95% of kids with neurodevelopmental disorders struggle with sleep—but there's an OT intervention that gives families an extra hour of sleep per night! In this episode, we discuss an occupational therapy study from Argentina that used telehealth and coaching to transform bedtime battles. This isn't the typical "try melatonin" approach—it's a comprehensive 5-step program addressing everything from parent self-care to zeitgeber (yes - that’s a real term and it’s amazing). Michele breaks down this intensive OT intervention, delivering significant improvements in bedtime resistance, sleep onset, and duration. We're sharing exactly how occupational therapists can implement these strategies and highlight the freely available assessment tools and day-by-day protocols. If you've ever had a parent desperately ask for sleep help, this episode is your new secret weapon.

We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the article too.

Leive, L., Melfi, D., Lipovetzky, J., Cukier, S., Abelenda, J., & Morrison, R. (2024). Program to Support Child Sleep from the Occupational Therapy Perspective during the COVID-19 pandemic. Programa de Acompañamiento del Sueño en la Infancia con Terapia Ocupacional durante la pandemia por COVID-19. Archivos argentinos de pediatria, 122(1), e202303029. https://doi.org/10.5546/aap.2023-03029.eng

KEYWORDS: Occupational therapy; evidence-based practice; OT; Peds OT; pediatric occupational therapy; sleep disorders; sleep intervention; sleep strategies; coaching; telehealth; neurodevelopmental disorders

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Many of our families know that sinking feeling when mealtime becomes a battlefield—tears, tantrums, and the stress of watching a child refuse meal after meal. But what is the best way to help? This week, we dive into a brand-new scoping review on responsive feeding for pediatric feeding disorders—an approach that's finally putting words to what many OTPs have been doing intuitively. We'll break down the two key pillars: environmental supports (consistent meal schedules, intentional positioning, and sensory-minded food preparation) and strengthening caregiver-child relationships through coaching and education. While this approach might sound familiar to OTs—focusing on child autonomy, self-regulation, and trust-building—the research is just catching up to validate what works. This episode will give you concrete occupational therapy strategies to transform mealtimes from stressful battles into opportunities for connection and growth.

We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the article too.

Mattner, M. R., Guzman, A. L., Moore, E., Fortuna, J., & Cantwell-Jurkovic, L. (2025). Responsive feeding therapy for children with pediatric feeding disorder (PFD): A scoping review. Appetite, 214, 108211. Advance online publication. https://doi-org.kumc.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.appet.2025.108211 

Foster, L., Lawson, L. M., & Moreland, H. (2025). Impact of a Responsive Feeding Intervention on Children and Caregivers: A Nonrandomized, Repeated-Measures Study. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 79(5), 7905205060. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2025.051100 

KEYWORDS: Occupational therapy; evidence-based practice; OT; OT ideas; Peds OT; pediatric occupational therapy; responsive feeding; pediatric feeding disorder; feeding therapy

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Drowning in long therapy wait lists? Researchers found that group DIR Floortime (4 kids, 2 therapists) produced the same outcomes as individual occupational therapy sessions for autistic toddlers—AND slashed wait times from 108 to 52 days! We break down what worked, the challenges (parent participation was tricky), and what the therapists thought about it. Plus Michele's epic "Failed It" moment with bleeding lips and Lacy's activity up & down-grading breakthrough. If you're looking to serve more kids faster without sacrificing quality, this episode delivers a solution that you could try tomorrow.

We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the article too.

Hirschmann, S., Magnezi, R., Bassan, H., & Tal, O. (2023). Group versus individual occupational therapy for toddlers with autism as a means to improve access to public health-care services. Randomised controlled pilot study. Australian occupational therapy journal, 70(4), 434–445. https://doi.org/10.1111/1440-1630.12865

KEYWORDS: Occupational therapy; evidence-based practice; OT; OT ideas; Peds OT; pediatric occupational therapy; group therapy; autism; DIRFloortime; early intervention

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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 a veteran OT questioning yourself, we've got real cognitive and behavioral tools you can use starting today. 

We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the article too.

Prisco, D., & Walsh, S. (2025). A Survey-Based Quantification of Imposter Phenomenon In Occupational Therapy. The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 13(2), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.15453/2168-6408.2344

KEYWORDS: Occupational therapy; evidence-based practice; OT; OT ideas; Peds OT; pediatric occupational therapy; impostor syndrome; impostor phenomenon; professional growth

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Michele 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 Yuka nutrition app that's perfect for OT feeding interventions.

We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the article too.

Kumar, M. A., & Nagalakshmi, P. (2023). Effectiveness of specialized resisted strengthening activities to improve handwriting legibility in autism spectrum disorder: a quasi-experimental study. The Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 55(2), 57-60.

KEYWORDS: Occupational therapy; evidence-based practice; OT; OT ideas; Peds OT; pediatric occupational therapy; handwriting; writing; strengthening; fine motor; autism; ASD; school-based; intervention

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Ep 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 understand play in your life (and hear Michele and Lacy’s quiz results).

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Ep 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 goals to insurance or wanting more authentic play in your sessions, this episode arms you with evidence-based strategies to help kids develop through what they do best – PLAY! 

We share our own ideas and several compiled in the Royal College’s OT & Play Practice Guideline (2023)  

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Ep 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 the  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. 

Find the assessments discussed in this episode and more in the textbook Play in Occupational Therapy for Children, 2nd Ed. by Parham & Fazio. 

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Ep 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!

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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 in episode 13), Professor Novak shares research-backed strategies that will transform your OT practice. This isn't just another evidence-based talk—it's your roadmap to interventions that deliver real results.

Learn more about Iona Novak's work

Novak, I., & Honan, I. (2019). Effectiveness of paediatric occupational therapy for children with disabilities: A systematic review. Australian occupational therapy journal, 66(3), 258-273.    (Listen to Lacy & Michele discussing this article in episode 13)

Novak, I., Morgan, C., Fahey, M., Finch-Edmondson, M., Galea, C., Hines, A., ... & Badawi, N. (2020). State of the evidence traffic lights 2019: systematic review of interventions for preventing and treating children with cerebral palsy. Current neurology and neuroscience reports, 20, 1-21.

Novak, I., Te Velde, A., Hines, A., Stanton, E., Mc Namara, M., Paton, M. C., ... & Morgan, C. (2021). Rehabilitation evidence-based decision-making: the READ model. Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences, 2, 726410.

KEYWORDS: Occupational therapy; OT; evidence-based practice; OT ideas; peds OT; pediatric occupational therapy; cerebral palsy; CP; systematic review

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