A Day with Greg Santucci: Regulate to Participate

Regulate to Participate: Neuro-affirming strategies for Everyday Practice. the OT Exchange International Speaker Tour

On Monday 22^nd June 2026, I was lucky enough to attend a presentation by Greg with 100 other OTs at the Brisbane Convention Center. Greg is such an authentic, passionate and knowledgeable OT who clearly loves kids, and loves to be of service to them.

I would like to share some key things that landed for me and I hope they will with you too. Greg was also extremely generous to share a folder of infographics with the audience and asked us to share them with as many other OTs as possible – so here goes!

1. A recent manuscript by ThinkSensory, of which Greg is co-founder, revealed that 10% of OTs identify as neuro-divergent and a further 20% thought they could be but weren’t officially diagnosed. Of these, 95% say that it helps them at work as a paed OT, but only 16% of them feeling comfortable with disclosing their identity at work!
2. The word “Functioning” as a label: his suggestion was to reframe this word when relating it to a person's capacity i.e. low of high functioning and rather refer to the environment as low or high functioning for the child. He also challenges us to think about the word “functional play” as being too narrow as a term.
3. 1 in 6 children in general education classrooms in the US are neurodivergent, however Greg suggests this is probably higher.
4. 15-20 school days are lost due to disruptions in the classroom and the time it takes to then resettle the class. We therefore need to advocate that teachers do indeed have the time to be proactive and be ‘ahead of’ supporting the children in the classroom to gain these lost days.
5. He quoted a study from 2016 where they found that supporting relationship between teacher and child reduced the suspensions rate from school. He suggests that co-regulation and adult accountability in the classroom is paramount. Most often it’s the adult in the classroom that causes the dysregulation in the first place.

He reminds us that “children cannot do what their brains are not ready to do”

6. Greg reminds us The Power of Pausing – and suggests this is ‘skilled care’. For many of us ‘mature’ OTs we might recall learning at Uni about the concept of “Wait, Watch and Wonder”. He highlights that the ‘pause’ sign || is a symbol for side-by-side regulation. 
7. Greg had some really great quotes, and I particularly loved this one: “compliance is the thief of felt safety”. He further explained that a poorly motivated child is not the cause of behaviour issues, therefore it makes little sense to use a motivational system like tokens to change behaviour.  He was very clear that TOKENS DON’T TEACH SKILLS, and that behaviour if related to a gap in capacity and not a motivation problem.
8. Fluctuating Capacity: there is a great info-graphic that Greg shared to depict how capacity can change on a daily or even hourly basis. He reminded us that adults regularly extend themselves grace when their capacity fluctuates e.g. after a hectic day instead of cooking a Mum might order pizza for the family instead of cooking. Since kid's brains are still “under construction until age 25” it means kids are even more likely to fluctuate in their capacity. 
9. Chasing the Why: Greg has recently developed a new concept for the reasons for ‘behaviour’ that he called The PENS Lens.
   • P = A PROBLEM they can’t solve
   • E = An EMOTION they can’t handle
   • N = A NEED not being met
   • S = A SKILL they don’t have

   • At this point in the presentation, he made the most stunning statement that I feel he uses a lot but doesn’t realise the impact – it certainly impacted me!

     “What’s in their Head, Heart and Belly”

   • 

10. “Regulation is Contagious” another stunning statement. Particularly in group settings like the classroom, supporting one child towards regulation might spread to the other kids.

11. One of the funnier moments was Greg talking about ‘self-regulation’ as a Do-It-Yourself project! This is a very big ask especially for kids who are not okay.

12. And last but not least my favourite concept was the Sensory Channel. He uses an info-graphic of a TV remote, to highlight that when a kid is not listening, they may be distracted, focused on something else or their auditory channel is not the strongest sensory channel – so CHANGE the channel to support the child to meet the expectations of the classroom.

Greg's Strategies:

1. Know the Knowns (if you know homework is tricky then don’t be caught by surprise when it’s tricky! Prepare for it)
2. Dump the Clumps (don’t clump in too many instructions/ demands/ expectations together).
3. Own It! (accountability as the adult)
4. Get Low (get below eye level with a child)
5. Label the Energy (not the behaviour eg your hands have lots of energy, or when running a lot – “you have running energy”)
6. Environment First(support with environmental supports, modifications, advocacy)
7. Build Mutual Relationships
8. CHECK Yourself and Q-TIP (quit taking it personally)
9. Change the Location

You can learn more about Greg's work at www.thinksensory.com , Welcome To GregSantucci.com - Greg Santucci : Greg Santucci  and on his Facebook and Instagram pages.

Image credits: www.thinksensory.com 

Let's Reflect:

If you were at OTX 2026 this week, I would love to hear from you. What landed for you from Greg's keynote presentation? And if you were not there but you have read this blog - what resonated the most?  Come and find us on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn and let us know. These conversations are exactly what makes this community what it is - and I read every single one. 👉 Find SenseUp on Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn

If today's blog has sparked something in you and you are ready to keep going, here is what is coming up next at SenseUp Training.

Featured this month: 🌙 Sensory Contributions to Sleep
21 July 2026 | Online via Zoom | 6:30pm AEST

Sleep is the occupation families ask about most - and the one so many OTs feel least equipped to answer with confidence. This masterclass is built to change that.

👉 [Learn more and register her]

Yours in Sensory, Kerry