07. A Sensory Emotional Lens on Play

Now that the holidays are over, what will we do with all these new toys, activities, and games?! We PLAY, of course! But there is a much deeper meaning to play.  On today’s episode of A Sensory Emotional Lens on Play, Michele and special guest Laura Baldwin begin to unpack theories, research, science, and what’s really happening when we play with our kids and why we as adults should play more.  In this episode you’ll discover: Why we play What play brings to us and our kids The neurobiological impact of play How children communicate and process their experiences through play How play helps manage tricky behaviors  Learn more about play in Theresa Kestly’s book, The Interpersonal Neurobiology of Play: Brain-Building Interventions for Emotional Well-Being, here. You can also read Gil Foley’s article, Play as Regulation: Promoting Self-Regulation Through Play, here. Join our community! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatkidsplace/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatKidsPlace/ Want more resources? Please visit our blog: https://greatkidsplace.com/category/blog/   About   Michele Parkins MS, OTR/L IMH-E® Founder & Director, Great Kids Place  Founder, Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™   Michele is an Occupational Therapist endorsed as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. She specializes in working with children and families with Sensory Processing and Integration Disorders and challenges in social-emotional development. She is also a parent of two sensory kids. She works and lives sensational kids! Michele is a fellow of Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, OTR, and the Sensory Treatment and Research Institute faculty.   Michele is passionate about working with families and other therapists and continues to do so as a clinician and educator. She educates therapists from all over the country and world and continues to provide consultation to schools on treatment for sensory processing disorder. Michele has co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the textbook for sensory evaluation and treatment, alongside world-renowned pioneers in the field, and is currently writing a parenting book and children’s books to support parents and families in understanding the impact of sensory processing differences on social emotional capacities including family dynamics and relationships and day to day routines and activities. She hopes to help everyone - children and adults- understand their Sensory Emotional Personality style and ways to find strength and joy within them.  Laura Baldwin, MA, LAC, ADHD-CCSP Licensed Associate Counselor, Social-Emotional Development Coach, Great Kids Place Laura is a Licensed Associate Counselor and a Social-Emotional Development Coach at Great Kids Place. She is a steadfast advocate for developmentally appropriate interventions that improve the physical, psychological, social, and emotional well-being of another person. Laura holds a master’s degree in Clinical and School Counseling, and for over 20 years, she has provided support and services to individuals with social-emotional and developmental needs in school and private settings. With Great Kids Place’s Sensory-Emotional Engagement Model ™ as her foundation, she demonstrates advanced knowledge in the areas of pediatric mental health, child development, neurodivergent populations (ADHD, Autism, gifted, highly sensitive, etc.), sensory processing differences, visual-spatial capacities, parent coaching, family support, attachment theories, developmental and behavioral assessments, social skills, DIR® Floortime™, and Crisis Prevention and Safety Care Interventions. In addition, she is a Reflective Supervision and Consultation Provider certified through the NJ Infant Mental Health Association, with a goal to support other professionals in their relationship-based work with children and families.