Northumbria Occupational Therapy Sensory Processing Service
This service is delivered by Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
Our overall aim is to support parents, carers, education staff and other professional groups to understand how sensory processing can impact on daily life.
The service will provide information on how to modify activities and the environment to support participation in activities of daily life for those who experience challenges with sensory processing.
Our amazing senses
Our senses help us to perceive the world and to interact with other people. We have five external senses; these are known as vision, taste, touch, smell and hearing. We have a further three internal senses which are less well known. These internal senses are vestibular, proprioception and interoception.
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The 8 senses
Smell
Our Sense of smell and taste are closely linked. We have receptors in our nose that helps the brain to detect pleasant and noxious odours.
Vision
Allows us to make sense of what the eyes see and helps us to interpret the world around us.
Hearing
Our hearing sense allows us to detect sounds and relate it to a meaning, such as, hearing a loud noise may alert us to danger.
Touch
Our sense of touch helps us to understand sensations that our skin will come into contact with, such as, rough or smooth objects, light touch, pain, vibration and hot or cold temperatures.
Taste
We all have tiny taste buds on our tongues. These buds help us to work out different tastes, such as, bitter, sour, sweet and salty.
Proprioception
Proprioception sense allows us to develop body awareness and grade body movements necessary to complete tasks, such as, being able to judge how hard to kick a football or to play with toys without breaking them.
Vestibular
The vestibular sense is located in our inner ear and is essential to support movement and balance.
Interoception
This sense helps us to work out what is going on inside our body. Such as, are we in pain, cold or hot, hungry, or thirsty or even if we need to go to the toilet.
What is Sensory Processing?
Sensory processing is the way that our brain sorts out sensory information so we understand the world and can manage our everyday life.
For most people the development of their sensory processing occurs as part of our typical development and they learn to respond appropriately to sounds, smells, movement etc.
We all have some sensory processing differences. For example, some of us like very strong tastes and smells and others avoid them. As long as we can manage to take part in the things we want and need to do these sensory processing differences don’t matter.
For some people their sensory development is delayed or disordered, and they struggle to take part in everyday activities. For example, they are so distressed by noise they can’t go to a friend’s party or they hit out when someone brushes up against them as they experience it as painful.
Meet the Northumberland team
The team consists of a Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist, Senior Occupational Therapist, and an Occupational Therapy Technical Instructor.
Sandra
Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist
Sandra graduated from Northumbria University as an Occupational Therapist in 2002. She has experience of working in acute physical and mental health settings before going on to specialise in Paediatrics in 2008.
She has completed further post graduate training in sensory processing and achieved a Master’s degree in Developmental Disorders in 2018. Sandra has extensive experience of working with children and young people who have complex health and sensory needs and enjoys supporting individuals to achieve their full potential.
Karen
Occupational Therapy Technical Instructor
Karen started working for Northumbria Health Care in 2004. She has a wealth of experience in working in health care and recently transferred to Paediatrics as an Occupational Therapy Technical Instructor.
Her goal each day is to ensure she delivers high quality care to all the children and families with whom she works. Working in the Sensory Processing Service allows the opportunity to help children and families in the local area. She finds working in the sensory processing team very interesting and rewarding.
Sally
Children's Senior Occupational Therapist
Sally graduated from Northumbria University in 2019 with a degree in Children and Early Years. During the completion of her degree, Sally has worked in various early years settings as a nursery practitioner, which gave her the chance to support individuals with various needs and learning difficulties.
She has since completed a Masters with Distinction in Occupational Therapy at the University of Teesside. Sally has always enjoyed working with children – particularly during her placement settings.
Sally is looking forward to combining her knowledge of child development, sensory processing and practical experiences in her work.
Meet the North Tyneside team
The team consists of two Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapists, an Occupational Therapist and an Occupational Therapy Technical Instructor.
Tara
Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist
Tara is an Occupational Therapist with experience and training in sensory processing. She enjoys working with individuals affected by sensory processing differences and has a special interest in supporting sensory preferences at mealtimes.
Drawing on both professional knowledge and lived experience of sensory differences, Tara is passionate about helping people find practical strategies that work for them and support them to engage in meaningful daily tasks.
Caroline
Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist
Caroline is an Occupational Therapist with personal and professional experience of supporting sensory processing differences holistically, through the lifespan. She is driven to discover and nurture each person’s unique gifts and abilities, overcome occupational barriers and facilitate meaningful participation. She integrates knowledge of working within educational, clinic and community settings to establish positive and lasting outcomes.
Georgia-Leigh
Occupational Therapist
Georgia-Leigh is an Occupational Therapist with lived experience of sensory processing differences, giving her a personal understanding of the unique challenges they can bring to everyday life. She is passionate about supporting others with similar experiences, providing a compassionate and person-centred approach that helps individuals better understand their sensory needs.
Ellie
Occupational Therapy Technical Instructor
Ellie is an Occupational Therapy Technical Instructor with enthusiasm for helping individuals and their families understand sensory differences that can affect everyday life. Having completed a degree in Occupational Therapy, she has a strong understanding of the impact sensory processing can have on participation, wellbeing, and independence. Ellie is dedicated to empowering individuals, families, and carers with practical knowledge and strategies.
Who is this service for?
People who are experiencing day-to-day difficulties with processing sensory information can access Northumbria’s Sensory Processing website for support, strategies, and information.
If additional support is required a referral can be made to the Occupational Therapy service where parents / carers will be offered an initial telephone consultation. Referrals to the service must be completed by an approved professional and meet the following service criteria:
- The Service for any child or young person aged 0-18 years, or up to 19 years if still in full time education and living in Northumberland or North Tyneside.
- Registered with a Northumberland or North Tyneside General Practitioner.
- Parent/Carer consent has been obtained for the Referral.
- Sensory Processing strategies have been trialled to help improve engagement in daily living activities but have not been fully successful and further support is required.
- Sensory Processing challenges continue to have a significant and ongoing impact on mental health and/or physical wellbeing in relation to participating in daily living activities.
Those who are receiving support from the Children and Young People’s service (CYPS) who require sensory support may be redirected to CYPS to receive support around their sensory processing needs.
How to access?
Parent/Carers and those they support can access sensory processing resource information and online workshops.
North Tyneside Occupational Therapy Service
- Paediatric Occupational Therapy Sensory Processing Service, Meadowell Health Centre, Waterville Road, NE29 6BT
- 0191 2196604
Northumberland Referral
To access a parent/carer telephone triage consultation a referral will need to be completed by an approved referrer into the service, such as:
- Medical Staff – Paediatric Consultant or General Practitioner.
- Health Professionals such as Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Community Nurse, Health Visitor or School Nurse.
- Social Worker
- High Incidence Needs Team (HINT)
If you have any questions or queries for the Northumberland team, please do not hesitate to contact them on 01670 564050.
DownloadNorth Tyneside Referral
To access a parent/carer telephone triage consultation a referral will need to be completed by an approved referrer into the service, such as:
- Medical Staff – Paediatric Consultant or General Practitioner.
- Health Professionals such as Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Community Nurse, Health Visitor or School Nurse.
- Social Worker
If you have any questions or queries for the North Tyneside team, please do not hesitate to contact them on 0191 2196604.
Download