Michelle Newby PhD

12/03/2026

We talk a lot in paediatric OT about self-regulation — and many of us use the Alert Program® regularly in practice.

But how often do we stop and think about how consistently it’s actually being delivered?

This week’s OT Learning Hub newsletter (landing Tuesday at 4pm) takes a closer look at something we don’t often discuss when it comes to intervention research: fidelity.

In other words…
Are we delivering the program the way it was designed?

Here’s the paper I’m unpacking for you:

🚗 Blackwell, D., Lane, A. E., Philpott-Robinson, K., & Lane, S. J. (2026). Development of a fidelity instrument for delivering the Alert Program® for self-regulation. OTJR: Occupational Therapy Journal of Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/15394492261422638

It’s an interesting paper because it doesn’t focus on whether the Alert Program works.

Instead, it steps back and asks a different question — how do we know the program is being delivered consistently across therapists, settings, and studies?

For those of us who use the Alert Program regularly, it’s a really useful reminder that the approach is more than a collection of sensory strategies.

It’s built around a particular structure, language, and therapeutic process that helps children understand and regulate their own “engine levels.”

If you’d like my full breakdown — along with how I think about this in everyday clinical practice — you’re very welcome to join us in the OT Learning Hub.

Over 8,000 paediatric OTs are already reading along each week 💌
👉 https://www.michellenewby.com/OTLearningHubLP

Looking forward to sharing this one.

09/03/2026

I'm excited to be running these sessions on sensory processing over the next three weeks. Make sure to sign up for the live webinars so you don't miss out!

Dr. Michelle Newby’s upcoming sensory processing series explores:

✔ Foundational sensory theory
✔ Assessment principles grounded in clinical reasoning
✔ Intervention approaches that support real-world participation

📚These courses help clinicians move beyond checklists and develop thoughtful, evidence-informed care strategies.

🗓Launching in March.
https://my.demio.com/ref/UkcuGNYMK7j1ADup

05/03/2026

We talk a lot in paediatric OT about visual–motor integration - especially when we’re thinking about handwriting, drawing, and classroom participation.

But how often do we stop and think about what VMI scores are actually telling us?

This week’s OT Learning Hub newsletter (landing Tuesday at 4pm) takes a closer look at what the research says about visual–motor integration and how factors like age, diagnosis, and development influence performance.

Here’s the paper I’m unpacking for you:

✏️ Factors influencing visual-motor integration performance in children: A systematic review. Occupational Therapy International. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/1801196

It’s an interesting paper because it doesn’t focus on intervention. Instead, it steps back and looks at what influences VMI performance across different groups of children. And that has some really practical implications for how we interpret the assessments we use every day.

If you’d like my full breakdown - along with how I think about interpreting VMI assessments in practice - you’re very welcome to join us in the OT Learning Hub.

Over 8,000 paediatric OTs are already reading along each week 💌

👉 https://www.michellenewby.com/OTLearningHubLP

Looking forward to sharing this one.

01/03/2026

We talk a lot in paediatric OT about working with parents - but we don’t always stop to think about what that actually looks like in practice.

This week’s OT Learning Hub newsletter (landing Tuesday at 4pm) takes a closer look at parent-mediated approaches and how they’re being described in the research.

Here's the paper that I'm unpacking:
Bin Zuair, H. M., Baird, J. M., & Caldwell, A. R. (2025). Parent-mediated occupational therapy interventions for children with developmental disabilities: A scoping review. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 45(1), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/01942638.2024.2378063

It’s an interesting paper because it doesn’t introduce something entirely new. Instead, it puts some structure around a way of working many of us are already using - supporting parents to take a more active role in intervention.

It raises some really practical questions:
👉 What do we actually mean by parent-mediated intervention?
👉 How is this different from simply giving a home program?
👉 And what does our role look like when the parent becomes the primary agent of change?

It’s a valuable read if you’re working with families and thinking about how to make intervention more meaningful, more embedded, and more sustainable beyond the session.

If you’d like my full breakdown - along with how I’m thinking about this in practice - you’re very welcome to join us in the OT Learning Hub.

Over 8,000 paediatric OTs are already reading along each week 💌

👉 https://www.michellenewby.com/OTLearningHubLP

Looking forward to sharing this one.

19/02/2026

We talk about “self-regulation” constantly in paediatric OT… but have you ever stopped to wonder what our assessment tools are actually measuring?

This week’s OT Learning Hub newsletter (landing in inboxes Tuesday at 4pm) takes a closer look at what current research tells us about self-regulation assessment tools and what they really capture.

Rather than focusing on intervention, this paper steps back and examines how self-regulation is conceptualised across the literature - and whether our current tools reflect the full picture.

It raises some really important questions for everyday practice:

👉 Is self-regulation a single skill, or a combination of cognitive, behavioural, and emotional processes?

👉 Do the tools we use actually measure all of these domains?

👉 And how might our assessment choices shape the way we plan intervention?

It’s a valuable read if you work with children with attention, emotional, or behavioural regulation challenges.

🧠 The construct components of self-regulation from a systematic review of self-regulation measures in children and adolescents. Janicaud et al. (2026), Current Psychology (coming to you hot off the press!!)

If you’d like the full breakdown - along with my reflections and clinical takeaways - you’re very welcome to join us in the OT Learning Hub.

Over 8,000 paediatric OTs are already reading along each week 💌

👉 https://www.michellenewby.com/OTLearningHubLP

I’m really looking forward to sharing this one.

13/02/2026

Ever wish someone would unpack paediatric research and explain what it actually means for occupational therapy practice?

That’s what I do each week in the OT Learning Hub.

This week’s newsletter (landing in inboxes Tuesday at 4pm) focuses on something many of us are seeing more and more in practice -Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).

This paper is OT-specific and does something really helpful: it clearly outlines the role of occupational therapy across different levels of care for children and young people with ARFID.

The paper steps back and asks some important, practice-shaping questions:

👉 What is the unique role of occupational therapy in ARFID treatment?

👉 How do sensory, emotional, and participation factors influence eating?

👉 And how can OT support children and families across inpatient, day program, and outpatient settings?

It’s a really valuable read if you work with children with extreme food selectivity, sensory-based eating challenges, or anxiety around food.

🍽️ Occupational Therapy’s Role in the Treatment of Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) Across Levels of Care. Mack & Stanton (2025), Occupational Therapy in Mental Health

If you’d like the full breakdown -along with my own reflections - you’re very welcome to join us in the OT Learning Hub.

Over 8,000 paediatric OTs are already reading along each week 💌

👉 https://www.michellenewby.com/OTLearningHubLP

I can’t wait to share this one.

06/02/2026

Ever wish someone would unpack broader paediatric research and explain what it actually means for occupational therapy practice?

That’s what I do each week in the OT Learning Hub.

This week’s newsletter (landing in inboxes Tuesday at 4pm) looks at something most of us see all the time in practice -sleep difficulties in children with ADHD.

This isn’t an OT-specific paper, but it has some really important implications for how we think about sleep in our work with children and families.

The review steps back and asks some very practical questions:

👉 What sleep interventions actually work for children with ADHD?

👉 Do behavioural approaches help, or are medications more effective?

👉 And what impact do these interventions have on daytime functioning and quality of life?

It’s a really valuable read if you work with children whose attention, regulation, behaviour, or learning is being impacted by poor sleep.

💤 Sleep interventions for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): A systematic literature review. Larsson et al. (2023), Sleep Medicine

If you’d like the full breakdown - along with my OT reflections, clinical reasoning, and practice-based takeaways - you’re very welcome to join us in the OT Learning Hub.

Over 8,000 paediatric OTs are already reading along each week 💌

👉 https://www.michellenewby.com/OTLearningHubLP

I can’t wait to share this one.

02/02/2026

Ever wish someone would take everyday paediatric OT practice and really unpack what the research actually says about it?

That’s what I do each week in the OT Learning Hub.

This week’s newsletter (landing in inboxes Tuesday at 4pm) focuses on a population many of us support - often with limited guidance - children and young people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

Rather than zooming in on a single intervention, this paper steps back and asks some important, profession-shaping questions:

👉 What is the role and scope of occupational therapy in supporting children with FASD?

👉 How do strengths-based, participation-focused approaches actually show up in practice?

👉 And how can OT support children and families across development — not just early childhood?

It’s a really valuable read if you work with children who have complex neurodevelopmental profiles, high support needs, or presentations that are often misunderstood.

🧠 Exploring occupational therapy practice for children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Skorka et al. (2025), Occupational Therapy in Health Care

If you’d like the full breakdown - along with my reflections, clinical reasoning, and practice-based takeaways - you’re very welcome to join us in the OT Learning Hub.

Over 8,000 paediatric OTs are already reading along each week 💌

👉 https://www.michellenewby.com/OTLearningHubLP

I can't wait to share this one.

25/01/2026

Ever wish someone would take everyday paediatric OT practice and really unpack what the research actually says about it?

That’s what I aim to do each week in the OT Learning Hub.

This week’s newsletter (landing in inboxes Tuesday at 4pm) focuses on something that sits quietly at the centre of everything we do, but isn’t always talked about explicitly - the therapeutic relationship.

This paper takes a step back and explores some important questions:
👉 How do children, caregivers, and occupational therapists experience the therapeutic relationship?
👉 What actually helps relationships feel safe, collaborative, and effective?
👉 And how can the relationship itself support meaningful change in participation?

It’s a thoughtful, affirming read - especially if you’ve ever sensed that how you work with families matters just as much as what you do in sessions.

🤝 Exploring therapeutic relationships in pediatric occupational therapy: A meta-ethnography. Gagné-Trudel et al. (2024), Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy

If you’d like the full breakdown - along with my reflections, clinical reasoning, and practice-based takeaways - you’re very welcome to join us in the OT Learning Hub.

Over 8,000 paediatric OTs are already reading along each week 💌
👉 https://www.michellenewby.com/OTLearningHubLP

I’m really looking forward to sharing this one.

18/01/2026

Ever wish someone would take everyday paediatric OT practice and unpack what the research actually says about it?

That’s exactly what I do each week in the OT Learning Hub.

And this week’s newsletter (landing in inboxes Tuesday at 4pm) dives into a foundational - and often misunderstood - area of paediatric occupational therapy: executive function.

This paper steps back and asks some big, important questions:

👉 How does OT conceptualise executive function in children?
👉 Are we assessing it in ways that truly reflect daily life and participation?
👉 And what does the evidence say about OT-led EF intervention?

It’s a really important review, especially if you’re working with children whose “behaviour”, organisation, emotional regulation, or follow-through is impacting participation at home, at school, or in the community.

🧠 Conceptualisation and use of executive functions in paediatrics: A scoping review of occupational therapy literature. Josman & Meyer (2018), Australian Occupational Therapy Journal

If you’d like the full breakdown - including my OT reflections, clinical reasoning, and practical takeaways - make sure you’re subscribed to the OT Learning Hub.

Join 7,500+ paediatric OTs reading along each week 💌

👉 https://www.michellenewby.com/OTLearningHubLP

Looking forward to sharing this one with you.

10/01/2026

Happy New Year 🎉

Ever wish someone would take everyday paediatric OT practice and unpack what the research actually says about it?

That’s exactly what I do each week in the OT Learning Hub.

And Tuesday’s newsletter (landing in your inbox at 4pm) dives into one of the most commonly used - and most debated - areas of paediatric occupational therapy: sensory-based interventions.

This is a paper I’ve been patiently waiting for, and it absolutely didn’t disappoint.

This week’s paper examines what evidence actually exists to support sensory-based interventions for children and young people, with a clear focus on functional outcomes and participation, rather than symptom change alone.

The review brings together research published over the past decade to explore which sensory strategies are supported by evidence (and which ones are far less certain), including deep pressure, caregiver-implemented strategies, alternative seating, and sensory environments - while also highlighting important gaps that many of us will recognise from practice.

It’s a highly relevant paper, and one that closely reflects the conversations many of us are having in supervision, team discussions, and when we’re asked to justify why we use sensory approaches in therapy.

🧠 A systematic review of sensory-based interventions for children and youth. Piller et al. (2025), Frontiers in Pediatrics

Don’t miss this newsletter - this is an important paper for any OT using sensory approaches in their therapy.

If you’d like the full breakdown - including my OT reflections, clinical reasoning, and practical takeaways - make sure you’re subscribed to the OT Learning Hub.

Join 7,500+ paediatric OTs reading along each week 💌
👉 https://www.michellenewby.com/OTLearningHubLP
Looking forward to sharing this one with you on Tuesday