Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, Ph.D., OTR
founded the Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation in 1979, serving as its executive director since then. She was an associate professor at UC Denver Medical School with a double appointment in Pediatrics and Rehabilitation Medicine for 11 years. In 2005 Dr. Miller founded the STAR (Sensory Therapies And Research) Center, co-located with the Foundation in Denver.
For 35 years Dr. Miller has devoted herself to the study and treatment of Sensory Processing Disorder and is spearheading the effort to get SPD recognized as a diagnostic entity separate from other disorders. She is a prolific author, with over 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals. Her book, Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) has become the definitive source of information on SPD. Dr. Miller’s most recent book, No Longer A SECRET: Unique Common Sense Strategies for Children with Sensory or Motor Challenges offers on-the-spot problem-solving tips to use for children with sensory issues. She has developed the STAR treatment model, which has been demonstrated through research to be effective.
Dr. Miller also develops norm-referenced standardized assessments that are in use worldwide, including the Miller Assessment for Preschoolers, the Leiter International Performance Scale – Revised and the new Miller Function and Participation Scale or M-Fun. She talks about learning family-centered care during her three terms, totaling nine years on the Governor’s Interagency Coordinating Council for IDEA in CO. In 2005, she received the Martin Luther King, Jr. award from the State of Colorado.