit a $250 administrative fee. We will notify you within 5 business days by email upon acceptance into the program. Participant selection will be based on priority of applications received and previous work/educational experience. If you are not selected to participate in the mentorship program at this time, your initial $250 administrative fee will be refunded to you in full. Once accepted into the mentorship program, this $250 fee becomes non-refundable.

Back to top

* The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.

Mail this page to a friend