Ideas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) Podcast

69 episodes

Ep 68 CIMT Summer Camp
2026/06/03 | 31 mins.
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Ever 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
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Ep. 67 Polyvagal Theory and Listening Programs
2026/05/27 | 47 mins.
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We'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
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👉 Find us on Instagram @ideas.at.play
Ep. 66 Ayres SI vs. ABA
2026/05/20 | 45 mins.
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The 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
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👉 Find us on Instagram @ideas.at.play
Ep. 65 Early Intervention: The GAME Approach
2026/05/13 | 41 mins.
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Can 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
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📧 Email us a question or comment at [email protected]
👉 Find us on Instagram @ideas.at.play
Ep. 64 Handwriting Research Tour (yes, skip the pencil grips)
2026/05/06 | 46 mins.
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If 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 link
We 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!
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📧 Email us a question or comment at [email protected]
👉 Find us on Instagram @ideas.at.play

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About Ideas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) Podcast

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 heartsJoin 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.playKeywords: occupational therapy, OT, pediatric occupational therapy, evidence based practice, peds OT

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