Catherine is a highly skilled paediatric occupational therapist who has worked for the NHS in Scotland for many years and in various settings, including child development centre, specialist schools, community paediatric services and various short-term projects. At the start of her career she worked with and was mentored by those bringing ASI to the UK for the first time, and her practice has always had a sensory integration framework. Catherine completed her post-graduate training in ASI assessment and intervention in 2017 with the then Sensory Integration Network and is passionate about supporting others to develop their clinical skills in this area.
She is now director of her own private practice in Perth, providing occupational therapy with Ayres Sensory Integration to children and young people from all over Scotland, from her own premises that match fidelity. Catherine mentors other therapists in ASI. She also provides training for parents and education staff on a range of topics, but her favourite is sensory processing and integration and its relationship to everyday functioning.
Catherine is Deputy Lead in Scotland for the EASI normative data, validity and reliability studies, contributing to the training of the next generation of ASI therapists. She also coordinates the Scottish AHPs Ayres Sensory Integration Group which exists to encourage and support therapists in their learning and implementation of ASI in practice; encourage active contribution to the evidence base for ASI; and to raise the profile of ASI in Scotland.
Catherine has lots of cross cultural experience having grown up in India, and lived and worked in Jordan and Lebanon for a number of years when she was a young Mum of three children, one of whom has additional support needs.