OM DENNE EPISODE
April is Occupational Therapy Month, and host Andie Levinger is joined by all four members of The Parkside School's OT department — Christine Yen, Abby Chirokas, Leah Bataille, and Sophie Norris — for a wide-ranging conversation about the profession they love and the work they do every day with our students.
The team shares how each of them found their way to OT (some as early as high school, some after a first career), how they describe this often-misunderstood field to friends and family, and the specialties they're each drawn to — from assistive technology and handwriting development to trauma-informed practice and the polyvagal theory. They unpack what makes school-based OT at Parkside distinct, why task analysis is one of the profession's superpowers, and how working alongside teachers, social workers, and speech therapists allows them to see the whole child.
Along the way, you'll hear about beloved go-to activities (the hot dog swing, bubble mountain, balloon tapping, obstacle courses), simple regulation strategies families can try at home, and a moving story from Leah about how a daily movement break became the foundation of a student's whole school year. The episode closes with a Fast Five and a reflection from Andie on how an OT lens shapes her own work in admissions and placement.
A warm, generous, and informative listen — and a fitting tribute to a department that lives by connection before correction.
