wiredON Development Interviews wiredON Development

When it comes to understanding how the work that we try to do every day in the clinic actually works, this interview with Dr Susan Barry may be one of the most eye-opening interviews I have done so far - excuse the pun. Dr Barry is a a Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences, Professor Emeritus of Neuroscience and Behavior and (as she calls herself) a recovered Strabismic. Her story of fixing her gaze which started at age 48 gives us unmatched insight how neuroplasticity can be harnessed in every day therapy to drive recovery. WE cover so many topics that are near and dear to my beating therapy heart, and from the value of clinical wisdom and the cautionary tales of over interpreting published research to the importance of not being distracted by the obvious problems you see, but rather understanding the reason behind why you are seeing them. There’s so many nuggets to take away from this interview, you are going to love it - enjoy!

This interview with the OccuPLAYtional Therapist, Kelsie Olds, is an absolute treat. We cover the realities, practicalities and benefits of child-led therapy, the integration of play in therapeutic practices, push-in vs pull out services, balancing the conflicts that arise from staying true to your core values as a therapist with meeting your service requirements and so much more


For links and resources, visit https://www.wiredondevelopment.com


04:45 A uniquely rich learning environment


13:32 Regcognising and addressing underlying difficultes


22:46 Finding the best learning opportunities


27:44 Whose actually my client?


31:26 The magic of a trust and values based approach


37:34 Navigating School Systems and Advocating for Child-Led Therapy


>> 39:13 Be Informed


>> 41:20 Value the team


>> 42:21 Keeping the child at the center


44:38 Push in vs Pull out


50:53 Gaining Respect and Buy-In from Teachers


52:58 Understanding motor skill levels through play vs standardized testing


59:32 Stop asking questions


01:04:27 Everybody is unique and we are all the same


01:08:54 Neurodiverse Conversations and Activism


01:11:06 Interoception

More than a decade ago, I asked a question which finally gets answered today. The question was


'Why, despite the poor evidence, do intelligent, scientifically minded, educated and experienced therapists still value it?


Or do they?'


Prof Margaret Mayston exemplifies the intelligent, scientifically minded, educated and experienced therapist.


She trained initially as a physiotherapist in Melbourne, Australia, and then specialised in childhood neurodisability at the Bobath centre in London before pivoting to a career in science by the completion of an MSc in Human & Applied Physiology (Kings College London), a PhD in neurophysiology, and a 3-year Wellcome Trust funded postdoctoral fellowship, both at University College London (UCL).


She has combined her clinical and academic careers, and is currently a Professor (teaching) in the Division of Biosciences at UCL teaching neuroscience and general physiology on undergraduate programmes. She also gives sessions on Typical Child Development for the MSc Advanced Pediatrics (UCL) and as a Senior Bobath Tutor (pediatrics) she also teaches on Foundation courses globally and is involved in tutor training.


We cover so much more than Bobath therapy in this interview, from basic physiology to philosophy and everything in between, but essentially this interview explores why the call to deimplement Bobath NDT is so misguided and captures why intelligent, scientifically minded, educated and experienced therapist think all over the world think the call to deipmlement Bobath NDT is not only ignorant and misguided, but detrimental to our profession as a whole, and a disservice to the kids and families that we are tasked with caring for.


Check out the resouces and article discussed in this paper https://www.wiredondevelopment.com

Interoception is a key sense that has been widely studied for decades but is only now making its way into clinical applications and Kelly Mahler is an amazing occupational therapists who is leading the way both clinically and academically in understanding the role of this key sense for occupational and physical therapists working in neurodevelopment. Don't miss this practice changing conversation on how we should think about interoception in our clinical work. It's jam packed with practical ideas and actions that we can take back to the clinic right now.


I know you’re going to love it!


Enjoy!

A passionate and engaging conversation with Dr Julie Vaughan-Graham, PT, PhD, Advanced IBITA Instructor, Adjunct Clinical Professor at McMaster University and University of Toronto, Canada and Founder of Physio-Logic and iNeuroRehab . Julie shares insights from her research on the Bobath concept, and the importance of postural control, selective movement and movement variability and efficiency. We discuss clinical reasoning, the challenges of research, and the future of physio/ physical therapy. If you've ever had questions about the state of the evidence in this area of practice, you're going to find this conversation enlightening. You can find all the resources mentioned in the discussion at https://www.wiredondevelopment.com

In the evolving landscape of pediatric neurorehabilitation, the emergence of therapeutic coaching has marked a paradigm shift. This approach, which marries therapeutic principles with the empowering dynamics of coaching, is designed to effect profound, tangible changes in the lives of children and their families. Occupational Performance Coaching (OPC) is a distinctive coaching methodology that positions families and goal setting at the heart of therapeutic interventions.






The mind behind this transformative approach is Dr. Fiona Graham (Fi), an occupational therapist who has developed, taught, and researched OPC. Her work presents a mix of deep expertise and a passion for supporting children's success in everyday life.






If you've ever wondered about the potential of therapeutic coaching in pediatric neurorehabilitation, this interview is a must-listen. Dive into this conversation with me as I explore the nuances, challenges, and benefits of an evidence based approach to therapeutic conversations, coaching and therapy in neurodisability.