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Ideas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 26 Have Impostor Syndrome? (Here’s what to do)Ever feel like you are in over your head? You're not alone—new research shows 84% of occupational therapy practitioners and students secretly battle impostor syndrome. From OT students to seasoned therapists, despite being well qualified, we're all wondering if we actually know what we're doing! In this episode, we break down the study that puts numbers to what we feel and reveal who may be hit hardest by these "Am I good enough?" thoughts. Then, Michele & Lacy share their strategies to move past impostor syndrome. Whether you're an OTA doubting your skills, an occupational therapy student feeling overwhelmed, or...2025-08-1331 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 25 Hand Strengthening for HandwritingMichele presents research that offers a completely different perspective on OT handwriting intervention. While previous episodes emphasized task-specific training (doing writing to improve writing), this study suggests that students receiving specialized resistance exercises—putty, rubber bands, clips—significantly outperformed control groups on handwriting legibility. We discuss the mechanisms behind these results and share practical strengthening activities OTPs can use in their sessions or use as home (or car) programs. We explore this alternative viewpoint, discuss the conflicting evidence, and let you decide how this fits into your OT practice. Plus, hear about Lacy's McDonald's shoe-tying success story and the...2025-08-0624 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastSummer of Play Series: Play PersonalitiesEp 24 - In our final Summer of Play episode, we're uncovering the rich history and complex science that makes play genuinely unique in pediatric OT practice. Journey from Piaget and Vygotsky's foundational theories to Mary Reilly's revolutionary work for occupational therapy. We'll break down the National Institute of Play's eight distinct categories - from attunement and rough-and-tumble play to imaginative storytelling - revealing why recognizing these differences can shape your pediatric occupational therapy sessions. Plus, discover your own play personality through their quiz and learn whether you're an explorer, collector, competitor, or one of five other types to...2025-07-3028 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastSummer of Play Series: Interventions for PlayEp 23 - Ready to turn your occupational therapy sessions into playgrounds of learning? In this episode of our Summer of Play Series, we explore using play as both the vehicle AND the destination in pediatric OT. We'll discuss 5 manualized occupational therapy interventions that facilitate play for kids (and OTPs!) and 6 other evidence-based strategies for many diagnoses and practice settings. Discover how LEGO bricks build friendships, why getting down on the floor is a powerful OT clinical tool, and learn the key ingredients that transform ordinary activities into genuine play experiences. Whether you're an occupational therapy practitioner justifying play...2025-07-2331 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastSummer of Play Series: Assessing PlayEp 22 - Think you know how to assess play? We break down the surprising gap between how important play is for EVERY PART of child development and how this occupation is often overlooked in OT/OTA education programs and practice. You'll discover Bundy’s 4-part definition of play, the top 3 play assessments every pediatric occupational therapy practitioner should know, and learn simple ways to incorporate play observation into your OT evaluations. 🌞 Grab the free Summer of Play Guide here—available only through August!Find the assessmen...2025-07-1628 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastSummer of Play Series: 10 Fun Summer Therapy IdeasEp 21 - Summer just got a whole lot more fun! 🌞 Michele and Lacy kick off their Summer of Play series with 10 fun, evidence-based therapy activities. From DIY food trucks and table tennis for executive function to water balloons for social play to messy mud & shaving cream toy washes, these aren't just fun activities—they're strategic summertime interventions that your therapy kids will want to do again. Build your toolkit of seasonal strategies that work across all pediatric occupational therapy settings and ability levels. Time to trade your worn-out activities for some serious summer fun!2025-07-0927 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 20 Green Light Interventions for CP: Do What Works (with special guest Iona Novak)Stop guessing and start knowing which occupational therapy interventions actually work. World-renowned OT researcher Professor Iona Novak discusses her revolutionary Traffic Light System that rates occupational therapy interventions with simple green, yellow, and red color coding. Learn why starting with client goals (not assessments) delivers faster outcomes, discover which interventions are moving from yellow to green (including stem cell research!), and discover her READ framework for evidence-based OT decision making. From her childhood friendship with Louisa, who had cerebral palsy, to her systematic review of ALL pediatric occupational therapy interventions (that we previously discussed on our podcast...2025-07-0248 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 19 Pictures vs. Videos: Choosing the Right Visual Support for ADL GoalsYou've heard that a picture is worth a thousand words, but what about a thousand prompts? When it comes to helping autistic kids master daily living skills like brushing teeth, washing hands, and tying shoes, the visual support debate is real: static pictures or dynamic videos? Occupational therapists Michele and Lacy discuss research that puts these two visual strategies head-to-head, revealing insights about which kids thrive with which approach. Spoiler alert: it's not a simple winner! Plus, get the scoop on Boom Whackers (yes, that's a real thing), safety tips for teaching knife skills...2025-06-2536 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 18 Aquatic Therapy: Using the Pool for More Than Swim LessonsWhen you think of therapy in the swimming pool, swim lessons probably come to mind. However, occupational therapy practitioners use water for so many life skills! This week, Michele dives into research from Spain that reveals how aquatic therapy can be beneficial for autistic children in OT settings. The results? Better school performance, improved social competence, and happier kids overall. Plus, Michele shares her own terrifying pool story of a little girl who loved staying under the water for a long time and the treatment strategy to ensure her safety.We share our own thoughts...2025-06-1838 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 17 Time Management Treatment Ideas for ADHDReady for an ADHD intervention that tackles the root problem of time management? This Swedish research hands occupational therapy practitioners a comprehensive protocol that includes both remediation and compensation strategies for time processing difficulties. We unpack the three core components of time processing ability and explore a manualized program blending environmental modifications with daily skill-building sessions. Plus, Lacy shares a Failed It story about shoes that went missing, and Michele explains a fantastic Nailed It experience with her strategy for diffusing a power struggle during an OT evaluation. We share our own t...2025-06-1138 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 16 From Student Projects to Group Therapy: How to Build Better TeamsAs occupational therapy practitioners, we spend our careers working in teams—yet most of us learned to hate group work in OT/OTA school. Sound familiar? We're breaking down brand-new research from the Journal of OT Education that studied how to build better teams to avoid group disasters. Whether you're an OT/OTA student dreading your next group project, an educator trying to build the best groups for an assignment, a new grad navigating clinic dynamics, or an experienced occupational therapy practitioner leading interdisciplinary teams, you'll discover evidence-based strategies to use tomorrow. Plus, get tips on how to pr...2025-06-0445 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 15 Accept, Adapt & Advocate: Autistic Adults Share Insights for OTPsEver wonder what your pediatric OT clients will say about you when they grow up? In this episode, Lacy & Michele explore qualitative research where autistic adults share what they wish their childhood occupational therapists had known. Their insights challenge us to embrace neurodiversity by accepting (rather than “fixing”) autism, adapting environments instead of forcing compliance, and prioritizing client autonomy. These perspectives offer occupational therapy practitioners a roadmap to more effective, ethical, and empowering therapy approaches. Plus, Lacy shares a hilarious Failed It and Michele discovers a new pop-tube.We share our own thoughts in the Rese...2025-05-2836 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 14 Role of OT and Co-Occupation in the NICU (and why it matters!)Step into the NICU where beeping monitors meet tiny fighters and discover how sensory connections are changing the game for premature infants. We unpack the SENSE program that's putting occupational therapists at the forefront of preemie care, revealing why those first touches, sounds, and movements matter more than you think. Join Lacy and Michele as they take a deep dive into co-occupation. Whether you're a clinician seeking evidence-based strategies or simply fascinated by early development, you'll discover why co-occupation isn't just a clinical term—it's the powerful connection that shapes developing brains and strengthens families during their most ch...2025-05-2143 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 13 The Ultimate Evidence Guide: What 52 Pediatric OT Interventions & 90 Years of Research RevealTired 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 interventions landed in the green zone (do these!), which fell into the red (avoid!), and why parent collaboration and occupation-based approaches consistently outperform bottom-up methods. Michele and Lacy discuss this evidence-based, color-coded roadmap that you can apply in your therapy sessions tomorrow. Plus they answer a listener question about the differences between sensory integration, sensory processing, sensory stimulation, and sensory desensitization. ***In episode 20, Lacy and Michele i...2025-05-1439 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 12 Shooting for Better Sleep: How Playing Basketball Improves Sleep & Executive FunctionCould 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...2025-05-0738 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 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 instruction and occupational therapy intervention. We examine why focusing on the occupation of writing outperforms a sensory-motor approach, how immediate feedback accelerates progress, and why explicit instruction matters so much. Plus, get a glimpse into how AI technologies like Kaligo and Psymark are revolutionizing how OTs, teachers, and families can collaborate to support children's handwriting development in the digital age.2025-04-3040 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 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. She shares both "Nailed It" and "Failed It" experiences, explains her “just give them the food” feeding philosophy, and gives a shout-out to her favorite OT feeding resources. Learn why building trust with parents becomes the foundation for effective OT intervention and how finding moments of joy at mealtime can be life-changing, even when full oral feeding isn't always possible. With...2025-04-2354 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 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! Hear about 3 game-changing elements occupational therapists can implement: instant feedback, kids actually wanting to do more repetitions in therapy, and automatic adjustments for that perfect "just right challenge" every OT strives for. No fancy equipment? No problem - these main ideas work in many OT settings. You'll also hear about a creative occupational therapy "Nailed It!" moment where a high schooler...2025-04-1638 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 8 Ayres SI in Brazil: 3 Tools to Boost Your OT PracticeDid 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 trial from Brazil on Ayres Sensory Integration (ASI) that every peds OT needs to know about. Discover three practical tools that will transform your OT practice: data-driven decision making, the ASI fidelity measure, and goal attainment scaling. Plus, find out why golden retrievers and toddlers don't always mix in therapy sessions!We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage...2025-04-0936 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 7 Parent-Powered Potty Training: The 4-Step Coaching Model in TelehealthForget 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 success rates through occupation-based coaching strategies that every peds OT should know. Learn the 4-step framework that empowers parents to become the experts in their child's potty training journey, showing significant improvement in just 12 weeks! We'll break down practical occupational therapy ideas that therapists are using to guide families through this challenging milestone and reveal which resources parents actually use (spoiler: it's not the handouts!). Whe...2025-04-0234 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 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 evidence-based strategies for fieldwork in this must-listen episode. From communication skills to time management, discover the essential professional behaviors that make or break fieldwork experiences and learn practical tools that transform OT education. Whether you're a peds OT seeking fresh ideas, a fieldwork educator, or a student preparing for practice, this episode delivers actionable insights to ensure fieldwork success.We sh...2025-03-2636 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 5 Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3: Top School-Based OT Interventions That WorkOverwhelmed 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-based OTs are shifting from traditional pull-out services to classroom-embedded support, dramatically reducing waitlists while expanding their influence. This episode unpacks game-changing approaches at every tier with concrete, research-supported strategies, specific intervention dosage guidelines, and methods to convert teachers into enthusiastic collaborators. We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the article too.2025-03-1930 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 4 Beyond the Messy Desk: Assessing Executive Function in AdolescentsThink 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 into how adolescents may be struggling to think, plan, organize, and navigate their world. Plus - Lacy and Michele answer a listener's question, exposing a sensory-based myth found on Instagram.We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the article too.Tamm, L., Hamik, E. M., Zoromski, A. K., & Du...2025-03-1231 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 3 Scoring Success: Quality Sports Participation for Kids with AutismHow 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 strategies for creating the perfect balance of challenge, autonomy, and social connection in sports programs. The hosts share their recent practice stories in "Nailed It or Failed It," introduce you to an inspiring autistic artist in Kansas, and reveal the story of their cross-country friendship and professional journey. We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you t...2025-03-0535 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 2 Play that Works: Engaging & Effective OT Motor Interventions for Kids with CPWhat 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 OT research comparing constraint-induced movement therapy and bimanual intensive training, revealing which approach might have the long-term edge for your pediatric therapy practice. Along the way, you'll hear Michele's inspiring OT story about a former client who now rides mountain bikes after successfully using constraint-induced movement therapy, discover practical pediatric occupational therapy strategies to overcome initial child resistance and laugh...2025-02-2629 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastEp. 1 Play With Purpose: An OT Motor Skill Intervention for AutismDid 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 can implement immediately in your practice, including a surprising twist on video modeling that goes beyond just visual learning. Whether you're an OT or PT, this episode will transform how you think about motor-based intervention. Join Dr. Michele Alaniz and Dr. Lacy Wright as we explore ideas that will impact your therapy sessions.Bhat, A. (2022). M...2025-02-1918 minIdeas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) PodcastWelcome to Ideas at Play!Welcome to Ideas at Play, your go to podcast for practical and engaging insights into pediatric occupational therapy. We're your hosts, Michele Alaniz, OTD, OTR/L, BCP, and Lacy Wright OTD, OTR/L, BCP - two OTs with a passion for breaking down research and helping you apply it to your practice in meaningful ways.Every episode will take you through the latest pediatric OT research, share real world examples, and give you tools you can use right away.Plus, we've got our favorite segment, Nailed It or Failed It, where we share what's worked a...2025-02-0801 min
The OT Schoolhouse Podcast for School-Based OT PractitionersOTSH 40: SBOT Journal Club - Autism, Hand Strength, & Handwriting Feat. Billy HatridgeIn this episode, Jayson hosts the OT Dad, Billy Hatridge, to review an article titled "Hand Strength, Handwriting, and Functional Skills in Children With Autism" by Michele Alaniz, Eleanor Galit, Corina Isabel Necesito & Emily Rosario. This is a 2015 article from the American Journal of Occupational Therapy. Show notes: otschoolhouse.com/episode40 Article Citation: Michele L. Alaniz, Eleanor Galit, Corina Isabel Necesito, Emily R. Rosario; Hand Strength, Handwriting, and Functional Skills in Children With Autism. Am J Occup Ther 2015;69(4):6904220030p1-6904220030p9. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2015.016022. (Link to AJOT) Kick off the 2025-26 s...2019-10-1520 min