Heather Miller-Kuhaneck is an occupational therapist who has practiced in pediatrics for over 17 years, in rural and inner city schools, outpatient clinics specializing in Ayres' sensory integrative intervention (TM), early intervention settings, inpatient settings, and privately in children's homes. She teaches the pediatric content of the occupational therapy program and co-teaches the research series leading to student Capstone research projects. Heather is an avid hiker, biker, camper, kayaker, scrapbooker, and animal lover. She shares her home with her husband and a small zoo, including 3 cats and 2 dogs.
She is the current Vice President of the Connecticut Occupational Therapy Association and the editor of Autism: A Comprehensive Occupational Therapy Approach, published by the American Occupational Therapy Association. She has written a variety of chapters and articles on pediatric occupational therapy practice and intervention with children with autism and recently co-authored a new assessment tool for pediatric occupational therapy called the Sensory Processing Measure. She is very involved in the new organization called SIGN (Sensory Integration Global Network) which will promote and provide education regarding Ayres' Sensory Integration Intervention. Lastly, she is a past board member of Soul Friends, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing humane education and animal assisted therapy to children in the state of Connecticut and past committee member of both the sensory integration and the school system special interest sections of AOTA.
Heather is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in public health at the University of CT and will complete her dissertation in the area of the impact of sensory processing problems in children with autism on mother-child interaction. Her other research interests include the importance of play for children, the impact of sensory issues across the lifespan, and anything having to do with the autism spectrum disorders in children.
Contact:
Cambridge 1-0-9
Ph: 203-396-8238
Fax: 203-396-8206
Email: KuhaneckH@sacredheart.edu