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 https://forms.gle/2aceiDDHBq6LR5TV6.
📧 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. 34 Sensory Integration in Schools
Can sensory integration really work in schools, or are we just wasting instructional time? This week we're reviewing a study that finally gives us answers. Three students, 17.5 hours of intervention, and results that impressed both teachers and researchers. Michele and Lacy break down this single-subject design study using Ayres SI and weekly teacher consultation with outcome measures sensitive enough to show real change. You'll learn the exact intervention protocol, hear what teachers actually said about pulling kids from class, and discover why this feasibility study matters for your practice.
We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the article too.
Whiting, C. C., Schoen, S. A., & Niemeyer, L. (2023). A sensory integration intervention in the school setting to support performance and participation: A multiple-baseline study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77(2), 7702205060. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2023.050135
Another article referenced:
Whiting, C. C., Schoen, S. A., Bundy, A., Lane, S. J., Mailloux, Z., Roley, S. S., May-Benson, T. A., & Schaaf, R. C. (2025). Occupational therapy using Ayres Sensory Integration® in school-based practice: A call to action. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 79(1), 7901347020. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2025.050971
KEYWORDS: Occupational therapy; evidence-based practice; OT; OT ideas; Peds OT; pediatric occupational therapy; school based; sensory integration; Ayres SI; single subject design
Thank you to our sponsor OccupationalTherapy.com! Use the code PLAY25 to support the show and get a free month of continuing education access when you sign up today at our podcast link https://fas.st/t/Fe79v8vU
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
