Entire Series of SI on the Fly! Podcast Now Available
By Sensory Integration Education, 16 January 2023
That’s it folks for season one of SI on the Fly! A podcast created by our wonderful team from ASIP (Association of Sensory Integration Practice). Rolling out this podcast was a part of a wider mission in creating a unique community for professionals who use an SI perspective in some or all aspects of their work.
This weekly podcast includes conversations between Advanced SI Practitioners, drawing on a bi-monthly theme and referencing both research papers and personal experiences. If you are a professional keen to learn more about all things SI, then look no further. This podcast covers existing resources, clinical issues, research evidence and so much more!
The theme of Season 1 was Overwhelm, Demand Avoidance and a Possible "PDA" Diagnosis. Unpicking case studies, our therapists share their clinical experience and examine it from a student’s point of view.
And don't miss our bonus episode where Lelanie Brewer and Amy Stephens talk about Aerial Yoga and the opportunities it offers for SI-based work.
Not had the pleasure of listening? Dive right in, it’s free to listen and available on our website, on Spotify. Here’s a breakdown of episodes from Season 1…
Episode #1
Sensory Integration and Demand Avoidance: Ideas to Inspire SI professionals' CPD
Leanne Duggan and Kimberly Elter from the ASIP Sensory Integration community of practice introduce our new study focus. For the months of November and December, we'll be thinking about how sensory processing differences link with Overwhelm, Demand Avoidance and a possible "PDA" diagnosis.
Episode #2
School Distress and Sensory Processing: A Research Paper Discussion
Greg Kelly and Leanne Duggan from the ASIP discuss this recent research paper about school refusal, and think about where it relates to sensory integration difficulties across the lifespan:
Episode #3
Demand Avoidance from a Neuroaffirmative Perspective
Kimberly Elter and Amy Stephens start to think about how the concept of a "PDA" diagnosis potentially sits in tension with a neurodiverse perspective about the value in individual variation in brains and nervous systems. We expand this to think about where this framing relates to our wider SI practice.
Episode #4
History of the PDA Diagnostic Label
Kimberly Elter and Caroline Robinson explore how the term PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) emerged, and how this relates to their more general feelings about the usefulness and limitations of diagnostic labels. They think about how the DSM5 framing of PDA under the wider autism umbrella does not necessarily fit with their clinical experiences, and what this means for intervention and support.
Episode #5
Resources for SI Practitioners Working in Schools
Kate Broughton and Amy Stephens review the Building Bridges resource and think about how it might be useful for SI Practitioners working in special and mainstream school settings.
Episode #6
Why Some Strategies Which Help Autistic Learners Don't Help Learners With Pathological Demand Avoidance
Karen Forrest and Amy Stephens reflect on their understanding of the difference between demand avoidance and PDA, and how the advice of Laura Kerbey from n-est.org sharpened this up. They consider why some of the more usual strategies that help autistic students in the mainstream classroom don't work for PDA children, and think about how SI approaches might be helpful.
Resources
Neurodivergent Education Support and Training (nest)
TED talk by Mihaly Csikczentmihalyi about flow state
Episode #7
Supporting Learners With PDA in Transitions at School
In this longer-length edition of SI on the Fly!, Emer Broderick and Gina Evans from the ASIP Community start to think about the challenges for SI practitioners supporting children with PDA who are in school settings. They reflect on their own experiences, particularly around supporting children in transitions, and they explore where the roles and responsibilities of the SI Practitioner sit in relation to school rules and school culture.
Episode #8
A Mainstream School PDA Case Study
Caroline Robinson and Kimberly Elter talk through a case study: a 12-year-old boy with a PDA diagnosis who is not currently able to take part in formal education. They think about where the challenges are for a therapist stepping into a new therapeutic relationship with individuals and families at points of extreme stress.
Episode #9
SI Practitioners Supporting Parents of Young People With PDA
Kimberly Elter and Caroline Robinson talk about the impact of PDA on the wider family. They consider the stress that parents can experience in the tension between creating the security of a familiar routine and the novelty and flexibility which can help children with PDA to take part. They reflect that SI Practitioners can inadvertently add more stress to the situation by suggesting endless strategies, and they also consider where the responsibility sits for SI Practitioners to support the parents' well-being as well.
BONUS Episode #10
Aerial Yoga for Proprioceptive and Vestibular Integration
Lelanie Brewer and Amy Stephens talk about Aerial Yoga and the opportunities it offers for SI-based work.
With the success of Season 1, we are already recording Season 2 on the thought-provoking subject of "Sensory Integration and Polyvagal Theory”.
Interested in engaging further? For less than the price of a cup of coffee per week, you can be part of a community of friendly, engaged, vibrant professionals ASIP Membership (Association of Sensory Integration Practice). Plus meet your CPD requirements to continue to learn and develop throughout your career. We welcome anyone who works within an SI frame of reference or who is interested in sensory integration!
