What does it really mean for sensory integration to be a developmental theorym and how does that change the way we see the children in front of us?

In this episode, we pick up right where Episode 33 left off. Tracy opens with a powerful quote from the Sensory Integration Theory and Praxis textbook that bridges sensory discrimination and executive functioning, and the conversation takes off from there.

We explore how Praxis doesn't arrive all at once but interacts with a child's changing developmental competence, from the six-month-old reaching for a toy, all the way to the basketball player executing a perfect shot. Tracy shares a rich clinical story of a little boy with Fragile X syndrome whose play shifted dramatically, not because he was taught new skills, but because his motivational system was met exactly where it was. And we get into genuinely fascinating territory around sensory surplus, neurodivergence, and what it means when a child needs to spend far longer making sense of perceptual qualities before they can move into representational play.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction & recap of Episode 33

01:43 Tracy's quote from Sensory Integration Theory and Praxis (2nd ed., 2002)

03:00 Sensory integration as a developmental theory — the spiralling continuum

07:17 What does "developmental theory" really mean here?

08:14 The embodied experience of a six-month-old becoming a reacher

10:34 Praxis elaborating from affordances — the basketball example

12:33 The interrupted development of Episode 33's little cherub

14:22 "Praxis interacts with the changing developmental competence of the child"

18:00 Connecting to executive functioning — planning and inhibitory control

20:06 Sledging, dysregulation, and the autonomic nervous system

20:33 Affect is the glue — Stanley Greenspan

21:48 Clinical story: the boy with Fragile X and the red cars

26:33 Attunement, pacing, and knowing when to stretch

29:00 How you find the affect inside a child's category interest

30:03 Sensory discrimination as the foundation of executive function shifting

31:20 Executive functions are embodied before they are cognitive

33:27 Visual discrimination and cognitive flexibility

35:00 Stuck in developmental stages — integration dependency

37:26 From concrete/literal to representational thinking

38:42 The million repetitions problem — and why play partners get tired

41:00 Filling the perceptual cup

42:04 Wired to Feel — autism as a condition of sensory surplus

44:00 Motivational bias, executive function, and the "not done yet" feeling

45:26 Affect as the glue in pathway building

47:12 Meeting children exactly where they are

49:14 DIR, honeypots, and what it means to really be with a child in play

49:55 Did affect unlock self-other connection?

53:15 Pulling it together for parents — the relief of knowing this is the work

54:52 We don't teach shoe-tying to 2-year-olds — developmental readiness

Resources mentioned:

Sensory Integration Theory and Praxis, 2nd ed. (2002) — Anzaloni & Murray

Children Adapt — Gilfoyle, Grady & Moore

Wired to Feel: Autism as a Condition of Sensory Surplus — Sweezy & Bergenfeld (2025)

DIR/Floortime — Stanley Greenspan

Early Start Denver Model — Sally Rogers

SPIRIT Model — Tracy Stackhouse, Developmental FX

The Felt Sense Polyvagal Model — Jan Winhall

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In this episode, we dive deep into the clinical reasoning behind a case study of Cory's involving a 3.5-year-old boy. We do our best to link the experiences of this little boys daily challenges, such as dressing, social interactions, and emotional regulation, and unpack them through the lens of sensory integration and praxis.

We explore the vital difference between "high route" and "low route" brain processing of sensations and affect, and how we can use playful, relational interactions to bridge the gap. We also discuss the intersection of sensory integrative knowledge and Polyvagal Theory. With another aha moment in how the foundation of safety becomes a way we can facilitate sensory discrimination to emerge for motor planning and skill development.

Check out DFX's learning journeys to sign up for our learning journeys community and take any of the courses available to build your clinical reasoning skills --> https://dfxlearningjourneys.thinkific.com/

Full transcription of our episode is available on our website.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

01:30 Case Study: Functional challenges

02:52 Observations in Daycare

04:39 Therapeutic Approach and Techniques

07:04 Progress and Insights

09:15 Discussion on Sensory Integration and Praxis

19:17 Practical Applications and Tools

26:22 Playful Beginnings: Exploring Interaction

26:48 Progress and Social Development

29:23 Understanding Sensory Discrimination

32:28 Trusting Theories in Practice

33:19 Praxis in Action: Another Case Study

36:42 Reflecting on Clinical Observations

43:01 Developmental Pathways and Testing

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In this episode, we’re wrestling with something that comes up all the time in clinic: how do we explain the tricky clinical terms (like ocular control) to parents without losing them? We are continuing on the journey of trying to unpack language, talking about how we translate what we’re seeing in terms of ocular motor functions, vestibular contributions, and somatosensory discrimination into language that actually lands and makes sense for families.

We unpack how the vestibular system and sensory discrimination play into eye movements, how modulation bumps into these issues, and how neurodevelopmental factors shape what we’re observing. Happy Listening!

Check out DFX's learning journeys to sign up for our learning journeys community and take any of the courses available to build your clinical reasoning skills --> https://dfxlearningjourneys.thinkific.com/

Full transcription of our episode is available on our website.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Translating Clinical Concepts

00:36 Challenges in Communicating Clinical Terms

02:26 Navigating Clinical and Medical Spaces

05:58 Understanding Ocular Motor Function

08:25 Connecting Sensory Systems to Daily Life

19:01 Developmental Perspectives on Sensory Integration

26:19 Integrating Information for Developmental Understanding

26:59 Vestibular System and Its Functions

28:39 Motor Control and Its Origins

30:25 Challenges with AI in Understanding Motor Skills

37:20 Clinical Reasoning and Interpretation

38:30 Attachment and Motor Development

42:03 Connecting Threads in Therapy

44:19 Concluding Thoughts and Future Discussions

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Website: https://www.spiritedconversationspodcast.com/

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