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About the Show
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 [email protected]
👉 Find us on Instagram @ideas.at.play
Keywords: occupational therapy, OT, pediatric occupational therapy, evidence based practice, peds OT
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70 episodes — long track record
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Recent Episodes
Ep. 69 Comparing Motor Interventions for Autism
Send us a Text or VoicemailMotor skill difficulties show up in nearly 9 out of 10 autistic kids, which means this question comes up in almost every caseload: what motor-based intervention actually…
Ep 68 CIMT Summer Camp
Send us a Text or VoicemailEver wondered how to actually do constraint-induced movement therapy? This week, we discuss a 2025 randomized trial out of Texas Women's University that ran a pirate-themed…
Ep. 67 Polyvagal Theory and Listening Programs
Send us a Text or VoicemailWe're covering two topics that kept coming up in your emails and are linked in the literature — polyvagal theory and listening programs. Michele walks us through the…
Ep. 66 Ayres SI vs. ABA
Send us a Text or VoicemailThe study we've been waiting for is finally here. An NIH-funded, head-to-head RCT pits Ayres Sensory Integration against ABA for autistic children with sensory differences…
Ep. 65 Early Intervention: The GAME Approach
Send us a Text or VoicemailCan a home program alone replace clinic-based therapy? This week, we put it to the test with a randomized controlled study on the GAME intervention (Goal, Activity, Motor,…
Ep. 64 Handwriting Research Tour (yes, skip the pencil grips)
Send us a Text or VoicemailIf you've ever debated pencil grips or the perfect grasp pattern in an IEP meeting, this episode is for you. We take a tour of the handwriting literature — pulling from OT,…
Ep. 63 Preparing Autistic Teens for Adulthood
Send us a Text or VoicemailIf you work with older kids, you know the feeling — suddenly your caseload has a teenager and the stakes feel higher, the clock feels shorter, and the parents feel more…
Ep. 62 CVI Interventions
Send us a Text or VoicemailCerebral visual impairment (CVI) is the leading cause of low vision in children and one of the most underidentified conditions in pediatric practice. This week, we are…
Ep. 61 Improving Food Intake & Family Vibes
Send us a Text or VoicemailFeeding therapy doesn’t have to feel like a power struggle. In this episode, we explore how shifting from pressure to partnership can improve food intake and family vibes.…
Ep. 60 Ideas at Work Highlights
Send us a Text or VoicemailWe're celebrating episode 60 by going inside our Ideas at Work pilot group. Real therapists, real sessions, real problem-solving. We troubleshoot a tough emotional…
Ep. 59 Coaching in Early Intervention
Send us a Text or VoicemailMost OTs in early intervention think they're coaching, BUT the research says otherwise. In this episode, we discuss a scoping review on caregiver coaching in early…
Ep. 58 Zippers: An OT + Speech Approach
Send us a Text or VoicemailMost of us teach zippers the same way—repeat, repeat, repeat—and hope it clicks. But what if there’s a better way? In this episode, we break down a simple, creative…
Ep. 57 Sensory Activity Schedules
Send us a Text or VoicemailSensory 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…
Ep. 56 OT Interventions for Autistic Children (20 Strategies!)
Send us a Text or VoicemailEvidence-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…
Ep.55 Burnout in OT Practice
Send us a Text or VoicemailLet’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…
Ep. 54 Big Feelings, Big Strategies: Emotional Regulation Meta Analysis
Send us a Text or VoicemailEmotional 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,…
Ep. 53 Clothes on Backward? A Super Simple Visual Cue for Dressing
Send us a Text or VoicemailWhy 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…
Ep. 52 Music for Social Skills and Mental Health in Autism
Send us a Text or VoicemailDrumming 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…
Ep. 51 Sensory-Based Interventions - Tools or Toys?
Send us a Text or VoicemailSensory 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…
Ep. 50 Listener Questions: Pediatric OT in the Real World
Send us a Text or VoicemailEpisode 50 is all about YOU! Michele and Lacy tackle the questions that keep pediatric occupational therapists thinking, problem-solving, and sometimes scratching their…
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