About the SENSE Program
Supporting and Enhancing NICU Sensory Experiences (SENSE) is a comprehensive approach to ensuring multi-modal positive sensory exposures across hospitalization for high-risk infants in the NICU. The SENSE program provides education to engage families in providing developmentally appropriate positive sensory exposures to optimize outcomes for their infant(s). Topics of education include: medical terminology, fetal development in the final months of pregnancy, the sensory environment of the NICU, sensory development, reading infant cues, identifying readiness for sensory exposures, how to provide different sensory exposures, and a week-by-week guide* on specific doses and timing of sensory exposures to ensure consistent and developmentally appropriate delivery of positive sensory experiences at each postmenstrual age. The sensory interventions are designed to be provided by parents, but the medical team and/or volunteers can also be engaged to ensure the sensory needs of each infant are met.
The SENSE Program is currently offering training workshops!
Current available dates for training workshops are listed below. We offer both individual and hospital trainings.
Register by clicking the date below that you are interested in:
Participating individually:
2025 Dates:
2026 Dates:
Individualized or hospital training:
Don’t see a date and time that works for you?
Send an email to nicutherapylab@gmail.com and make a request, as dates are being added regularly (especially to tailor times for our international colleagues).
Quotes from Attendees:
“My hospital had purchased the SENSE program and I printed and reviewed all the materials but was waiting to implement the program until I completed the training. I feel better equipped to start the program after hearing more explanations, examples and applications in order to better use it bedside with patients and their families.” -Schayla Axson, MS, OTR/L, NTMTC
“The SENSE program provides a clinical practice guideline that is based on multiple studies. It puts the parent and the infant right in the center of care. I love how everything is already defined and simplified- there is indeed no need to reinvent the wheel! I am looking forward to introducing the program into our NICU unit.”
“Very informational and a great program to support NICU patients and their family!” -Danielle, CCLS
NICU Therapy Lab 