Podcast
Ideas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) Podcast
Hosted by Michele Alaniz & Lacy Wright · EN
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
38episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ep. 69 Comparing Motor Interventions for Autism
1w ago00:35:26Tap to summarizeSend 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 works? This week we dig into a 2025 study that compares three different approaches head to head, and the findings remind us why skilled therapy is irreplaceable. And Michele talks about her session that ended with a Ziploc bag of very questionable slime. We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the original article too. Arabi, S. M., & Kakhki, A. S. (2025). Comparing the effects of fine, gross, and fine-gross motor exercises on the motor competence of 6–12 year-old autistic children: A quasi-experimental study with a follow-up test. Acta Psychologica, 254, 104842. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825001556Stay 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
Transcribe →Ep 68 CIMT Summer Camp
2w ago00:31:35Tap to summarizeSend 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 CIMT summer camp for kids with unilateral cerebral palsy — 60 hours, 10 days, and a treasure chest at the end. Arrrrr! We cover who qualifies, what a full day at camp looks like, and whether adding virtual reality (drones! robotic exoskeletons! Wii!) actually moves the needle. Plus, the TWU protocol is free, online, and basically ready to use tomorrow.We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the original article too.Roberts, H., Clegg, N. J., Wang, W., Chapa, S., Arellano, B., Trahan, M., Reyes, F., Delgado, M. R., Ram, S., & Shierk, A. (2025). Constraint Therapy with and Without Virtual Reality for Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Trial. Children, 12(3), 283. https://doi.org/10.3390/children12030283 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
Transcribe →Ep. 67 Polyvagal Theory and Listening Programs
3w ago00:47:19Tap to summarizeSend 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 principles of polyvagal theory, the recent scientific debate around it, and what a systematic review of sound-based interventions found. The polyvagal conversation is complicated and debated in neuroscience, but when it comes to the listening programs themselves, the research points somewhere surprisingly simple. Get the OT Evidence Checklist here to evaluate the evidence for and "red flags" against an intervention method/practice.We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the original article too. Vincent, V., Skaczkowski, G., Hughes-Barton, D., & Gunn, K. M. (2025). Effectiveness of sound-based interventions for improving functional outcomes in children: A systematic review of the evidence. Occupational Therapy International, 2025, Article 1693722. https://doi.org/10.1155/oti/1693722 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
Transcribe →Ep. 66 Ayres SI vs. ABA
4w ago00:45:53Tap to summarizeSend 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 — and we have thoughts. We're breaking down what makes these two approaches fundamentally different (hello key ingredients and mechanism of action), what the evidence actually says, and what to tell families who are confused about the difference. Buckle up. We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the original article too.Schaaf, R. C., Ridgway, E. M., Jones, E. A., Dumont, R. L., Foxe, J., Conly, T., Sancimino, C., Yi, M., Mailloux, Z., Hunt, J. M., Kirschner, L., Leiby, B. E., & Molholm, S. (2025). A comparative trial of occupational therapy using Ayres Sensory Integration and Applied Behavior Analysis interventions for autistic children. Autism Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.70099 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
Transcribe →Ep. 65 Early Intervention: The GAME Approach
May 1300:41:41Tap to summarizeSend 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, Enrichment) for toddlers with developmental delays. We discuss the steps of the GAME intervention, supportive parent coaching, and how you can implement this in your own caseload tomorrow. Plus, Michele shares about a rough consult, Lacy tries something new with student groups, and there's a tiny dragon too! We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the original articles too.Gündoğmuş, E., Bumin, G., & Yalçın, S. S. (2024). Effect of Early Intervention on Developmental Domains and Parent-Child Interaction Among Children With Developmental Delay: A Randomized Controlled Study. The American journal of occupational therapy: official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 78(6), 7806205110. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2024.050706 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
Transcribe →Ep. 64 Handwriting Research Tour (yes, skip the pencil grips)
May 600:46:38Tap to summarizeSend 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, education, ergonomics, and hand therapy — to find out what actually moves the needle in handwriting intervention. Learn with us as we dig into why force matters more than grip position, what the research says about weighted and adapted pencils, and why grasp patterns are way less important than we were trained to believe. Plus, we land on the nine key ingredients that the literature says actually make a difference — rooted in motor learning theory and ready to use in your next session. **Get the additional handwriting resources at this linkWe share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the original articles too.Schneider, M. K., Myers, C. T., Morgan-Daniel, J., & Shechtman, O. (2023). A scoping review of grasp and handwriting performance in school-age children. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 43(4), 430–445. https://doi.org/10.1080/01942638.2022.2151392 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
Transcribe →Ep. 63 Preparing Autistic Teens for Adulthood
Apr 2900:41:01Tap to summarizeSend 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 anxious than ever. Good news: the research has some clear direction on what actually moves the needle for autistic teens heading into adulthood. Spoiler — it might not be what you think. This week, we dig into the MAPSS program and come away with practical tools you can use in any setting.We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the original article too.Kirby, A. V., Feldman, K. J. C., Himle, M. B., Diener, M. L., Wright, C. A., & Hoffman, J. M. (2021). Pilot test of the Maximizing Adolescent Post-Secondary Success (MAPSS) intervention: Supporting parents of autistic youth. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75(3), 7503180070. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2021.045815 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
Transcribe →Ep. 62 CVI Interventions
Apr 2200:39:36Tap to summarizeSend 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 getting into the research about CVI, sharing a free tool for collaborating with parents, and discussing 4 evidence-based interventions you can start weaving into your sessions. One of them is the most surprising and effective low-tech treatment idea we have come across in a long time.We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the original article too.Weden, K., DeCarlo, D. K., & Barstow, E. (2023). A scoping review of intervention for pediatric cerebral visual impairment: Calling all pediatric occupational therapists. Occupational Therapy in Health Care, 37(3), 326–356. https://doi.org/10.1080/07380577.2023.2172761Stay 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
Transcribe →Ep. 61 Improving Food Intake & Family Vibes
Apr 1500:42:03Tap to summarizeSend 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. We discuss new research on responsive feeding for children with G-tubes and share how coaching caregivers, honoring child cues, and creating a positive mealtime environment can lead to meaningful change—without focusing on every tiny feeding skill. Real research, real strategies, and ideas you can start using right away.We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the original article too.Foster, L., Lawson, L. M., & Moreland, H. (2025). Impact of a responsive feeding intervention on children and caregivers: A nonrandomized, repeated-measures study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 79(5), 7905205060. 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
Transcribe →Ep. 60 Ideas at Work Highlights
Apr 800:26:42Tap to summarizeSend 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 regulation session, share how one therapist used a basketball intervention, and break down how to write airtight documentation when your funding source wants to put you in a box (hint - this is where the key ingredients and mechanism of action come into play). This is evidence-based practice in the wild — messy, creative, and it works!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
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