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!
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📧 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
Episodes
14 episodes
Ep. 13 The Ultimate Evidence Guide: What 52 Pediatric OT Interventions & 90 Years of Research Reveal
Tired of Googling for interventions that actually work? We dive into the mother of all systematic reviews covering 129 studies and 52 occupational therapy interventions across nine decades of pediatric OT research. Discover which interventio...
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39:47
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 significa...
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38:24
Ep. 11 Handwriting & OT: Guiding Principles for Today and the Future (with AI)
Up to 10% of children have difficulty with handwriting, yet only 12% of teachers feel adequately trained to teach it. This week, we break down the six evidence-based principles (plus one essential bonus) that should guide all handwriting ins...
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40:36
Ep. 10 Tubes & Tables: Supporting Mealtime with Medically Fragile Kids (special guest episode)
What happens when a child isn't able eat? In this milestone 10th episode, Michele and Lacy explore the complex world of pediatric occupational therapy and feeding with medically fragile children and our guest, Yovana Harris, BA, COTA/L. ...
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54:16
Ep. 9 VR and Pediatric Brain Injury (3 Takeaways to Apply Across OT Settings)
Ever wonder how virtual reality could change your pediatric occupational therapy practice? Michele and Lacy dive into a randomized control trial where VR helped kids with brain injuries make progress in just four weeks of OT intervention! He...
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38:53
Ep. 8 Ayres SI in Brazil: 3 Tools to Boost Your OT Practice
Did you know that up to 16% of children have sensory processing challenges that impact their daily lives? In this evidence-packed episode, pediatric occupational therapists Michele and Lacy break down a groundbreaking randomized control tria...
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36:59
Ep. 7 Parent-Powered Potty Training: The 4-Step Coaching Model in Telehealth
Forget everything you thought you knew about toilet training—this evidence-based pediatric occupational therapy approach is changing the game. In this episode, we dive into a hybrid telehealth intervention that transformed toilet training su...
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34:50
Ep. 6 The Surprising #1 Reason OT Students Fail Fieldwork (And How You Can Help)
Struggling OT Fieldwork students? The shocking truth is that occupational therapy knowledge isn't what makes or breaks fieldwork success—it's professional behaviors! Join pediatric occupational therapists, Michele and Lacy, as they unpack ev...
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36:54
Ep. 5 Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3: Top School-Based OT Interventions That Work
Overwhelmed by your school-based OT caseload? Join Drs. Michele Alaniz and Lacy Wright as they discuss three decades of research into actionable, tiered interventions that deliver measurable results. Learn why the most successful school-base...
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30:41
Ep. 4 Beyond the Messy Desk: Assessing Executive Function in Adolescents
Think a messy backpack or desk is just carelessness? We don’t think so. This episode cracks open the complex world of executive function in school, showing therapists how the Weekly Calendar Planning Activity assessment can unlock insights i...
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31:55
Ep. 3 Scoring Success: Quality Sports Participation for Kids with Autism
How can we make sports truly meaningful for children with autism? In this episode, pediatric OTs Dr. Michele Alaniz and Dr. Lacy Wright break down a comprehensive framework for quality participation in sports. Explore research-backed strateg...
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35:13
Ep. 2 Play that Works: Engaging & Effective OT Motor Interventions for Kids with CP
What if you could help children with cerebral palsy make significant motor gains with half the therapy hours while keeping both parents and kids engaged? Pediatric occupational therapists Dr. Michele Alaniz and Dr. Lacy Wright dive into the ...
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29:28
Ep. 1 Play With Purpose: An OT Motor Skill Intervention for Autism
Did you know that over 80% of children with autism are at risk for motor impairment (Bhat, 2022)? Today, we're diving into new research that's changing how we approach motor development in autism. You'll learn five evidence-based steps you c...
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18:50