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 ObjectivesAnalyze the evidence around the importance of supporting regulation for neurodivergent individuals, with implications for all clientsApply 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 occupationsSolve patient case scenarios involving regulatory challenges/support needs for clients with diverse communication profilesTimestamps(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 infoResources Mentioned in EpisodeAutism Level UP!Pediatric Pioneers is brought to you by Medbridge. If you’d like to earn continuing education credit for listening to this episode and access bonus takeaway handouts, log in to your Medbridge account and navigate to the course where you’ll find accreditation details. If applicable, complete the post-course assessment and survey to be eligible for credit. The takeaway handout on Medbridge gives you the key points mentioned in this episode, along with additional resources you can implement into your practice right away.To hear more episodes of Pediatric Pioneers, visit ⁠⁠https://www.medbridge.com/pediatric-pioneers⁠⁠If you’d like to subscribe to Medbridge, visit ⁠https://www.medbridge.com/pricing/⁠