Sarah A. Schoen, PhD, OTR

Biography

Dr. Schoen is the Director of Research at STAR Institute. She is an occupational therapist with over 30 years of clinical experience and a doctorate in occupational therapy from New York University. She is a co-author of the Sensory Processing 3 Dimensions Scale currently being standardized by Western Psychological Services. Dr. Schoen is an Associate Professor at the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions.

Dr. Schoen participates in a program of research studying electrodermal activity and vagal tone in children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) compared to those with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder. She is also collaborating with Dr. Lucy Jane Miller on the development of the Sensory Processing (SP) Scales performance measure and parent checklist that evaluates all subtypes of SPD.

BRAIN Funded Projects

Bio behavioral study of arousal in nonspeaking children with autism

Assess the presence of stress patterns impacting functioning in autism

Recent & Selected Publications

Schoen SA, Ferrari V, Valdez A. It’s Not Just about Bicycle Riding: Sensory-Motor, Social and Emotional Benefits for Children with and without Developmental Disabilities. Children (Basel). 2022;9(8):1224. Published 2022 Aug 13. doi:10.3390/children9081224 Read abstract

Schoen SA, Lane SJ, Mailloux Z, et al. A systematic review of ayres sensory integration intervention for children with autism. Autism Res. 2019;12(1):6-19. doi:10.1002/aur.2046 Read abstract

Sullivan JC, Miller LJ, Nielsen DM, Schoen SA. The presence of migraines and its association with sensory hyperreactivity and anxiety symptomatology in children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism. 2014;18(6):743-747. doi:10.1177/1362361313489377 Read abstract