As I was lounging at the lake this past summer, my curiosity and creativity turned toward brainstorming ways in which Integrative Education could become even more innovative in our approach to online learning. How could we help to set the framework for new therapists to effectively treat pediatric clients? How could we inform and inspire experienced therapists? How could we bring people together for learning in an affordable way?
Out of these questions came two new formats that Integrative Education offered in the fall 2020, 3-hour online webinars and 1-hour online webinars. When considering the 1-hour online course, the question of when to offer these then arose. Ah ha! Over lunch! Lunch hour is a wonderful time to gather with colleagues and stay curious. I’m a sucker for catchy phrases, and thus began the Lunch & Learn series!
Fall 2020 Lunch & Learn Series
The inaugural Lunch & Learn series kicked off with Michelle Emanuel in November 2020, followed by Rhoda Erhardt in December 2020, and wrapped up with Kim Barthel in January 2021. Therapists were given the option of attending just one session or of joining all three with a price break (who doesn’t love a deal!). All of the Lunch & Learns were well received. Comments included,
“I always come away energized from these courses. Integrative Education finds relevant courses with phenomenal presenters"
"I enjoyed the lunch and learn format and thought the course was very informative!"
"I can't believe how much useful information was packed into just a single hour!"
Michelle Emanual’s November Lunch & Learn, Polyvagal PopUp: The Neuroscience of State Behavior Organization, dove into the continuum of the nervous system and explained the different nervous system states. Participants learned about the importance of the suck, swallow, breath synchrony and the connection between regulation and social interaction.
December’s Lunch and Learn with Rhoda Erhardt, Visual-Perceptual-Motor Skills with Developmental Coordination Disorder, addressed foundational concepts of visual motor coordination and the steps to supporting children’s achievement. She provided video examples of treatment interventions and further discussed the importance of making activities functional and integrated into occupation.
Kim Barthel’s January 2021 webinar on Sleep as a Contribution to Regulation exceeded our expectations. She walked participants through the importance of quality sleep, its impact on function and typical sleep progression in the first year of life. The impact of sleep disturbance on children with autism and sensory processing dysfunction was explained. This webinar was a great introduction to the topic of sleep and gave us useful information for improving pediatric clients’ sleep habits.
What’s in Store for 2021?
Due to the overwhelming amount of positive feedback, we are excited to announce that beginning February 1st, 2021, the Fall 2020 Lunch & Learn webinar series will be available on-demand for a limited time! You can purchase the webinars from February 1st through April 30th, with 30 days of viewing from your purchase date. Similar to the live webinars, you have the option to purchase individual Lunch & Learns for $30 each or to buy all three together for $75. A certificate of completion and AOTA CEUs are available for on-demand courses following the completion of the course with a passing score of 80% or more on a post-course quiz and submission of the course survey.
The live Lunch & Learn webinars will resume in May 2021. Once each quarter, a new live Lunch & Learn webinar will be held from 11:30 AM CST - 12:30 PM CST. With each live webinar, a recording will be available within the week of the live event with viewing for two weeks. CEUs are available for both live attendance or on-demand learning. You can expect the same high caliber of speakers and engaging topics in our upcoming offerings.
Moving forward, we plan to announce two quarters of Lunch & Learns at a time, with the option of purchasing individual sessions or bundling them together to save. Shortly after the two quarters of live Lunch & Learns are complete, on-demand learning for those sessions will be available. Look for May and September Lunch & Learn speakers and topics for live events being announced soon (followed by the on-demand version availability in October)! A certificate of completion and AOTA CEUs are available for on-demand courses following the completion of the course with a passing score of 80% or more on a post-course quiz and submission of the course survey.
We hope you take advantage of the great learning opportunities with the on-demand Lunch & Learn webinars or upcoming live Lunch & Learn in May. Visit our website at www.integrativeed.com to sign up to receive email communications regarding the May webinar, review course descriptions or register for upcoming events.