The College of Rehabilitation Sciences, through the departments of Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology, kick-started its 50th-year celebration by holding a post-graduate conference titled, 鈥淐onvergence: Pathways Towards Self-Regulation鈥� from October 4 to 6, 2024, at the Bl. Buenaventura Garc铆a Paredes, O.P. Building.
This three-day post-graduate conference focused on the role of self-regulation in supporting children with special needs. The event featured a diverse range of topics related to self-regulation, including sensory processing, executive functions, co-regulation, and feeding difficulties.
Erna Imperatore Blanche, Ph.D., from the University of Southern California, conducted two workshops. Her first workshop, 鈥淯nderstanding the Impact of Sensory Processing on Self-Regulation and Participation,鈥� delved into the fundamental principles of sensory integration theory and how it influences a child’s behavior. The other workshop, titled 鈥淭he Impact of Sensory Processing and Sensory Integration on Self-Regulation and Participation,鈥� discussed the relationship between sensory processing, executive functions, and self-regulation in supporting children with disabilities.
In addition, Dr. Blanche built upon concepts that provide practical strategies for addressing self-regulation and sensory processing challenges in pediatric practice by applying a systematic clinical reasoning model and integrating evaluation data to develop comprehensive intervention plans. She also presented evidence-based practices in her presentation titled, 鈥淪ystematizing Clinical Reasoning: A Clinical Reasoning Model.鈥� In this presentation, she zoomed in on identifying and addressing children’s needs followed by the utilization of a systematic clinical reasoning model to develop comprehensive intervention plans.
Another speaker, Cynthia Yuen Yi Lai, Ph.D., from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, held a Self-Regulation and Executive Functions workshop, which provided a comprehensive understanding of how executive functions impact a child’s daily functioning.
Dr. Lai, in her presentation focused on discussing conceptual frameworks of executive functions and self-regulation, assessment tools, and evidence-based interventions designed to address and improve executive function regulation in children.
Moreover, Dr. Lai explored the application of foundational concepts of executive functions to manage dysregulated behaviors in children in a parallel session. Here, she focused on the relationship between self-regulation and executive functions, effective assessment and intervention strategies, and tailoring approaches for diverse childhood populations.
Audrey Michelle L. Lim from the Alternative Learning Resource School in the Philippines, led a workshop focusing on advanced strategies for addressing fussy feeding in children.
Additionally, Justine Anne G. Cua and Raymond Angelo A. Gonzales empowered teachers with the knowledge and tools to support self-regulation in students with special needs. Their session emphasized the role of self-regulation in a child’s academic and social success, providing practical strategies for creating supportive classroom environments and implementing effective interventions.
On the last day of the conference, Desiree L.R. Wen from Magic Beans Feeding & Speech Therapy, Singapore talked about the sensory aspects of fussy feeding, focusing on how sensory integration and self-regulation impact feeding behaviors in children.
This was then followed by a series of talks and parallel sessions led by experts in self-regulation, intervention strategies, and assessment. This three-day workshop was attended by occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, allied health professionals, teachers, and parents.
