Closing the Gap: Advocating for Brain-Based Learning
presented by Nicole M. Sergent & Lacy D. Morise

This course will be retired and no longer available as of January 13, 2023. Please complete the course by December 31, 2022, to receive credit.

The brain and its coordination with the body is a major player in how a young child learns. Despite the medical research that proves this fact, American children are often taught with strategies that do not take this into consideration. The result is a generation of children who are over-stressed, anxious, unhealthy, and ill prepared to succeed in future endeavors. As therapists, we can support parents and educators in closing the gap between what our children need to learn and the most effective ways to teach them, incorporating their physical, social, and emotional needs. At the same time, based on this research, we can strengthen the quality of our own therapy intervention. In this lecture, participants will obtain a thorough understanding of how brain based, movement, and sensory-rich learning affects positive outcomes for children. Research and theory will be shared. Learn more

Getting Started in Early Intervention
presented by Nicole M. Sergent & Lacy D. Morise

So you think you’d like to work in Early Intervention? The EI setting is an excellent fit for the therapist that likes to work directly and intimately with families in a coaching model and who likes to be creative and resourceful in daily interventions. It can also be intimidating when first starting out due to the independence experienced with the in-home model vs. a clinic or hospital setting. In this course, seasoned early intervention therapists will walk you through all you need to know to start or enhance an existing successful career in early intervention. Topics covered include: federal law and state implementation related to EI services; common employment opportunities in EI, including business organizations; the journey from evaluation and assessment, to IFSP, to implementation of service, to transition/discharge; recommended assessment tools and intervention strategies and supplies; and helpful resources. Learn more

Sensory and Brain-Based Learning in Schools
presented by Nicole M. Sergent & Lacy D. Morise

This course will be retired and no longer available as of January 13, 2023. Please complete the course by December 31, 2022, to receive credit.

The brain and its coordination with the body is a major player in how a young child learns. Despite the medical research that proves this fact, American children are often taught with strategies that do not take this into consideration. The result is a generation of children who are over-stressed, anxious, unhealthy, and ill prepared to succeed in future endeavors. As therapists, we can support parents and educators in closing the gap between what our children need to learn and the most effective ways to teach them, incorporating their physical, social, and emotional needs. At the same time, based on this research, we can strengthen the quality of our own therapy intervention. In this lecture, participants will review understanding of how brain based, movement, and sensory rich learning affects positive outcomes for children (shared in Part 1 of this lecture series) while taking away practical suggestions to support their communities with research proven tactics that enhance education and learning. Learn more

Top 10 Roadblocks to Natural Development
presented by Nicole M. Sergent & Lacy D. Morise

This course will be retired and no longer available as of January 11, 2022. Please complete the course by December 31, 2021 to receive credit.

Looking for more content on this topic? MedBridge recommends the following courses:

• Roadblocks to Natural Development: Part 1
• Roadblocks to Natural Development: Part 2
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When children are given the opportunity to move and explore in natural ways, they develop as they should, correct? Often times there are roadblocks that get in the way of natural child development. These roadblocks are sometimes created by adults caring for children and are sometimes biological factors that go undetected. In this lecture, the presenters will identify 10 of the most common roadblocks to early development, provide an educational and research based framework to identify these roadblocks, and share practical strategies to address these needs.

Roadblocks covered in this unique problem/solution based lecture include: lack of tummy time/container use, prolonged use of a bottle/pacifier, media use, undetected gearing and undetected vision loss with special attention to cortical visual impairment (CVI), faulty parental understanding of development, over-parenting, the perfect child, the role of nutrition in development, and missed diagnoses, with a detailed look at Autism. Pediatric therapists play a huge role in early identification of biological and environmental factors that can affect early learning and development. This detail rich course will prepare you for that important role. Learn more

Bringing Back Play
presented by Nicole M. Sergent & Lacy D. Morise

"This course will be retired and no longer available as of January 11, 2022. Please complete the course by December 31, 2021 to receive credit or look for Purposeful Play for Therapeutic Progress , available in the course catalogue.

It is well established that play is the primary way young children learn and develop, but what happens when society’s view on play changes? Play trends and early development suffer when adults change the way they view play, change the environments children play in, and change materials children play with.

In this course, therapists will explore the changing culture of play in current society, including what factors have influenced this change, as well as the evolution of play, and the importance of play in 5 domains of child development (gross motor, fine motor, cognitive, social-emotional, and speech and language). Special attention will be given to sensory development and the role that play has in sensory regulation. With attention to purposeful play, the presenters will model pairing 3 detailed milestones in each of the 5 developmental domains (15 total examples), with hands on, easily reproducible, purposeful play activities that can be incorporated quickly into pediatric practice. The course covers practical strategies for choosing types of toys and materials to meet the goals of each stage of development, recommendations for play spaces, resources that support traditional, developmental play, and the role of the pediatric therapist in becoming an advocate for play. Learn more