Whew, what a fun ride it has been! Since launching our live courses last year, we’ve covered 16 topics, learned from 11 fabulous co-presenters, and connected with almost 10,000 registrants from many corners of the world. And now most of these live course recordings are available in an on-demand course format—so if you missed one or more, we invite you to learn with us. In this blog post we are reflecting back upon many of our favorite course highlights. Geez this was hard. We had so many important learning moments, so we did our best to summarize some of this below. Thank you for joining us on this interoception journey.
The Five Keys to Regulating Behavior: How to Support ‘Challenging Behavior’ in a Kinder, More Effective Manner
In this course, I’m joined by my brilliant, funny and honest friend, Chloe Rothschild who shares her past experiences with behavior-based approaches. We break down the dangers of these surface approaches, including how they lead to drastic misunderstanding and invalidation of a person’s inner experience. Chloe and I offer a kinder, more human-informed way of supporting so-called ‘challenging behaviors’ through the 5 Keys.
Unsafe, Unheard & Misunderstood
Many times, traditional trauma viewpoints do not fully capture the experience of neurodivergents, resulting in many children and adults being misunderstood and many underlying needs overlooked. In this course, I’m joined by one of the best OTs I know, my friend Kim Clairy, who helps us gain a better understanding of how daily experiences can often be traumatic for many NDs. The lived experiences Kim shares in this course inspire us to improve our understanding of ND trauma and stresses why we need to provide an experience that feels safe and validating to the unique ND neurology.
Toileting, Interoception & Nutrition: An Evidence-Based Approach for Promoting Toileting Success and Independence
Have you ever wondered why so many toileting programs are behavior-based (stickers and ipads and candy, oh my!)? They have zero consideration for a person’s inner experience. In this course, my friend and fellow OT, Kerri Hample joins me in discussing two critical inner toileting considerations: interoception and nutrition. When a toileting approach is shifted to supporting the underlying components such as interoception, we can help our clients begin to successfully build the foundation of independent toileting regulation. Toileting is incredibly complex and involves a lot of underlying factors, including interoception.
Interoception Assessment: Dilemmas and Practical Solutions
How do you assess Interoception? Now that is a great question, and one that is widely debated right now in the interoception field. In this course, I discuss lessons we’ve learned about assessment from our clients, their families and the ‘real life’ interoception-based work we’ve been doing for almost a decade. This course provides practical tips and strategies for gaining insight into a person’s inner experience, including discussion on the newly revised Comprehensive Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (3rd Edition). Bonus: This course provides free access to an interoception observation guide–available only with purchase of this course.
Interoception-Informed Yoga: Theory and Interactive Class
My yoga instructor and long-time friend, Molly Diodato, joins me in this course all about infusing explicit interoception invitations into your existing yoga practice. Learn how a few small shifts can make a big impact on the interoception-gains that can be experienced with yoga. This course includes an invitation to participate in a 30-minute interoception-informed yoga session. So, have your mat nearby if you wish to participate.
Modern Emotion Regulation Supports for Neurodivergent Learners: Are you Keeping with the Times?
Typically, most fields evolve and adapt as people learn from new evidence and lived experiences. The neurodiversity field is no different—we’ve come a long way, but we all have a responsibility to continue to evolve and adapt to keep pace with the latest evidence and neurodivergent experience. In this course, I discuss common emotion regulation supports used to help neurodivergents thrive and encourage us all to serve in ways that are in line with the most current science and neurodivergent voice.
Best Practices for Implementing Interoception-Based Supports
In this course, I provide lots of tips for implementing interoception-based supports in a compassionate and effective manner. Whether you are new to interoception or have been actively implementing interoception-based supports, this course is filled with practical ideas as well as important interoception lessons I’ve learned from my clients over the past 20 years.
Autism and Eating Disorders: Dying to Be Thin
Due to popular demand, Kim Clairy joined me again, this time to discuss a different and very necessary topic: Autism and Eating Disorders. Kim shares her own experiences in the ‘traditional’ ED treatment programs (in case you are wondering, they were not positive) and also discusses how it was only when she created her own strategies that incorporated her autistic neurology that she was able to experience positive outcomes. There are many autistic people desperately seeking meaningful support for an ED and Kim’s information presented in this course is a must for anyone working in the ED field.
Interoception Supports for Chronic Pain, Health Management & Emotional Well-Being in Adults:
It is Never Too Late!
We are asked about the relationship between interoception and chronic pain quite a bit. So I invited 2 of my Australian OT friends, Emily Peelgrane and Jessica Spencer, who both specialize in supporting chronic pain in adult clients to join me. I learned so much from them! They are bringing The Interoception Curriculum into the adult rehab world and their outcomes are mind blowing. Not only do we discuss what current evidence says about interoception and chronic pain, but we offer a lot of practical tips for developing internal body awareness and body trusting in adult clients.
Providing Interoception-Based Supports in Various School Settings
This course tackles a big topic: how to get more interoception in the schools. Canadian OT, Anna Vander Haeghe, who is doing groundbreaking interoception work in the schools, co-teaches this course with me. We talk about how interoception is the missing component needed for successful social-emotional learning, self-regulation and even supporting so-called ‘challenging behaviors’. But we don’t stop at the science of why our students need interoception. Anna and I fill this course with practical tips and strategies that can be used with a variety of students and in a variety settings including 1:1, small groups and entire classrooms.
Interoception and the Non-Speaking Client
Quite possibly the most frequently asked question we receive is: How do you use The Interoception Curriculum with non-speaking clients? So my brilliant and super-fun friend, Judy Endow joins me in answering this question in this 2-hour course. First we break down some really important guidelines that need to be present in any form of support you are providing non-speaking clients (hint: predictability, sameness, routine, presuming competence, instructional inadequacy are just to name a few). Then we present 2 different non speaking client stories and outlined step- by-step how we presented The Interoception Curriculum from start to finish.
An Interoception-Based Approach for Supporting Traumatized Learners
Given that trauma is at an all time high as we emerge from a pandemic, this course topic is super timely. Trauma has far reaching effects on the interoceptive system, yet it is often a missing component in the supports provided. And if interoception-based supports are being provided, many well-intentioned professionals begin this work in a place that is a mismatch for the clients current neurology. In this course I discuss a practical 3-level interoception-based approach that can be useful to guide clinical reasoning and provide targeted and meaningful supports for clients that have experienced trauma.
Interoception: Through the Lens of an Autistic Adult
Guess who is back….back again! My friend Chloe Rothschild! This time she joins me in discussing her own personal interoception journey including a lot of valuable lessons she learned along the way. Interoception is not a perfect experience, in fact it is quite tricky at times! Chloe explains some of the ‘bumps in the road’ that she experienced and how she problem solved through them. Chloe and I also discuss some of her most favorite interoception-based strategies, how she uses them and the resulting outcomes she has gained. Learn how an interoception-focused approach shifted Chloe’s entire life experience.
Co-Regulation and Sensory Safety: The Foundation of Successful Participation
In this course, I am joined by Greg Santucci; Pediatric Occupational Therapist, fierce advocate for the rights of his clients, and all around awesome person! Tune in as we break down the neurobiological difference between co-regulation and self-regulation, how to use this science to nurture engagement and participation, and share many practical, evidence-based strategies for promoting regulation, mutual relationships and sensory safety.