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Greg Santucci, Occupational Therapist

 https://gregsantucci.com/

Greg Santucci is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist and the Founding Director of Power Play Pediatric Therapy. Greg has been working with children and families for over 20 years, providing OT services in schools, homes and outpatient therapy centers throughout New Jersey. Greg is certified in Sensory Integration and the creator of the Model of Child Engagement, a clinical framework to help professionals and parents focus on a child’s safety needs prior to addressing their regulation and sensory processing skills, with the goal of improving a child’s participation in daily activities.

Greg has been lecturing nationally for over a decade on topics related to sensory processing, child development and behavior, and consults with parents and educators around the world. Greg has dedicated his career to promoting neurodevelopmentally-informed, relationship-based interventions to help parents and teachers support children of all abilities and learning styles. Greg is the father of two children and is married to a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, so he shares his toys with everyone in his family.

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All Sessions by Greg Santucci, Occupational Therapist

  • Day 1 (Tuesday, 8/20/2024)


  • 9:15 am  - 10:30 am
    Every human being wants to do well. Every child wants to succeed and make their parents and teachers happy. However, it can be really hard to be a kid sometimes, especially for our neurodivergent children. We are demanding more from them than ever before in school. While the academic demands have changed, what hasn't changed is the course of human development. Current advances in neuroscience have taught us so much about 1) how the brain works and 2) what kids need so they can feel safe, regulated and ready to meet our expectations. We will gain a new understanding about "the why" of childhood behavior and learn strategies to support kids, improve their behavior and help them thrive.

  • 10:45 am  - 12:00 pm

  • Day 2 (Wednesday, 8/21/2024)


  • 9:15 am  - 10:30 am
    Behavioral interventions have been the primary strategy when working with people who are having difficulty meeting expectations. We offer rewards and reinforcers to try and motivate children to comply, assuming it's a motivation problem that's preventing them from engaging. Very often, professionals say these strategies "work", but with all of the new knowledge we have about brain function, we have to ask 'works for who?' and 'at what cost do these strategies work?' Understanding how the brain influences behavior and learning will help change our approach to how we support children with concerning behaviors, and positively change the trajectory of their progress, and our relationship with them.

  • 10:30 am  - 12:00 pm