This workshop provides a deep exploration of PROOF (Professional Reasoning & Reflection on Observation: an Organisational Framework), a clinical reasoning framework for play-based occupational therapy practice. The online workshop will connect current neuroscience with practical clinical application, focusing on how therapists can integrate embodiment and embodied self-awareness into their work.

Drawing from theories of embodied cognition and Embodied and Intersubjective Clinical Reasoning (EICR; Arntzen, 2017), participants will explore how sensory awareness and attunement function as clinical tools. Contemporary neuroscience demonstrates significant changes in sensorimotor networks among individuals with sensory processing challenges, including autistic individuals and those with trauma histories. PROOF offers a structured approach to translate these insights into therapeutic interventions that support self-regulation, sense of agency, and foundational developmental skills.

PROOF is grounded in the understanding that praxis, postural control, and social-emotional development all emerge from foundational sensorimotor systems - particularly vestibular and somatosensory processing. When therapists focus on embodied approaches that target these sensorimotor foundations, clients develop enhanced body awareness, improved self-regulation capabilities, and a sense of agency. This embodied focus supports neural plasticity and the development of critical life skills, including attention, emotional regulation, motor planning and social engagement - all built upon the scaffolding of integrated sensorimotor processing.

Equally important to PROOF is the therapist's own embodied self-reflection - the practice of tuning into one's sensory responses and emotions during therapeutic interactions. This embodied self-awareness provides valuable insights about the therapeutic relationship and the client's regulatory state, while simultaneously supporting the therapist's professional development and capacity for attunement. Through structured reflection practices, therapists learn to use their embodied responses as both observational tools and guides for intervention planning.

PROOF is a free resource, available by registering on PROOF'S website. https://proof-online.net

NB: PROOF is being adapted for adults, including those with mental health and sensory processing and integration challenges. We will briefly discuss its use for these populations.

Key Points

PROOF Components: Analyse levels and descriptors of the four PROOF domains
Professional Reasoning: Use structured observation to identify the just-right sensory-motor play level to support shared meaning-making and sense of agency
Embodied and Intersubjective Clinical Reasoning (EICR): Reflect on the role of therapists’ embodiment in clinical decision-making
Links to Cutting-Edge Neuroscience: Explore recent research on sensorimotor network connectivity and its implications for individualised, trauma-informed interventions
Neuroplasticity and Play: Understand how embodied play-based approaches support neural architecture development and recovery
Adult Applications: Briefly discuss the application of PROOF principles in adult populations, including mental health and neurological conditions

Lifelong Learning Programme