Cynthia Miller-Lautman, Occupational Therapist

Cynthia Miller-Lautman, Occupational Therapist Occupational Therapist & Speaker

02/01/2026

Part 55: Your vestibular system (balance & movement sense) needs regular activation. If you donÕt use it, your tolerance for movement decreases over time. Keep moving to keep it strong!
Learn more in my online course "Make The Sensory Connection: A Human Approach to Self-Regulation" LINK IN BIO https://f.mtr.cool/kfatxsuvsj

Bright lights, background noise, uncomfortable seating, rushed transitions… these things don’t just affect some clients ...
01/29/2026

Bright lights, background noise, uncomfortable seating, rushed transitions… these things don’t just affect some clients — they affect all humans. When we design clinics with sensory awareness in mind, we support regulation, trust, and engagement for everyone who walks through the door: children, adults, parents, professionals, and yes, neurodivergent clients too.
Sensory safety isn’t a “special accommodation.”
It’s good clinical practice.
Small changes — like lighting choices, predictable routines, movement options, and calmer visual spaces — can dramatically improve how safe, regulated, and ready clients feel.
Because when the nervous system feels supported, therapy works better.
Want to learn how to build sensory-safe clinical spaces in a practical, realistic way?
Explore Make the Sensory Connection: A Human Approach to Self-Regulation. https://f.mtr.cool/yfqywpqhbg

01/28/2026

54. Movement & Dizziness
Do you or a loved one get dizzy easily? Avoiding movement can make it worse. The key is safe, gradual vestibular activities. This video shows a simple way to get started.
Learn more in my online course "Make The Sensory Connection: A Human Approach to Self-Regulation" LINK IN BIO

01/25/2026

53. Vibrating Mats for Sensory Needs
A vibrating mat offers powerful pressure touch input. For people who crave more touch Ñ or feel overwhelmed by light touch Ñ vibration can provide calming, self-directed sensory support.
Learn more in my online course "Make The Sensory Connection: A Human Approach to Self-Regulation" LINK IN BIO https://f.mtr.cool/nhwzkadnub

Sensory News This Week - January 23, 20261. Sensory processing assessment in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementiasOT...
01/24/2026

Sensory News This Week - January 23, 2026

1. Sensory processing assessment in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias
OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health/SAGE; systematic review
https://f.mtr.cool/xzprdgmhlz

2. Trauma‑informed and sensory‑based practices in preschool
Hockey R, Philpott-Robinson K, Haracz K, Ray K. Trauma-informed or sensory-based practices in preschool settings: A scoping review. Aust Occup Ther J. 2025 Jun;72(3):e70027. https://f.mtr.cool/uxjzlpjtpg

3. Sensory processing and child development (Podcast Episode)
https://f.mtr.cool/nvibybilmu https://f.mtr.cool/nvgdjxukxu

4. Aly M, Galal M, Alzahrani T, Alsowayan M, Fakehy M, Mohamed S. A Structured Sensory-Motor Exercise Program Improves Balance and Parent-Reported Sensory Reactivity in Autistic Children. OTJR: Occupational Therapy Journal of Research. 2026;0(0). https://f.mtr.cool/vtrzrcaggm

01/22/2026

52. Deep Pressure vs. Light Touch
Did you know? Deep pressure touch can calm someone who is hypersensitive to light touch. Light touch is often what we feel when clothes brush against our skin Ñ and for many kids and adults, that sensation is uncomfortable.
Learn more in my online course "Make The Sensory Connection: A Human Approach to Self-Regulation" LINK IN BIO https://f.mtr.cool/jgshbzjslh

You don’t need a brand-new clinic to support nervous system regulation.Here are three simple shifts that make a big diff...
01/19/2026

You don’t need a brand-new clinic to support nervous system regulation.

Here are three simple shifts that make a big difference:
• predictable lighting
• fewer competing sounds
• choice in seating or positioning

Sensory safety isn’t about eliminating discomfort.
It’s about reducing unnecessary sensory load so clients can actually engage.

If regulation is the foundation of participation, your environment matters.

01/18/2026

Part 51. Touch & Regulation

Our nervous systems are constantly telling a story about who we are, where we are, and whether we’re safe enough to conn...
01/16/2026

Our nervous systems are constantly telling a story about who we are, where we are, and whether we’re safe enough to connect and learn. Four recent studies shine a light on just how powerful that sensory story really is. [nature](https://f.mtr.cool/ponqnhilub)

***

# # Sensory, anxiety and autism

A new clinical trial in *npj Mental Health Research* explored a synbiotic (gut‑brain) treatment for children on the autism spectrum and found meaningful shifts in both anxiety and **sensory** hyper‑responsiveness. This positions sensory over‑responsivity not as a side issue, but as a core target for helping autistic kids feel safer, calmer, and more available for participation and learning. [nature](https://f.mtr.cool/umxzczdnpr)

***

# # The brain rhythm of “this is my body”

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, publishing in *Nature Communications*, have identified an alpha‑wave brain rhythm in the parietal cortex that helps the brain decide what belongs to the body and what doesn’t. When this rhythm is faster, people are better at aligning what they see and feel, leading to a clearer, more stable sense of body ownership—a key building block of **sensory** awareness and self. [sciencedaily](https://f.mtr.cool/rsljmgayfm)

***

# # Aging, movement and sensory processing

Work in *Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience* highlights how changes in sensory processing, movement, and thinking are tightly intertwined as we age. The authors argue that protecting function in older adults means paying attention to vision, hearing, balance and body awareness alongside strength and cognition, because they are all part of one integrated **sensory** system. [frontiersin](https://f.mtr.cool/ikelfhqane)

***

# # Trauma, kids and sensory regulation

A scoping review in the *International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health* pulls together evidence that early trauma can alter brain regions involved in **sensory** integration—like the amygdala, thalamus and sensory cortex—showing up later as hyper‑ or hypo‑responsiveness and motor challenges. This reinforces what many clinicians already see: for some children, “big behaviors” are often rooted in overwhelmed sensory systems that need safety, regulation, and co‑regulation more than punishment. [pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih](https://f.mtr.cool/fucvzvxzmc)

***

If you work with neurodivergent children, older adults, or people with a history of trauma, these findings all point in the same direction: when we support the sensory story of the nervous system, we support regulation, identity, and participation across the lifespan. [sciencedaily](https://f.mtr.cool/mtgxgsxbch)

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Your clients don’t just bring their stories into the therapy room.They bring their nervous systems.For many clients, the...
01/13/2026

Your clients don’t just bring their stories into the therapy room.

They bring their nervous systems.

For many clients, the therapy space itself can either support regulation or quietly work against it. Lighting, noise, seating, pacing, predictability, and even tone of voice all shape a client’s ability to stay present, reflective, and emotionally available.

Sensory-safe clinical practices aren’t about adding tools or labels.

They’re about reducing barriers so therapeutic work can actually happen.

When counselling spaces and sessions support sensory regulation:

• Clients feel safer and more grounded

• Emotional overwhelm decreases

• Engagement and trust increase

• Therapeutic outcomes improve

This is especially relevant in work with trauma, anxiety, ADHD, autism, and chronic stress—but sensory safety benefits everyone.

Make the Sensory Connection: A Human Approach to Self-Regulation is an online course designed for therapists who want to understand sensory regulation through a clinical, relational, and human lens.

You’ll learn how to:

✔ Recognize sensory stress responses in therapy sessions

✔ Adjust your space and pacing to support regulation

✔ Work with the nervous system rather than against it

✔ Apply sensory-informed strategies across modalities

This course bridges sensory theory with everyday clinical practice—without pathologizing clients or overcomplicating care.

🎓 Accredited for health professionals

💻 Online, on-demand

🌍 Designed for psychologists, counsellors, and therapists across settings

If you’ve ever felt that a client was “there, but not really there,” sensory safety may be the missing piece.

Learn more and join here:

👉 https://cynthiamillerlautman.com/ztyi

--

Vos clients n’apportent pas seulement leurs histoires dans le bureau de consultation.

Ils apportent aussi leur système nerveux.

Pour de nombreuses personnes, l’espace thérapeutique peut soit soutenir la régulation, soit, subtilement, y faire obstacle. L’éclairage, le bruit, le type de sièges, le rythme de la séance, la prévisibilité et même le ton de la voix influencent directement la capacité d’un client à rester présent, réfléchi et émotionnellement disponible.

La régulation sensorielle peut réduire les obstacles afin que le travail thérapeutique puisse réellement avoir lieu.

C’est particulièrement pertinent dans le travail auprès des personnes ayant vécu des traumatismes, de l’anxiété, un TDAH, un TSA ou un stress chronique — mais la sécurité sensorielle profite à tout le monde.

Make the Sensory Connection: A Human Approach to Self-Regulation est une formation en ligne conçue pour les thérapeutes qui souhaitent comprendre la régulation sensorielle sous un angle clinique, relationnel et profondément humain.

🎓 Formation reconnue pour les professionnels de la santé (OPQ: RA07281-25)

💻 En ligne, à votre rythme

Maintenant sous-titrée en français!

🌍 Conçue pour les psychologues, conseillers et thérapeutes de divers milieux

Si vous avez déjà eu l’impression qu’un client était « présent, sans vraiment l’être », la sécurité sensorielle pourrait être la pièce manquante.

Pour en savoir plus et vous inscrire :

👉 https://cynthiamillerlautman.com/ztyi

01/13/2026

Part 50: Do you know someone who is self-harming? Our senses play a bigger role than most people realize. This video explores the sensory side of self-harmÑand why it matters.
Watch now and share this post to raise awareness.
Learn more in my online course "Make The Sensory Connection: A Human Approach to Self-Regulation" LINK IN BIO https://f.mtr.cool/xszysgglzm

01/11/2026

Part 49.
Does your child cry or pull away when you try to clip their nails? YouÕre not alone. Try these sensory strategies to make nail-trimming less stressful.
Share this post to help another parent who struggles with nail care.
Learn more in my online course "Make The Sensory Connection: A Human Approach to Self-Regulation" LINK IN BIO https://f.mtr.cool/wfqvngmsmz

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