Our Learning Disability Nurse Consultant, Maura Cousland, has achieved certification as a Sensory Inclusion Facilitator after completing a 12-week programme delivered by Sensory Integration Education.
This certification recognises Maura’s dedication to developing expertise that supports people with complex sensory needs and further strengthens the specialist clinical knowledge across Exemplar Health Care.
What is a Sensory Inclusion Facilitator?
The Sensory Inclusion Facilitator Certificate explores how sensory processing affects the way we focus, move, regulate emotions, and engage with the world.
When sensory processing doesn’t function as expected, people may experience sensory sensitivities, difficulties with coordination, or challenges in managing emotions and behaviours.
The course helps professionals recognise sensory processing differences and adapt environments and approaches to better support individuals.
Why Maura chose to specialise in sensory inclusion
Maura’s passion for understanding sensory differences stems from her extensive experience supporting individuals with learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
“Having worked with individuals with a learning disability and/or ASD, sensory differences have been a prominent feature of my work. This certification has been a fantastic stepping stone to enhance my knowledge, understanding, and clinical practice.”
Applying sensory inclusion in complex care
As Learning Disability Nurse Consultant, Maura supports people who may struggle with daily activities - not because of a lack of motivation or ability, but because their environment or tasks don’t align with their sensory needs.
“This course has helped me identify those hidden barriers and make simple, effective changes to enhance comfort, participation, and wellbeing,” Maura explains.
“Completing this training means we can apply a sensory lens to practice across all our homes, helping colleagues better understand and respond to the needs of those we support.”
Maura’s learning has already led to sensory-informed conversations with teams across our homes.
She’s used the Person–Environment–Occupation (PEO) model to support people with complex presentations, making impactful environmental adjustments that have improved their experiences - and, in some cases, reduced the need for further external referrals, particularly for behaviour support.
Driving improvement across our homes
An estimated one in six people have a sensory need or are neurodivergent.
Maura’s expertise will help drive our work to create more inclusive environments and embed sensory-informed practice across all Exemplar Health Care homes.
“Leading sensory-informed conversations allows us to better understand and support individuals with sensory processing disorders,” Maura says.
“By recognising sensory joys or distress early, we can respond appropriately and enhance the overall experience for our service users.”
A wealth of clinical expertise
Maura brings a wealth of clinical experience to her role.
Before joining Exemplar Health Care, she worked in several senior positions including Deputy Head of Nursing, Service Manager, and Clinical Nurse Lead. She’s also undertaken private work in autism assessments.
Maura qualified as a Learning Disability Nurse at the University of Nottingham in 2013 and has completed specialist training in the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and Autism Clinical Interview for Adults (ACIA) tools.
Her latest certification reflects both her dedication to lifelong learning and our shared commitment to providing person-centred, evidence-based care for adults living complex needs.
At Exemplar Health Care, we’re proud to have leaders like Maura who continually advance their practice to improve outcomes for the people we support - helping ensure our homes are inclusive, supportive environments where every individual can thrive.
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