{"podcast":{"title":"Early Childhood Investigations","slug":"early-childhood-investigations-7652274","podcast_index_feed_id":7652274,"rss_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/10e6eb298/podcast/rss","website_url":"https://ecewebinars.com/spotify","image_url":"https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/45271030/a837b6eca0227d1a.jpg","author":"Playground","episode_count":35,"summary":"Early Childhood Investigations is your gateway to inspiring, research-based professional development. Since 2009, our free webinar series has brought together authors, researchers, and leaders in early care and education to share timely insights and spark meaningful conversations across the workforce. We believe high-quality professional development should be accessible, practical, and immediately useful. ECI is a movement that empowers directors, administrators, and teachers to elevate their practice and strengthen outcomes for children and families. https://ecewebinars.com/spotify","last_synced_at":"2026-06-11T08:18:49.894702+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/early-childhood-investigations-7652274"},"episode":{"title":"Play and Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice in Early Childhood by Kerry Murphy (BA Hons, MSc)","slug":"play-and-neurodiversity-affirming-practice-in-early-childhood-by-kerry-murphy-ba-hons-msc","published_at":"2026-04-23T14:52:33+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/early-childhood-investigations-7652274/play-and-neurodiversity-affirming-practice-in-early-childhood-by-kerry-murphy-ba-hons-msc","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/early-childhood-investigations-7652274","url":"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hannahbitoteter4/episodes/Play-and-Neurodiversity-Affirming-Practice-in-Early-Childhood-by-Kerry-Murphy-BA-Hons--MSc-e3ibsm4","audio_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/10e6eb298/podcast/play/118927492/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-3-23%2F422704319-44100-2-2669a23e9a0b3.mp3","summary":"RESOURCES Watch the full webinar here Join our newsletter! Earn your Professional Development hours with FREE sessions delivered right to your inbox every week Check out the producer of ECI, Playground, the Child Care Management Software Play is innate, and all children have the capacity for playful selves. Yet many conventional views of play still rely on narrow developmental expectations that unintentionally exclude neurodivergent and disabled children. In this session led by Kerry Murphy (BA Hons, MSc) —author, Early Childhood Specialist, Lecturer, and Trainer—you are invited to re-explore play through a neurodiversity-affirming lens that honors the many functions and patterns of play. You will be introduced to ideas that move beyond typical play frameworks, such as stage theory, and instead explore the diverse developmental pathways children naturally follow through play. Together, we will examine common play patterns in neurodivergent children and explore why these are valid and developmentally meaningful. We will also question neuronormative assumptions about what counts as “functional” play and recognize the depth of insight available when children are supported to play in ways that feel authentic to them. Throughout the session, you will reflect on how neuronormativity and developmental norms can shape our interpretations of children’s actions. By engaging with practical examples, case studies, and reflective prompts, you will discover how to design play environments that are affirming, autonomous, accessible, and filled with joy, meaning, and knowledge creation. Learning Objectives To reimagine our definitions and understandings of play through a neurodiversity-informed and affirming lens. To explore the influence and impact of neuronormativity on children’s p…","meta_description":"RESOURCES Watch the full webinar here Join our newsletter! Earn your Professional Development hours with FREE sessions delivered right to your inbox every…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":4980,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/early-childhood-investigations-7652274/episodes/play-and-neurodiversity-affirming-practice-in-early-childhood-by-kerry-murphy-ba-hons-msc/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/early-childhood-investigations-7652274/play-and-neurodiversity-affirming-practice-in-early-childhood-by-kerry-murphy-ba-hons-msc.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}