Karen Garner (née Holcombe) is the owner and Managing Director of The Sensory Smart Child Ltd, a private Paediatric Occupational Therapy practice based in Surrey.
She has been published in SEN magazine, is an SI network module 4 mentor for advanced treatment and runs regular training courses for schools, educational psychology services, local portage teams, parents and teachers. She has also lectured with the SI network and The National Autism Society Conferences.
Clients include over 1,000 children seen in mainstream and specialist schools, and at The Sensory Smart Child’s treatment centres based in Surrey and Buckinghamshire. The Sensory Smart Child is recommended by and receives referrals from 15 UK Educational Authorities along with international referrals from the Star Centre USA.
Karen holds a BSc (hons) in Occupational Therapy and the following post-graduate training:
- SI Network UK & Ireland and Cardiff University
- Sensory Integration levels 1-4
- Adoption plus centre
- Theraplay
- Sensory attachment intervention
- Star Centre (Denver, Collorado, USA) with Doctor Lucy Miller
- Level 1 clinical mentorship – Clinical reasoning in intervention
- Level 2 clinical mentorship – Hands on advanced treatment
- SOS approach to feeding – with Doctor K. Toomey
- Therapy West (California) – with Erna Imperatore Blanche
- Blending SI with other intervention approaches in paediatric practice
- Wilbarger Deep Pressure Brushing Protocol
- Integrated Listening Systems – Advanced Practitioner
With 12 years of experience within Paediatric SI, Karen brings passion backed by hands on experience to her practice and has forged strong links with the Star Centre in the USA; paediatricians, dieticians, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and clinical psychologists. She is currently implementing the UK’s first multidisciplinary SOS feeding clinic, with the full backing of Doctor K. Toomey, clinical director of SOS feeding solutions (Star Centre, Denver, USA)