Episode 49: An interview with Caitlin Sanschagrin, MS, OTR/L owner of BrightSpOT Pediatrics

Regulation and co-regulation are increasingly used terms in pediatric and parenting spaces, yet they’re often poorly defined or oversimplified. In this episode, we sit down with neuroaffirming, pediatric occupational therapist Caitlin Sanschagrin, owner of BrightSpOT Pediatric Therapy to break down what nervous system regulation actually means, how co-regulation supports emotional development and functional behavior, and why connection-based, neuro-affirming approaches outperform compliance-driven strategies. We discuss how stress physiology impacts learning and behavior, what co-regulation looks like across developmental stages, and practical ways caregivers can support regulation at home without unrealistic expectations of perfection.In this episode:🧠 Let’s talk regulation and what it actually means🫶 Co-regulation across ages (babies → teens → adults)🔥 Why compliance-based therapy backfires🧸 Meltdowns aren’t teaching moments📚 Predictability & routines as regulation tools💬 Modeling emotional regulation as parents💔 Repair after rupture actually matters🌈 Neuro-affirming parenting + therapyFight Caitlin and her team:Website: https://brightspotpediatrics.comInstagram and TikTok: @brightspotpediatrics Find us: 🎧 Subscribe, follow, and leave us a review — it helps more parents find real support📩 Questions or episode ideas? Email us at [email protected]📲 Follow us on Instagram: @ladybirdpt🩺 Learn more about pelvic health care with Lady Bird PTResources Mention: @learnplaythrive on IG and https://learnplaythrive.com