Your Therapy Source Podcast

Your Therapy Source
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The Your Therapy Source Podcast shares practical, research-informed ideas to help educators, therapists, and families better understand how children learn, move, regulate, and participate. Hosted by Margaret Rice, PT, each episode explores topics related to the brain, body, learning, movement, sensory processing, self-regulation, executive functioning, school-based therapy, classroom challenges, and current research. The goal is simple: turn complex ideas into useful strategies you can understand and apply. Practical ideas. Powerful tools. Better outcomes.

  1. 1d ago

    How to Help Your Students Follow Multistep Directions

    Visit Your Therapy Source for the research references and two FREE printables to help students follow multistep directions. Why does a student complete the first step, then get stuck? Join Margaret Rice, PT, as she explores how working memory, language processing, and attention can affect following directions. Discover practical ways to make steps visible, simplify instructions, model actions, and check understanding. Learn how to choose supports that fit individual students and use the free “My Directions Plan” and “Ways to Remember Directions” printables in your classroom or therapy sessions.

    How to Help Your Students Follow Multistep Directions

  2. Oct 15

    Why Does a Student Need Constant Adult Reassurance?

    Does a student constantly ask, "Is this right?" or "Can you check my work?" even when they understand the assignment? Frequent adult reassurance can make it difficult for students to develop independent work skills. Download a free printable here: https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog1/2026/10/13/student-need-constant-adult-reassurance/ Learn why some students repeatedly seek adult reassurance and three practical strategies teachers and school-based therapists can use to support student independence.We'll discuss:Why students may need constant adult reassuranceHow to make expectations clear and visibleHow to explicitly teach self-monitoring and self-checking skillsHow predictable adult check-ins can gradually reduce reliance on adult promptsHow to recognize progress toward greater independence🎁 FREE PRINTABLE: Before I Ask for Help, Student Independence Bookmarks - https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog1/2026/10/13/student-need-constant-adult-reassurance/Help students practice checking their own work with these free printable bookmarks. Students learn a simple three-step routine: LOOK, CHECK, and DECIDE. The bookmarks also include reminders to review directions, look at examples, and recognize when to ask for help.🧰 YTS ACTION TOOLKITNeed help creating an individualized action plan for a student who frequently seeks reassurance?The YTS Action Toolkit includes Discover How I Learn, an interactive tool that helps identify student learning strengths, challenges, and helpful supports. Use the personalized recommendations to develop strategies for self-monitoring, executive functioning, and greater independence.Learn more:https://www.yourtherapysource.com/product/yts-action-toolkit-annual-license/Remember, independence doesn't mean students should never ask for help. It means teaching them how to recognize what they know, use effective strategies, and understand when they need support.Subscribe to Your Therapy Source for practical classroom strategies, school-based therapy resources, and free printables to support student success.#StudentIndependence #SelfMonitoring #TeacherStrategies #ExecutiveFunctioning #SchoolBasedTherapy

    Why Does a Student Need Constant Adult Reassurance?

  3. Oct 2

    Why do some students have big reactions to small problems?

    Why do some students have big reactions to small problems? A broken pencil, a schedule change, a difficult assignment, or an unexpected transition may look minor from the outside, but the student may already be managing sensory, cognitive, emotional, or executive functioning demands. In this episode, we look at what may be happening underneath a big reaction and how teachers, therapists, counselors, and other school support staff can respond with curiosity, practical support, and respect for neurodiversity. You will hear ideas for identifying patterns, reducing demands when a student is overwhelmed, supporting regulation, and helping students recognize what makes learning easier or harder. Download the free What Might Be Under the Big Reaction? reflection tool here:https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog1/2026/10/02/big-reactions-to-small-problems/ You can also learn more about Discover How I Learn Best, available inside the YTS Action Toolkit, to help students and school teams identify supports that can make learning and participation more successful.

    Why do some students have big reactions to small problems?

  4. Sep 23

    Does Recess Help Students Focus and Learn?

    Does recess really help students focus and learn? In this episode of the Your Therapy Source Podcast, we look at the updated 2026 American Academy of Pediatrics recess recommendations and what they mean for teachers, therapists, school staff, and parents. Learn how recess may support attention, memory, physical activity, social-emotional development, and readiness to learn. We also discuss how much recess students need, why multiple breaks may be beneficial, why recess and physical education are not interchangeable, and practical ways to fit more breaks into a busy school day. You’ll also hear why recess should not be withheld for academic or punitive reasons and why a successful recess may look different for every student. Get the free Recess Reset printable in color and black and white:https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog1/2026/09/23/recess-recommendations/

    Does Recess Help Students Focus and Learn?

  5. Sep 14

    Could Doing Nothing for 90 Seconds Help Students Learn?

    What happens when we stop giving students more information and simply give their brains time to think? In this episode, explore Quiet Thinking Time, a simple classroom routine that provides 30, 60, or 90 seconds of quiet wakeful rest after learning. Learn about the default mode network, wakeful rest, memory consolidation, and why periods without additional input may be worth considering during the school day. You’ll also hear how Quiet Thinking Time fits into the Get Ready → Build Skills → Foster Independence framework and how to gradually introduce the routine with students. There are no reflection questions, worksheets, discussions, or tasks during Quiet Thinking Time. Students simply pause, stay awake, and let their minds think. Download the free Quiet Thinking Time printable: https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog1/2026/09/14/wakeful-rest/ The printable includes a student-friendly explanation plus a QR code to the free 30, 60, and 90-second Quiet Thinking Time video. More resources for educators are available at Your Therapy Source.

    Could Doing Nothing for 90 Seconds Help Students Learn?

  6. Sep 10

    Why Does My Student Struggle with Handwriting?

    Why does a student have messy handwriting, and what can actually help? In this episode, learn how to look beyond “just practice more” and support handwriting through three practical steps: Get Ready, Build Skills, and Foster Independence. We discuss posture, hand warm-ups, pencil grip, helper hand use, letter formation, spacing, sizing, line awareness, endurance, and how to help students gradually monitor their own handwriting. You’ll also learn why handwriting still matters, even in a world full of keyboards and technology. Be sure to grab the free Ready to Write Song and printable from Your Therapy Source at https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog1/2026/09/08/ready-to-write-song-and-free-printable/. You can also find handwriting practice packets, pencil-control activities, fine motor resources, and informative handwriting handouts to support students at school and at home - https://www.yourtherapysource.com/product-category/handwriting/.

    Why Does My Student Struggle with Handwriting?

  7. Sep 5

    Why Do Some Students Struggle with Sensory Overwhelm?

    Sensory over-responsivity can make everyday school experiences feel overwhelming for some students. Loud classrooms, crowded cafeterias, bright lights, scratchy clothing, unexpected sounds, and other sensory input may affect participation, emotional regulation, and learning. In this episode, learn how to support students using the Get Ready, Build Skills, Foster Independence framework. The discussion includes recent research on sensory over-responsivity, its connection with anxiety, why strong sensory reactions should not automatically be viewed as defiance, and practical ways school teams can help students participate more successfully. You will also learn how to help students notice what is bothering them, try strategies, reflect on whether those strategies helped, and gradually become more independent in recognizing and communicating what they need. A free student printable, What Helps Me When My Brain and Body Get Overwhelmed?, is available at Your Therapy Source at https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog1/2026/09/05/sensory-over-responsivity-in-kids-research-free-printable/ The episode also highlights the Discover How I Learn Tool inside the YTS Action Toolkit at https://www.yourtherapysource.com/product/yts-action-toolkit-annual-license/ These are wonderful tools for school teams who want additional support identifying possible areas affecting participation and choosing strategies to try. This episode is intended for educational purposes and is not a diagnostic tool.

    Why Do Some Students Struggle with Sensory Overwhelm?

  8. Aug 31

    Why Are Students Coming to School Without the Skills to Learn?

    Episode 8: Why Are Students Coming to School Without the Skills to Learn? Students are expected to manage attention, emotions, transitions, organization, problem-solving, frustration, and independence throughout the school day. But many educators and therapists are reporting that students need more support with these foundational skills. This episode explores how modern life may provide fewer natural opportunities for children to practice some of the everyday skills needed for learning. Learn how ordinary experiences at home and throughout the school day can provide practice with executive function, self-regulation, problem-solving, communication, and independence. Topics include: why skills grow through experiences, not just informationnatural opportunities to practice executive function and self-regulationconsidering what screen time may replacehow boredom and small problems can provide opportunities for skill developmentusing classroom routines, transitions, lunch, recess, and specials for practicehelping students Get Ready, Build Skills, and Foster Independencesupporting independence without removing needed accommodations or assistanceturning student goals into meaningful everyday practiceDownload two free resources to help identify skill-building opportunities already available throughout a child's day: 25 Everyday Opportunities to Build Real-Life Skills 25 Natural Opportunities to Build Skills During the School Day Get the FREE Everyday Skills Printables The YTS Everyday Carryover Tool helps turn a student's present level and goal into a simple, parent-friendly plan with practical activities for home, weekends, and school breaks. The Toolkit also includes Discover How I Learn, which uses the Get Ready → Build Skills → Foster Independence framework to help identify individual learning needs and support greater student ownership. Learn more about the YTS Action Toolkit Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to replace individualized professional, medical, therapeutic, or educational advice. Always consider each child's individual needs and consult appropriate qualified professionals when needed.

    Why Are Students Coming to School Without the Skills to Learn?
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About

The Your Therapy Source Podcast shares practical, research-informed ideas to help educators, therapists, and families better understand how children learn, move, regulate, and participate. Hosted by Margaret Rice, PT, each episode explores topics related to the brain, body, learning, movement, sensory processing, self-regulation, executive functioning, school-based therapy, classroom challenges, and current research. The goal is simple: turn complex ideas into useful strategies you can understand and apply. Practical ideas. Powerful tools. Better outcomes.

Information

  • Creator
    Your Therapy Source
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Your Therapy Source
  • Show Website
    Your Therapy Source Podcast