Pediatric Pioneers Episode 11: Is Regulation the Missing Link to Pediatric Engagement?

Amy Laurent, PhD, OTR/L, a leading voice in neurodiversity-affirming practice and coauthor of the SCERTS Model, joins host Nicole Quint to unpack the science and practice of supporting regulation and occupational engagement in pediatric rehabilitation therapy. Nicole and Amy explore why regulation is foundational for engagement and challenge conventional approaches that may unintentionally promote masking over meaningful participation. You’ll hear how strengths-based, individualized strategies can empower clients—and how we, as practitioners, can move beyond one-size-fits-all frameworks. Join us for a practical and powerful conversation that will help you rethink how regulation shows up in your sessions.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the evidence around the importance of supporting regulation for neurodivergent individuals, with implications for all clients
• Apply evidence-informed strategies to actionably address the regulatory needs of clients in ways that are authentic and affirming to their presentation to facilitate participation in meaningful occupations
• Solve patient case scenarios involving regulatory challenges/support needs for clients with diverse communication profiles

Timestamps

• (00:00:00) Welcome
• (00:01:30) Amy’s professional journey into regulation
• (00:04:30) Rethinking regulation: beyond calm
• (00:08:45) What the research and community are saying
• (00:15:18) Translating research into practice
• (00:19:20) The OT role in regulation across the day
• (00:23:40) Tools to assess and support regulation
• (00:27:50) Language, buy-in, and building capacity
• (00:33:00) Three actionable takeaways for clinicians
• (00:43:40) Case scenario: a school-based example
• (00:51:30) Empowering the whole team through universal design
• (00:53:10) Final words of wisdom
• (00:55:00) Outro and CE info

Resources Mentioned in Episode

• Autism Level UP!

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