PiP Cast: Perspectives in Paeds

In this episode, Jackie is joined by Caitlyn and Jessie to talk about what a strong induction and first year in paediatric OT really looks like, from the perspective of 3 OTs at different stages in their career.
The team reflects on why the first year matters so much for shaping a clinician’s career, the balance between structured PD and formal and informal supervision, and what reasonable caseload ramp-up and billable expectations look like for new grads.
The team also unpacks the true value of good supervision, the skills that matter most in those early months (including reflection that actually leads to action), and how to support new grads when things don’t go to plan with a client. Whether you’re an early career OT weighing up your first paeds role, or a practice owner or team leader building a graduate program, listen along for practical questions to ask, and a reminder that if you’ve been hired as a new grad, you have permission to be one.
Relevant episode links:
For on-demand PD from the Kid Link team: https://www.kidlinkeducation.com.au/
For access to free tools, clinical resources, and early access to Kid Link OT courses, all in your inbox. Join the list at
https://mailchi.mp/kidlink/mailing-list-sign-ups
For on-demand learning from the Kid Link team, see our full catalogue of courses here:
https://www.kidlinkeducation.com.au/
This podcast is brought to you by Kid Link Occupational Therapy.
Be sure to follow us on Instagram @pip.cast
We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people as the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work and live here in Mitcham, Victoria. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present, and recognise their ongoing connection to the land, waterways, and culture. As we support children and families, we are inspired by the wisdom and care that First Nations peoples have shown for generations.
Music by Daniel Pavey · Produced by Michael Daniels

In this episode, Caitlin is joined by Mikayla and Georgia for a conversation about structured programs and curriculums in paediatric therapy. The team reflects on how they first encountered these programs in their own training, and how their relationship to structured programs has evolved since.
The team also reflects on elements of structured programs that may impact the development of clinical reasoning, alongside elements of these programs that they think work well. Listen along as they share some reflective tips around what they'd encourage clinicians to consider before picking up a structured therapy program.
Relevant episode links: 
https://www.kelly-mahler.com/
https://livesinthebalance.org/
https://sosapproachtofeeding.com/
https://www.livedexperienceeducator.com/store/p/neurodivergent-friendly-workbook-of-dbt-skills
For access to free tools, clinical resources, and early access to Kid Link OT courses, all in your inbox. Join the list at
https://mailchi.mp/kidlink/mailing-list-sign-ups 
For on-demand learning from the Kid Link team, see our full catalogue of courses here: 
https://www.kidlinkeducation.com.au/
This podcast is brought to you by Kid Link Occupational Therapy.
Be sure to follow us on Instagram @pip.cast
We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people as the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work and live here in Mitcham, Victoria. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present, and recognise their ongoing connection to the land, waterways, and culture. As we support children and families, we are inspired by the wisdom and care that First Nations peoples have shown for generations.
Music by Daniel Pavey  ·  Produced by Michael Daniels

In this episode, Caitlin is joined by Caitlyn Cowie and Caitlin Waters to unpack one of the most common referral areas in paediatric therapy - emotional regulation.
In the lead-up to their upcoming live webinar, the team discusses what emotional regulation actually is, and how the complexity of this goal area is often not fully understood by clinicians. They reflect on the importance of assessment, and understanding the skills that underpin emotional regulation development. The team shares their thoughts on whether some regulation strategies are really "better" than others, gets honest about the trendy tools they're a little sceptical of, and shares a genuinely practical shift clinicians can try in their very next session.
Relevant episode links: 
Kid Link’s upcoming live webinar: https://webinar.kidlinkeducation.com.au/?utm_source=pipcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=er_webinar_nov26
For access to free tools, clinical resources, and early access to Kid Link OT courses, all in your inbox. Join the list at
https://mailchi.mp/kidlink/mailing-list-sign-ups 
For on-demand learning from the Kid Link team, see our full catalogue of courses here: 
https://www.kidlinkeducation.com.au/
This podcast is brought to you by Kid Link Occupational Therapy.
Be sure to follow us on Instagram @pip.cast
We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people as the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work and live here in Mitcham, Victoria. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present, and recognise their ongoing connection to the land, waterways, and culture. As we support children and families, we are inspired by the wisdom and care that First Nations peoples have shown for generations.
Music by Daniel Pavey  ·  Produced by Michael Daniels

In this episode, Caitlin is joined by Caitlyn and Gabs to challenge the way clinicians typically think about tech use with their clients. The conversation moves past minutes-on-a-clock thinking to explore three things clinicians often miss: context, content and purpose - the considerations that genuinely differentiate helpful tech use from unhelpful.
With technology so present in everything kids do, this episode is designed to be genuinely useful for clinicians across every discipline. The team share practical approaches listeners can implement straight into their therapy, and how to feel more confident addressing tech use across their caseload.
Relevant episode links: 
Kid Link’s webinar ‘Kids, Teens, and Digital Tech: Essentials for Clinicians’: https://www.kidlinkeducation.com.au/courses/digital-tech
Kid Link’s PD Booster ‘Healthy Gaming Habits’:https://www.kidlinkeducation.com.au/courses/take/healthy-gaming-habits
Connecting policy to practice: How to implement the new AAP digital media guidelines: https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/media-and-children/center-of-excellence-on-social-media-and-youth-mental-health/understanding-the-new-AAP-digital-media-guidelines
Levelling up to stay safe: Young people’s experiences navigating the joys and risks of online gaming (esafety research report): https://www.esafety.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-02/Leveling%20up%20to%20stay%20safe%20-%20gaming%20report.pdf?v=1789442698732
Be sure to follow us on Instagram @pip.cast
For access to free tools, clinical resources, and early access to Kid Link OT courses, all in your inbox. Join the list at
https://mailchi.mp/kidlink/mailing-list-sign-ups 
This podcast is brought to you by Kid Link Occupational Therapy.
We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people as the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work and live here in Mitcham, Victoria. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present, and recognise their ongoing connection to the land, waterways, and culture. As we support children and families, we are inspired by the wisdom and care that First Nations peoples have shown for generations.
Music by Daniel Pavey  ·  Produced by Michael Daniels

In this episode, Jac is joined by Keely and Maddie to unpack the transition to high school, one of the biggest environmental and demand shifts a young person will face, yet one that often doesn't land on anyone's radar until it's almost too late. They challenge the idea that high school readiness is about the child, and explore why the readiness of the school, the family and the team around the child is often the bigger variable.
The team digs into the barriers families hit along the way, from poor information transfer between primary and high school to what makes supporting kids harder once they actually start, including timetabling, masking, and growing resistance to being pulled out or looking different. They also get into the enormous social landscape of high school for neurodivergent young people, the strategies that need reworking from the ground up, and out-of-the-box ideas that can make a genuine difference. They then share some practical guidance on what they find really meaningful to be working on in the 12 months before day one of highschool.
Relevant episode links:
For supervision: https://kid-link-occupational-therapy.splose.com/public-form/ae613727-8bac-4713-b439-3b6bcf03eb6e
For access to free tools, clinical resources, and early access to Kid Link OT courses, all in your inbox. Join the list at https://mailchi.mp/kidlink/mailing-list-sign-ups
For on-demand learning from the Kid Link team, see our full catalogue of courses here: https://www.kidlinkeducation.com.au/
For access to our self-rating scale discussed in the episode:
https://www.kidlinkeducation.com.au/products/digital_downloads/self-rating-scale
For the link to the Association for Children with Disability (ACD) page: 
https://acd.org.au/ 
For the link to ACD equivalent services across Australia: 
https://acd.org.au/support-in-other-states-and-territories/ 
This podcast is brought to you by Kid Link Occupational Therapy.
We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people as the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work and live here in Mitcham, Victoria. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present, and recognise their ongoing connection to the land, waterways, and culture. As we support children and families, we are inspired by the wisdom and care that First Nations peoples have shown for generations.
Music by Daniel Pavey  ·  Produced by Michael Daniels