Dr. May-Benson is the Executive Director of the Spiral Foundation at OTA-Watertown, is a well-known lecturer and researcher on sensory integration theory and intervention. She has authored numerous book chapters and articles on praxis and sensory integration, and completed her doctoral dissertation on ideational praxis. Dr. May-Benson has a diverse background as a clinical practitioner, having worked in private and public school settings as well as private practice. She is active in conducting research related to sensory integration through the non-profit Spiral Foundation’s Sensory Processing Research Center. She has collaborated with well-known researchers such as Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, Dr. Shelly Lane, and Dr. Roseann Schaaf as a member of the Sensory Integration Research Collaborative (SIRC).

In her role of educator, she serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Indianapolis and part-time faculty at Tufts University. She has a special interest in (and extensive experience with) Autism, particularly in older students and adults. Dr. May-Benson received her Bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University and her Master’s degree from Boston University, with a concentration in sensory integration and school system therapy. She was a Maternal and Child Health Fellow in the Doctoral Program in Therapeutic Studies at Boston University. She has received the Virginia Scardinia Award of Excellence from AOTA for her work in ideational praxis, the Alice Bachman Clinician Award from Pediatric Therapy Network, and the Catherine Trombly Award from the Massachusetts Association of Occupational Therapists for her work as a research, clinician and instructor. She is a fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association.