About SensePlanner

Geoff Ellery and Marie Lucas are occupational therapists with decades of experience managing the sensory needs of complex needs clients. They are specialists in sensory processing. They have created SensePlanner.

Geoff Ellery graduated as an occupational therapist at the age of 21. He worked in mental health and developmental disability in both Australia and the UK, and was responsible in the 1980s for opening some of the country's first community residential units, and was one of those responsible for overseeing the closure of large residential institutions such as St Nicholas Hospital (for the profoundly physically and developmentally disabled), Kew Cottages, Janefield, Ararat, and Sunbury centres — moving clients into staffed community residential units.

He was then invited to contribute to the development of what became Australia's most successful internet company during the early days of the Internet. The company later moved to San Francisco, where Geoff was appointed International Editorial Director, establishing offices around the world.

He returned to Australia in the early 2000s, worked in book publishing for a period, and then resumed his occupational therapy career. Geoff went on to run a successful paediatric clinic in Canterbury, Melbourne, prior to the introduction of the NDIS. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he closed his face-to-face practice (Geoff lives with Type 1 Diabetes and is insulin-dependent) and transitioned to working online.

He now specialises in Sensory Assessment and Intervention for individuals with complex needs, particularly those experiencing profound challenges at the intersection of Autism, Intellectual Disability, and Mental Health.

Marie Lucas is an experienced Occupational Therapist and the founder of Independent OTs Wollongong. With over three decades of clinical practice, she has worked extensively with individuals across the lifespan to support functional independence and participation in daily life. Her work spans a wide range of settings, including home, community, and complex disability environments. Marie is known for her commitment to delivering evidence-based, outcomes-focused services that are tailored to each person's specific goals and needs.

As the director of Independent OTs Wollongong, Marie leads a multidisciplinary allied health team of more than 20 professionals, including occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and exercise physiologists. She provides clinical supervision, strategic guidance, and quality assurance across the service. Her leadership has positioned the organisation as a respected provider in the region, and it has been selected to collaborate on research initiatives with universities in New South Wales. These partnerships reflect Marie's dedication to integrating current research into practice and contributing to the advancement of the allied health sector.

Marie maintains a strong professional focus on improving support for individuals with profound disabilities, advocating for high-quality, person-centred care that promotes dignity, choice, and long-term wellbeing. She is actively engaged in continuous professional development and ensures that her team remains informed by the latest developments in clinical practice, policy, and disability support. Through her work, Marie aims to enhance the lives of individuals with complex needs and to strengthen the quality and impact of community-based allied health services.