When I first learned about the field of occupational therapy, I had a very superficial understanding of what it entailed. In the school systems, it seemed like referrals often focused on fine-motor skills related to school, like pencil grip. 

When I learned about sensory processing, I discovered that it’s so much more than that; and I realized how important it is for other members of both school and clinical teams to understand how each discipline can support each other. 

That’s why I was so excited to talk with Maude Le Roux in episode 148 of the De Facto Leaders podcast.

Maude Le Roux, OTR/L, SIPT, RCTC, DIR® Expert Trainer, is an international trainer on a wide variety of topics and also the director of her own online academy. She opened A Total Approach with her husband in September 2001. Maude is SIPT certified and specializes in Sensory Integration as it applies to functional activities of daily living, including improving the ability of any child to partake in their learning environment. Maude has presented workshops in multiple international locations, as well as in the US nationwide. She has developed the Developmental Pathways Model (DPM) in reaching clients with different profiles with a wide array of diagnoses. She is well known for her work in Sensory Processing, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Reading and Learning Disorders, as well as Attachment Disorders. 

She serves on the board for ATTACh, an international organization involved in attachment and trauma informed care. She is currently mobilizing an international group of Occupational Therapists to organize the influence of trauma informed care in the occupational therapy field. Maude has published two books; “The Listening Journey for Children”, and “Our Greatest Allies” is available through www.amazon.com. 

In this conversation, we discuss:

✅How can we bridge the gap between what’s “educationally relevant” and a child’s developmental level?

✅Collaboration between private therapists and school teams: Why do relationships turn adversarial, and what’s possible when we form partnerships?

✅Tips for helping parents understand the boundaries between “school recommendations” and “home recommendations.”

✅Sensory integration, discrimination, and modulation: How our nervous system supports motor, cognitive, and language development

✅Differential diagnosis: Is it a sensory issue, a behavior issue, or an attention issue? 

✅Praxis, posture, and motor planning: How do these factors impact our ability to engage in goal-directed behavior during sitting, reading, writing, or other daily tasks? 

You can email Maude at [email protected].

You can learn more about Maude’s clinic, “A Total Approach”, at: https://atotalapproach.com/

Learn more about her professional training for clinicians at: https://www.maudeleroux.com/

You can purchase her books here:
Our Greatest Allies: https://www.amazon.com/Our-Greatest-Allies-Relationship-Intervention/dp/0988328836

The Listening Journey for Children: https://www.amazon.com/Listening-Journey-Children-Francoise-Nicoloff/dp/0987053604 

In this episode, I mention the School of Clinical Leadership, my program for related service providers that helps them put programming in place that supports executive functioning. You can learn how to become a member here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership

Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks, IXL and Renaissance:

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation. 

We’re also thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.