Aquilla, Paula

Paula Aquilla is the mother of two teenagers and lives with her family in Toronto, Ontario. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto and has been practicing occupational therapy in community, clinic, school and home based settings for 22 years. Paula is a co-author of the book Building Bridges Through Sensory Integration and has contributed to several other publications. She teaches throughout North America. She is a thesis writer in the Canadian College of Osteopathy and hopes to complete her formal osteopathic studies in 2010. Paula brings warmth and enthusiasm in her work with children and their families.

The Role of Sensory Processing in Learning, Behaviour and Activities of Daily Life

This course will provide participants with basic neurology to understand and appreciate the process of making sense of sensory information. Each sense will be discussed from the receptors to the central nervous system. Understanding the neurology behind sensory processing can support understanding of this process that we do every moment of every day. Participants will learn how to identify the behavioural and autonomic nervous system signs of a nervous system in a regulated and deregulated state. Sensory diets provide the right type and right amount of intensity and duration of sensory input to help maintain the nervous system in a calm, alert state. In the calm alert state, a person can function at their best. This course will outline how to create an environment, approach, and specific activities to help maintain the nervous system in a calm, alert state. We will learn how to create sensory diets and how to integrate them into a typical day. Information gathering techniques and assessments will be discussed. Creative strategies to support success at school and at home will be shared. Participants will learn tips that they can plug into their day right away! Case studies will be discussed to illustrate these strategies. Questions are welcome!