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
Episodes
58 episodes
Ep. 57 Sensory Activity Schedules
Sensory activity schedules—often called sensory diets—are used every day in school-based therapy, but how strong is the evidence behind them? In this episode, we review a recent systematic review that examined whether sensory activity schedu...
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38:13
Ep. 56 OT Interventions for Autistic Children (20 Strategies!)
Evidence-based OT for autism can feel overwhelming—but what if you had a clear menu of strategies to choose from? In this episode, we break down a study that identified 20 treatment components pediatric OTs use with autistic children and org...
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38:17
Ep.55 Burnout in OT Practice
Let’s be honest: even the most playful, passionate OTs/OTAs can hit a wall. Burnout is more than just feeling tired after a long week — it’s a predictable response to specific job demands. In this episode, we unpack what research says actual...
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37:02
Ep. 54 Big Feelings, Big Strategies: Emotional Regulation Meta Analysis
Emotional regulation is often treated as a behavior problem — but what if we’re missing the bigger picture? In this episode, we unpack what emotional regulation really is, why it’s so complex, and how executive function, coping skills, co-re...
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39:37
Ep. 53 Clothes on Backward? A Super Simple Visual Cue for Dressing
Why can a child complete every step of dressing… but still put the shirt on backward? In this episode of Ideas at Play, we explore a simple, research-backed occupational therapy strategy that improved clothing orientat...
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31:22
Ep. 52 Music for Social Skills and Mental Health in Autism
Drumming might not be the first intervention that comes to mind—but the evidence suggests it deserves a closer look for regulation, connection, and mental health for autistic individuals. We unpack what therapeutic drumming actually looks li...
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31:38
Ep. 51 Sensory-Based Interventions - Tools or Toys?
Sensory tools are a staple in pediatric OT—but not all of them are doing what we think they are. In this episode, we take a clear-eyed look at the evidence behind sensory-based interventions, from weighted vests and fidgets to caregiver coac...
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36:25
Ep. 50 Listener Questions: Pediatric OT in the Real World
Episode 50 is all about YOU! Michele and Lacy tackle the questions that keep pediatric occupational therapists thinking, problem-solving, and sometimes scratching their heads. We dive into recommending OT service minutes with evidence (not g...
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41:25
Ep. 49 Folinic Acid and Autism: Translating the Research for Occupational Therapy
Folinic acid has been showing up everywhere in conversations about autism—but what does the research actually tell us, and why should occupational therapists pay attention? In this episode of Ideas at Play, we break do...
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35:14
Ep. 48 Effective Collaboration With Teachers
Everyone agrees that collaboration with teachers matters in school-based OT practice, yet many occupational therapists struggle to make it work in real life. In this episode, we go beyond polite check-ins and quick info-sharing to unpa...
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35:04
Ep. 47 10-Minute Executive Function Interventions for ADHD
Struggling to find practical interventions for kids with ADHD that actually improve executive function and/or mental health? This episode breaks down a Canadian study comparing two 10-minute interventions—exercise and mindfulness meditation—...
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38:03
Ep. 46 Zones of Regulation: the Good, the Bad, and the OT Way (Encore)
What happens when one of occupational therapy's most beloved programs gets put under the research microscope? Turns out Zones of Regulation—despite being wildly popular—has a shaky evidence base. BUT don’t panic and throw out all your materi...
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41:51
Ep. 45 The Ultimate Evidence Guide: What 52 Pediatric OT Interventions & 90 Years of Research Reveal (Encore)
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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41:31
Ep. 44 AOTA Children & Youth Conference Recap
Michele and Lacy recap the AOTA Children & Youth Conference where they presented on sleep interventions, hard conversations with families, and community-based fieldwork. They share the hottest topics in pediatric OT—parent collaboration,...
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27:50
Ep. 43 Reflex Integration: What the Evidence Shows
Reflex integration is one of the hottest topics in pediatric OT right now—but is it evidence-based? In this episode, we examine the research on the Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration (MNRI®) method and uncover critical gaps...
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37:14
Ep. 42 Sexual Education and OT's Role
Sex is an occupation, but how do we (or should we) address this in pediatric OT practice? This episode discusses why avoiding this topic is an occupational injustice and what we can do about it. We talk about the research and cover everythin...
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36:21
Ep. 41 The Thankful Therapist's Gift Guide (OT Style)
Holiday shopping with purpose starts here! This week we're sharing our favorite gift ideas for therapists, kids, and everyone on your list. Discover directories of disabled-owned businesses for fun new ideas, then hear about our favorite the...
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31:21
Ep. 40 Let's Talk Ayres SI, Autism, & Play with Dr. Heather Kuhaneck
Running in circles, flapping arms, spinning with ribbons—Heather Kuhaneck, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, explains why joining in play with kids creates the connection that makes therapy possible. As editor of Case-Smith’s Occupational Therap...
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38:00
Ep. 39 What New OTs Really Want in a Job
What do early career occupational therapists really prioritize when choosing their first OT job? Spoiler alert: salary ranks 9th out of 16 factors. In this episode, we break down a fascinating Canadian study that surveyed early career occupa...
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38:53
Ep. 38 Building Motor Skills & Social Communication with Autistic Kids
Want an OT intervention that tackles motor skills AND social communication? This week we're unpacking seated play intervention for autistic children—exactly what it looks like, why it works, and how occupational therapists can use these key ...
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36:42
Ep. 37 Is Interoception Worth the Hype? A Deep Dive into the Evidence
Interoception is everywhere in pediatric occupational therapy—but does the evidence support what OTPs are doing? We dig into a 2025 scoping review revealing the surprising truth: most research is preliminary and thin. We break down 3 i...
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34:43
Ep. 36 Home Programs That Actually Work
An occupational therapist came into Michele's office complaining that parents weren't following through with home programs—sound familiar? The problem isn't the parents; it's how we're setting them up from day one. This episode flips that sc...
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37:47
Ep. 35 CO-OP for Improving Motor Skills
What if you could peek inside a child's brain and actually SEE therapy working? That's exactly what researchers did with CO-OP (Cognitive Orientation to Occupational Performance)—and the results are amazing! Join Lacy and Michele as they bre...
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36:26