Early Access AvailableAlfie Kohn
Punished by Rewards: Why Rewards and Punishments Both Fail Kids
November 16 to 19, 2026
TheThinkSensorySummit
Season 2
Free Virtual Summit • Hosted by Mick Olds & Greg Santucci
21 expert sessions for therapists, educators, and parents featuring Dr. Ross Greene, Dr. Barry Prizant, Alfie Kohn, Kelly Mahler, and more.
Each day’s sessions are free to watch on demand for a full 24 hours.
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Sign up to attend all four days at no cost.
The Lineup
Meet the Speakers
Early Access AvailableAlfie Kohn
Punished by Rewards: Why Rewards and Punishments Both Fail Kids
Early Access AvailableDr. Ross Greene
The Kids Who Aren't Okay: Reimagining School Support from Reactive to Proactive
Early Access AvailableKelly Mahler
The Interoception Curriculum Meets the Double Empathy Problem: Implicit Bias in How We Read Autistic Kids' Bodies
Kristy Forbes
Supporting PDA Children Through Burnout
Early Access AvailableDr. Barry M. Prizant
Stubborn, Defiant, Manipulative? A Uniquely Human Approach to Behavior, Regulation, and Connection
Early Access AvailableKatja Piscitelli
The Mind-Body Disconnect: Apraxia, Motor Planning, and Communication Access
Jolene Stockman
Room to Be: Creating Space for Autistic Joy
Early Access AvailableMaria Davis-Pierre
Culturally Responsive Care in Practice: Bias, Blind Spots, and Reducing Harm for Black Autistic Children
Early Access AvailableAmy Laurent and Jac Fede
The Problem with "Calm Down": Rethinking Regulation Through Energy Instead of Emotion
Early Access AvailableKarla Pretorius
When PDAers Grow Up: Supporting PDA Beyond the Childhood Years
Tracey DeMaria
The Whole Class Surfs Together: Creating a Shared Regulation Language forYour Room
Early Access AvailableChris Wenger
AI Tricks Versus Real Workflows: Building Neuroaffirming Activities, Visuals, and Goals Without Losing Your Clinical Judgment
Early Access AvailableDr. Destiny Huff
The Neuroaffirming IEP: Building Better Goals and Advocating for Them at the Table
Early Access AvailableChenai Mupotsa-Russell
Decolonising the Therapy Room: Power, Consent, and Whose Knowledge Counts in Neurodivergent Care
Early Access AvailableBryden Carlson-Giving
Neurodiversity, Ableism, And Disability Culture: Rethinking The Models We Use And The Occupations That Matter
Jessie Ginsburg
Sensory Strategies That Support Communication: Practical Tools for Therapists and Parents
Early Access AvailableEm Hammond
The "Good" Kid: Compulsive Fawning, Rejection-Sensitivity, and Learning to Self-Advocate
Greg Santucci
Curiosity as the Catalyst to Participation
Mick Olds
Beyond Screen Time: Kids and Technology, Without the Hand-Wringing
Bryden Carlson-Giving
The EMPOWER Model: Empowering Neurodivergent Occupational Participation and Well-Being
Early Access AvailableChris Wenger
Assessing for Happiness: Collecting Data That Targets Self-Identity and Long-Term Wellbeing
Your Hosts
Meet Your Hosts
Mick Olds
Mick is known online as The OccuPLAYtional Therapist. They’re an occupational therapist working both on- and offline to share knowledge widely about the ways that children grow, develop, and learn. Mick is passionate about play as the core meaningful occupation that underlies childhood, and about equipping adults with the education and practical tools they need to defend children’s right to play.
Greg Santucci
Greg is an advocate for neuroaffirming care with 26 years of experience as an OT. He presents both nationally and internationally on topics related to sensorimotor development, sensory processing, regulation and behavior. Greg is the Founding Director of Power Play Pediatric Therapy, a co-founder of Think Sensory and the creator of the Model of Child Engagement, a neurodevelopmentally informed approach to improving felt safety, regulation, and active participation in children.
The Content
What You’ll Learn
Insights across twenty expert sessions on neuroaffirming care.
Proactive School Support
Move from reactive discipline to proactive support, and reimagine the way schools respond to kids who are struggling before things fall apart.
Rethinking Rewards, Praise, and Behavior Control
Take a closer look at rewards, praise, and compliance-based approaches, and consider what neurodivergent students actually need to thrive.
Interoception, Bias, and Reading Kids' Bodies
Learn how interoception shapes regulation, and examine the implicit bias that affects how we interpret autistic kids' body signals and behavior.
Regulation Beyond Calm
Explore why calm is not always the goal, and how to help kids find the right energy for the moment they are in.
Supporting PDA Across the Lifespan
Understand PDA through burnout and into adulthood, with approaches that reduce demand anxiety and honor autonomy.
Communication, Motor Planning, and Access
Discover sensory strategies that support communication, and learn how apraxia and motor planning affect access to expression.
Culturally Responsive, Affirming Care
Examine microaggressions, bias, racial trauma, and whose knowledge counts in the therapy room, alongside models that move beyond the deficit view.
Identity, Joy, and Advocacy
Create space for autistic joy, support neurodivergent identity, and build better IEP goals you can advocate for at the table.
Early Learning and Engagement
Support social communication and emotional regulation in young children in ways that build genuine engagement.
Four Days
The Schedule
Four days of sessions. Full lineup below.
Part 1November 16, 2026
Punished by Rewards: Why Rewards and Punishments Both Fail Kids
Alfie Kohn
The Kids Who Aren't Okay: Reimagining School Support from Reactive to Proactive
Dr. Ross Greene
The Interoception Curriculum Meets the Double Empathy Problem: Implicit Bias in How We Read Autistic Kids' Bodies
Kelly Mahler, OTD, OTR/L
Supporting PDA Children Through Burnout
Kristy Forbes
Stubborn, Defiant, Manipulative? A Uniquely Human Approach to Behavior, Regulation, and Connection
Dr. Barry M. Prizant, PhD, CCC-SLP
Part 2November 17, 2026
The Mind-Body Disconnect: Apraxia, Motor Planning, and Communication Access
Katja Piscitelli
Room to Be: Creating Space for Autistic Joy
Jolene Stockman
Culturally Responsive Care in Practice: Bias, Blind Spots, and Reducing Harm for Black Autistic Children
Maria Davis-Pierre, LMHC
The Problem with "Calm Down": Rethinking Regulation Through Energy Instead of Emotion
Amy Laurent and Jac Fede
When PDAers Grow Up: Supporting PDA Beyond the Childhood Years
Karla Pretorius
Part 3November 18, 2026
The Whole Class Surfs Together: Creating a Shared Regulation Language forYour Room
Tracey DeMaria, OTD, OTR/L
AI Tricks Versus Real Workflows: Building Neuroaffirming Activities, Visuals, and Goals Without Losing Your Clinical Judgment
Chris Wenger
The Neuroaffirming IEP: Building Better Goals and Advocating for Them at the Table
Dr. Destiny Huff, LPC
Decolonising the Therapy Room: Power, Consent, and Whose Knowledge Counts in Neurodivergent Care
Chenai Mupotsa-Russell
Neurodiversity, Ableism, And Disability Culture: Rethinking The Models We Use And The Occupations That Matter
Bryden Carlson-Giving, OTD, OTR/L
Part 4November 19, 2026
Sensory Strategies That Support Communication: Practical Tools for Therapists and Parents
Jessie Ginsburg
The "Good" Kid: Compulsive Fawning, Rejection-Sensitivity, and Learning to Self-Advocate
Em Hammond
Curiosity as the Catalyst to Participation
Greg Santucci, MS, OTR/L
Beyond Screen Time: Kids and Technology, Without the Hand-Wringing
Mick Olds, OTR/L
The EMPOWER Model: Empowering Neurodivergent Occupational Participation and Well-Being
Bryden Carlson-Giving, OTD, OTR/L
Assessing for Happiness: Collecting Data That Targets Self-Identity and Long-Term Wellbeing
Chris Wenger
Who It’s For
Who Is This Summit For?
Parents & Caregivers
If you are navigating the daily challenges of supporting your neurodivergent child while feeling overwhelmed by conflicting advice and long waitlists, this is for you.
Occupational Therapists
Looking to deepen your neuroaffirming practice and learn strategies that actually transfer from clinic to real life? You will find practical, evidence-based approaches here.
Educators
Want to better support neurodivergent students but feel unprepared by your training? Get the tools and understanding you have been missing.
Speech-Language Pathologists
Seeking collaborative, connection-based approaches that honor how neurodivergent kids naturally communicate and learn.
Mental Health Professionals
Committed to neurodiversity-affirming care and looking for practical strategies that support the whole child and family system.
Anyone Supporting Neurodivergent Kids
If you believe kids do well when they can, and you want to learn how to help them, you belong here.
Testimonials
★★★★★
“I have attended quite a few summits over the years, and for me, at my professional level currently, this was absolutely the best one I have ever 'attended'! To have 3 days of continuous neuroaffirmation was just joyous and has filled me with so much hope!”
★★★★★
“This summit was very informative. Lots of real world examples and ideas to work into my therapy sessions.”
★★★★★
“One of the things I loved the most, was how positively everyone spoke about neurodivergence and the struggles that can come along with it. It was so powerful and infectious to listen to.”
★★★★★
“As an SLP I really appreciate working with OTs and other professionals to support students in every way possible. I love finding interprofessional trainings.”
★★★★★
“I loved the format of Greg having a casual chat with the speaker. Really dynamic and engaging to watch.”
★★★★★
“Really enjoyed the sessions and thank you so much for the wonderful speakers all coming together. So good listening to experts in the field talking about real issues that we face everyday as educators.”
★★★★★
“As a parent with a non-OT/support field background it strikes me how applicable this content is to nearly every field and everyday life.”
★★★★★
“Thank you so much for putting on this summit! I learned so much and am looking forward to bringing this to our whole treatment team.”