Description:
The earliest years offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape the brain’s architecture — and neurotransmitters are the master builders behind every connection. In this powerful 3-part workshop, pediatric therapists will unlock a deeper understanding of how brain chemistry drives growth, sensory processing, emotion, learning, and behavior from birth through age 7.
Explore the essential neurotransmitters that sculpt early development, recognize the signs of system imbalance, and transform how you view — and support — the growing brain. Designed for pediatric therapists who want a strong, neuroscience-informed foundation, this series delivers a clinically grounded lens across sensory, motor, emotional, and cognitive domains. Practical intervention insights will be woven throughout to bridge science and practice.
Who should attend this workshop?
- Occupational Therapists (OTs):
Deepen your understanding of how neurotransmitter systems influence sensory processing, motor coordination, and self-regulation in early development
- Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs):
Explore how brain chemistry impacts language acquisition, social communication, and executive function during critical neurodevelopmental windows
- Physical Therapists (PTs):
Learn how neurotransmitter-driven motor circuit maturation shapes gross motor skills, balance, and neuromuscular control in the developing child
- Educators:
Gain insight into how neurotransmitter activity affects learning readiness, emotional regulation, and attention, enhancing your support for young learners
- Psychologists:
Strengthen your clinical lens by connecting early neurotransmitter patterns with emotional development, behavioral regulation, and later mental health trajectories
Outline / Agenda: From 10am to 11.30am for each webinar
November 5, 2025: Neurotransmitters and the Architecture of the Developing Brain (Brain development timeline and neurotransmitter-driven process)
November 12, 2025: Dopamine, Seratonin, and the Emotional-Cognitive Brain (Key neurotransmitters shaping emotion, motivation, and executive function)
November 19, 2025: Integrating the Neurotransmitter Systems for Brain Maturation (Connecting neurotransmitters and regulation of complex brain functions)
Learning Objectives:
Overall Course Objective:
By the end of this 3-part series, participants will be able to describe the role of key neurotransmitters in early brain development, analyze how neurotransmitter imbalances contribute to developmental challenges, and synthesize neurodevelopmental knowledge to inform clinical and educational practices for children from birth to seven years old.
By the end of each session, participants will be able to:
Session 1: Neurotransmitters and the Architecture of the Developing Brain
- Describe the roles of Glutamate, GABA, and Acetylcholine in the formation and maturation of early neural circuits
- Identify the effects of excitatory-inhibitory neurotransmitter imbalances on cognitive, sensory, and motor development
- Connect the balance of Glutamate and GABA to the early development of sensory modulation and sensory discrimination abilities
Session 2: Dopamine, Serotonin, and the Emotional-Cognitive Brain
- Explain how Dopamine, Serotonin, and Norepinephrine influence emotional regulation, motivation, attention, and executive functioning
- Analyze the association between neurotransmitter dysfunction and developmental conditions such as ADHD, anxiety disorders, and emotional dysregulation
- Explain how Dopamine and Serotonin influence sensory-based emotional responses, sensory defensiveness, and regulation of sensory reactivity
Session 3: Integrating the Neurotransmitter Systems for Brain Maturation
- Synthesize the ways multiple neurotransmitter systems interact to support sleep, learning, behavior, and adaptive functioning
- Evaluate the developmental impact of early neurotransmitter imbalances and apply neurodevelopmental principles to therapeutic and educational support frameworks
- Analyze how the integration of multiple neurotransmitter systems supports sensory processing for attention, motor planning, and adaptive behavior
Assessment: Completion of Feedback Form
Provider Name: The Maude Le Roux Academy
Presenter: Maude Le Roux is a global trainer in multiple methodologies and a mentor to therapists from multidisciplinary teams. She opened her practice, A Total Approach in Glen Mills, PA, USA in 2001, and the satellite office in Allentown, PA in 2023. Maude started her training career in 2007 and opened her online academy in 2019. She has designed the Developmental Pathways Model (DPM), which she applies to her own unique assessment and intervention protocol for major diagnosis such as Dyspraxia, ADHD and Executive Functions, Autism, Reading and Writing Disorders, and Trauma and Attachment. Maude served 9 years on the Board of Directors for ATTACh and currently serves on their Advisory Board. She also serves on the Advisory Board for LSWorks (Neuralign program). She is a co-author of two books and more recently wrote a chapter on Trauma and the Body in “Healing Connections” which launched in September 2024. Maude received an award for “Continued child advocacy” through the ATTACh organization in September 2024. She also received the Champion Award through ICDL in November 2024. Maude has a “whole child” approach to care and intervention and equipping the child, while empowering the parent is at the core of who she is as a clinician and trainer.
Special Needs Accommodation: We invite anyone who may need a specific accommodation to contact [email protected] and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.
Cancellation policy: Payment is due in full upon registration on this website. If cancelling registration up to 30 days ahead, only a $25 administration fee will be needed. If cancelling up to two weeks before commencement date, the cancellation fee will be 25%. Cancellation in the final two weeks leading up to commencement will result in a 50% cancellation fee. Please contact [email protected] if you have any further questions in this regard.
Target Audience: Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Physical Therapists, Medical Professionals, Social Workers, Psychologists, Educators, Parents
Educational Level: Intermediary
Instructional Methods: PowerPoint, Video
Contact Hours: 3, 45 hours
Fee: $125.00
Maude and Charl Le Roux own the Maude Le Roux Academy and thus the proceeds of this course will cover operational expenses as well as provide income for Maude and Charl Le Roux.