Ideas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) Podcast
Welcome to Ideas at Play, the go-to podcast for busy pediatric occupational therapy professionals! Whether you're in school-based settings, early intervention, or outpatient practice, we bring you evidence-based strategies, practical tips, and engaging discussions to support your OT practice with children, teens, and young adults.
Each episode features:
- A deep dive into recent pediatric OT research and how to apply it.
- "Nailed It or Failed It," where we share what’s working—and what isn’t—in our pediatric OT practice.
- Real-world examples and listener questions about all things pediatric occupational therapy.
- Shout outs to People, Places, and Products that fill our occupational therapy hearts
Join the hosts, Michele Alaniz, OTD, OTR/L, BCP and Lacy Wright, OTD, OTR/L, BCP, as we explore innovative OT ideas, share professional insights, and help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends in pediatric occupational therapy. Subscribe now and unlock actionable strategies to help the children you serve thrive!
Stay informed, stay curious, and stay playful!
✏️ Sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.
📧 Email us a question or comment at IdeasAtPlayPodcast@gmail.com
👉 Find us on Instagram @ideas.at.play
Keywords: occupational therapy, OT, pediatric occupational therapy, evidence based practice, peds OT
Ideas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) Podcast
Ep. 12 Shooting for Better Sleep: How Playing Basketball Improves Sleep & Executive Function
Could better sleep for autistic children be as simple as shooting some hoops? In this episode, occupational therapists, Michele Alaniz and Lacy Wright, dive into fascinating research showing how a structured basketball intervention significantly improves sleep quality and executive function in children with autism. Learn how this intervention increases melatonin and boosts BDNF, enhancing neuroplasticity while being incredibly fun. Perfect for OT practitioners looking for innovative, effective approaches that can be implemented in clinics, schools, or home settings. Game-changing therapy doesn't get more playful than this!
We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the article too.
Tse, C. Y. A., Lee, H. P., Chan, K. S. K., Edgar, V. B., Wilkinson-Smith, A., & Lai, W. H. E. (2019). Examining the impact of physical activity on sleep quality and executive functions in children with autism spectrum disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 23(7), 1699–1710. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361318823910
KEYWORDS: Occupational therapy; OT; evidence based practice; OT ideas; Peds OT; pediatric occupational therapy; executive function; sleep improvement; basketball therapy; autism intervention; inclusive sports; OT in action
Stay informed, stay curious, and stay playful!
✏️ Sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.
📧 Email us a question or comment at IdeasAtPlayPodcast@gmail.com
👉 Find us on Instagram @ideas.at.play
