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Welcome to the show notes for Episode 163 of the OT Schoolhouse Podcast.
What if there was a way to make sensory integration more accessible, effective, and inclusive for every student you support?
In this episode with Dr. Colleen Cameron Whiting, OTD, OTR/L, shares her research on integrating sensory integration within the school setting. From implementing a flexible 15-week intervention model to adapting strategies within a Multi-Tiered System of Support. Join us as this episode is packed with practical insights to empower us to make a meaningful change.
Listen now to learn the following objectives:
Learners will identify how sensory integration can be effectively implemented within a school setting using a multi-tiered support system (MTSS).
Learners will understand the importance of collaboration between occupational therapists, teachers, and parents to enhance student engagement and classroom performance
Learners will understand how to integrate SI strategies into everyday academic activities and tailor them to fit individual student needs.
Guests Bio
Colleen Cameron Whiting, OTD, OTR/L has worked as an occupational therapist for over twenty years and currently works as an assistant professor in the doctorate program at Johnson & Wales University. Her expertise lies in holistically supporting children, particularly those with sensory integration and processing challenges, autism, and who have experienced trauma, using theoretically based, evidence-informed interventions, and advanced professional reasoning.
Throughout Whiting's career in early intervention, mental health, schools, private practice, and academia, she has modeled the importance of being a lifelong learner and innovating new ideas through her scholarship and service. She has published several peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters as well as a multiple baseline single-subject research study. Whiting has also presented internationally in professional development trainings for practitioners, parents, and educators.
Quotes
"They really felt like they had a breadth of knowledge of really understanding the impact that sensory integration and processing can have on occupational performance and how some of the strategies and approaches that we do, using the ASI principles, can have really nice gains."
-Colleen Cameron Whiting, OTD, OTR/L
"They now had this tool belt of strategies of adapting and modifying the school environment to be more sensory supportive for that particular student, but also understanding that it's really important that we're engaging the student."
-Colleen Cameron Whiting, OTD, OTR/L
"We want to make sure that we have this intentional generalization of what’s happening; otherwise, we’re just in this kind of box in the corner, and we’re not making sure that things are connecting back to the classroom."
-Colleen Cameron Whiting, OTD, OTR/L
“An IEP is designed to be individualized for the student. So long as the IEP team agrees on something, go for it. You might have to get a little crafty in how you do it, but go for it.”
-Jayson Davies, M.A., OTR/L
“Using terminology familiar to educators, like 'common core,' instead of technical terms, can better communicate the impact of occupational therapy in schools”
-Jayson Davies, M.A., OTR/L
Resources
Episode Transcript
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