.png)
STEPS Together
The STEPS for Development podcast offers practical support for adults who are nurturing children's growth and development. Hosted by Debra Johnson, MS, OTR/L, pediatric occupational therapist, parent coach, educator and parent. STEPS Together dives into topics including typical development, neurodevelopmental differences, understanding what lies beneath challenging child behaviors, and exploring strategies that work to improve skills, strengthen relationships and empower parents and caregivers who are invested in helping children thrive and succeed.
Episodes
24 episodes
When Regulation Falls Apart: A STEPS Guide to Managing Meltdowns
Meltdowns are often misunderstood and when we treat them like misbehavior, everyone ends up more dysregulated. In this episode of STEPS Together, we break down the critical difference between tantrums and meltdowns, why that distinctio...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 24
•
44:08
.png)
When You Are Doing All The Things...And Nothing Is Changing
If you’ve ever thought, “I’m doing everything people tell me to do so why is my child still melting down, acting out, or struggling?” this episode is for you.In today’s conversation, we unpack one of the most frustrating experie...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 23
•
29:14
Brain Health 101: The Foundations Every Parent Needs to Know
In this episode, I identify the five core pillars of wellness that support a child’s brain health and why they matter far more than most parents realize. Neurodiverse brains often struggle with one or more (sometimes all five!) of these areas; ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 22
•
41:56
Realistic, Regulated & Rested: The Holiday Alignment Every Family Needs
Free PDF Guide to Aligning Expectations for Happier HolidaysIf the holidays tend to leave your family overwhelmed, overtired, and overstimul...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 21
•
30:08
Holding Your Ground with Heart: Navigating Opinions and Advice
The holidays often bring excitement, connection… and plenty of unsolicited advice. In this episode, we explore how to stay confident, calm, and compassionate when family and friends don’t fully understand your child’s neurodiverse needs or your...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 20
•
27:47
Creating Calm out of Chaos: How Being Proactive Will Save the Season
Holidays are stressful for everyone. The rush of holidays at the end of the year can be especially rough. Changes in routines, new people, new places, new foods. All of it can be overwhelming for our children, as well as us! In this episode, I'...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 19
•
35:22
Help without Controlling: The Skill-Building Power of Scaffolding
How the “Just Right” support creates growth and eliminates struggles.When a child fails to follow directions, makes mistakes or struggles physically with a task it is easy for us to slip into control mode. So much easier to just d...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 18
•
45:22
When It All Goes Wrong: How to Reflect, Repair, and Reset
We’ve all been there. You thought you'd planned for everything, used your tools and had it under control. But now your child’s having a meltdown at a family gathering, bedtime turns into a battle, or you miss an appointment because your child r...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 17
•
23:53
Trouble with Transitions? Stop Battling Behavior and Start Building Skills!
If leaving the park turns into a meltdown, bedtime drags on forever, or screen time always ends in tears, you’re not alone — and your child isn’t trying to make your life harder. Transitions are tough because they require a whole set of develop...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 16
•
41:31
Co-Regulate Like a Boss: 3 Skills Every Adult Needs
Ever wonder why staying calm when your child isn’t feels so hard? Co-regulation, the process of helping a child manage their emotions by managing our own, is one of the most powerful tools adults can use. But it’s also one of the hardest, becau...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 15
•
37:22
Self-Regulation Is A Journey, Not A Destination
Self-regulation is one of the most talked-about topics in child development today. But too often, it’s treated like a destination: a place we expect kids to arrive at with enough strategies, visuals, or practice. In reality, self-regul...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 14
•
35:16
Why Reacting To Meltdowns Doesn't Work – And What To Do Instead
Most parents want to know: “What do I do when my child is in the middle of a meltdown?” The truth is, by the time your child reaches that stage, there’s not much you can do except keep everyone safe and let the big emotions run their c...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 13
•
31:29
Fact vs. Fiction: Clearing Up Common Misconceptions About Sensory Processing
Is your child “too sensitive,” or do they just have sensory quirks they’ll grow out of? Maybe you’ve heard that sensory diets can fix everything—or that sensory seeking is just ADHD in disguise. In this episode of the STEPS for Development podc...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 12
•
37:19
Digging Deeper: Using Task Analysis to Unlock Better Solutions to Challenging Behaviors
Look closer, stay curious, and find out what’s really going on beneath the struggle. Let's dig deeper and find solutions that work! Last week we talked about the power of focusing on just one challenge at a time
•
Season 1
•
Episode 11
•
35:20
From Overwhelm to Focus: Tackling One Challenge at a Time
Parenting can feel impossible when it seems like everything is a problem—your child never listens, can’t sit still, melts down at homework, interrupts every conversation. These big, vague concerns can leave you feeling stuck and exhaus...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 10
•
24:21
When Good Tools Fail: Finding What Really Works for Your Child
You've tried all the tools - sensory breaks, behavior charts, all the "parenting hacks" from social media - only to end up frustrated when nothing seems to work. It's not that you or your child are failing, it's that the strategy isn't the righ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 9
•
38:41
Rethinking Defiance: Harnessing Strong-Will as a Strength
Is your child’s “defiance” leaving you drained and second-guessing yourself? Are you feeling manipulated, controlled and lost about how to change the status quo? What if those daily battles were really signs of persistence, resilience, in...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 8
•
40:00
From Control to Connection: Reducing Stress by Working Less
In this episode of STEPS Together, Debra Johnson, MS, OTR/L, explores what it really means to “work too hard” as a parent or caregiver—not in chores or daily tasks, but emotionally. When we try to control every behavior, feeling,...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 7
•
26:54
I See You: Acknowledging the Hard Work Behind Every Step Forward
Supporting a child with unique needs comes with layers most people never see — balancing school meetings, therapy sessions, sensory needs, and emotional ups and downs, all while trying to connect and guide. It’s a constant juggle of time, energ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 6
•
32:03
From Frustration to Connection: What to Do When Kids "Don't Listen"
"Why won't they just listen?!" If you've found yourself asking this question (maybe even more than once today), you are NOT alone! In this episode, I explore what adults really mean when they say "they don't listen," unpack what really going on...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 5
•
34:55
Calm is Contagious: Connect, Co-Regulate, and Carry On!
When your child is overwhelmed, crying, yelling or shutting down, it can feel impossible to know what to do. But what if I told you that the most powerful tool isn't a strategy, sensory activity or consequence? Is this episode, we'l...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 4
•
44:51
Start Strong! The Value of a Strength-Based Approach to Support Development
Start Strong! The Value of a Strength-Based Approach to Support DevelopmentIn this episode of STEPS Together, we’re diving into the heart of what makes our work truly transformational—a strength-based approach to s...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 3
•
30:26
Understanding Behavior for Real Change
In this episode, we dive into one of the most misunderstood areas of child development—behavior. If you've ever felt stuck trying to manage your child’s challenging behaviors using strategies that just don’t seem to work, this is for you.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 2
•
1:04:24
First, Introductions!
Welcome to the first episode of STEPS Together, the STEPS for Development podcast with practical support for adults who are nurturing children's growth and development. In this episode I share a bit about my background and journey both personal...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 1
•
29:57