PEDIATRIC THERATOOLS
Chaos to Calm
5 Steps to a Healing Environment
A self-paced CEU course that teaches you how to create healing, development-supportive environments for premature infants & children with special needs—at home, in the NICU, and in outpatient settings.
Environmental strategies that support regulation in infants and toddlers.
Working with NICU graduates, medically complex infants, and disregulated toddlers is deeply rewarding—but it can also feel incredibly frustrating when:
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Parents feel lost and unsure how to help their baby regulate at home
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The environment at home is overstimulating and progress stalls
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Transition from the hospital to home is chaotic
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You know environmental modifications would change everything… but you’re not sure where to start
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Sessions feel harder than they should and progress feels slower than expected. breakthroughs—especially for medically fragile infants and children with special needs.
The environment IS the intervention.
Small changes lead to big breakthroughs—especially for medically fragile infants and children with special needs.
👉 This course shows you exactly how.
Do You Need This?
Yes, if you are...
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An Occupational / Physical / or Speech Therapist
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NICU Therapist
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Early Intervention Provider
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Home Health Nurse
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Case Manager
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Developmental Therapist or Special Instructor
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Pediatric Allied Health Professional who supports NICU grads & medically complex kids.
If you want to confidently support healing environments that improve participation in daily routines such as feeding, bathing, dressing, sleep, and play - you're in the right place.
Why Healing Environments Matter
The transition from NICU to home is one of the most stressful periods for families. Even small environmental stressors (sound, light, temperature, handling, and positioning) can negatively impact:
- Regulation & state control
- Feeding success
- Sleep and recovery
- Sensory system development
- Bonding & parent capacity
- Progress toward developmental goals.
When you help families create a calmer environment, you:
✨ Reduce stress and increase regulation
✨ Improve tolerance for touch, feeding & ADLs
✨ Increase parent confidence and participation
✨ Create stability that accelerates development
👉 You become the practitioner who makes life at home easier—not harder.
Approved By Leading Licensing Boards.
Acceptance varies by state and profession. Always verify with your licensing board.
See the full approval list in the FAQ below.
What You'll Learn
Identify
Understand
Educate
Utilize
What You Get
Tools to help you transform home and hospital care immediately:
✔ Step-by-step teaching on the 5 elements of a healing environment
✔ Real examples for in-home, NICU follow-up, and outpatient sessions
✔ Parent-facing teaching strategies to support carryover
✔ Printable guides & checklists to use in your next session
✔ Practical scripts & wording to help families implement real-life changes
✔ Lifetime access + CEU certificate
How This Course Will Help YOU
You will walk away feeling confident to:
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Reduce infant stress and support self-regulation
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Coach parents to modify their baby’s environment without overwhelm
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Improve participation in feeding, bathing, dressing, play & sleep
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Make the transition from hospital to home smoother and less stressful
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Increase parent buy-in and carryover
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Achieve better outcomes, more quickly
Course Curriculum
MODULE 1
Touch
Delve into the intricate world of touch as we uncover the secrets of skin development and touch receptors. Discover simple yet effective methods to nurture touch in the NICU and beyond as we guide you through the transition home. (25 min)MODULE 2
Light
Illuminate your understanding of the visual system's development and unravel the profound impact of light on both preterm and term infants. Prepare to be dazzled as we explore the transformative power of light! (20 min)MODULE 3
Sound
Listen closely as we unravel the mysteries of the auditory system's development. Gain insights into the perfect harmony of sound levels and master the art of gently introducing sounds in the NICU and during the transition home. (15 min)MODULE 4
Smell & Taste
Prepare for a sensory explosion as we delve into the development of the olfactory and gustatory systems. Uncover the profound influence of smell and taste on bonding and feeding skills. Get ready to savor simple strategies that ignite feeding progression! (10 min)MODULE 5
Temperature
Feel the warmth of knowledge as we uncover the secrets of the Thermal Regulation System's development. Learn ingenious ways to maintain the perfect temperature in both the NICU and transition home, ensuring little one’s conserve precious energy and thrive! (15 min)MODULE 6
Conclusion
Join us for a thrilling conclusion where we recap all the exhilarating key points and set you on a clear path towards mastering the chaos and embracing the calm! (12 min)
Course Objectives
- Identify the 5 elements of a healing environment.
- Explain the importance of each element of a healing environment & its impact on sensory system development.
- Paraphrase the evidence-based research that supports each element of a healing environment.
- Recognize & describe methods to support each element of a healing environment in both the NICU & transition home to promote the infant/child's positive participation in developmentally appropriate occupations.
- Identify 3 recommendations to help with the auditory system & transition home.
- Identify 3 recommendations to support olfactory & gustatory experiences in the NICU.
- Identify 3 recommendations to support olfactory & gustatory experiences for the transition home.
FAQs
Course Approvals & Continuing Education
This course is approved for:
• AOTA
• ASHA
• Approved by the Florida Board of Physical Therapy
• Approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy
• Approved by the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners
• Approved by the West Virginia Board of Physical Therapy
Additional States That Accept Chaos to Calm for Continuing Education:
Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri,
Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Virginia, Washington, DC, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Acceptance varies by state and profession. Always verify with your licensing board.
For questions regarding contact hour approval, please contact Laura at laura@pediatrictheratools.com.
The CE administrator will email the learner with acknowledgement of the question, complaint or concern within 1-2 business days. Any necessary resolutions will be communicated to the learner via email within 7-10 business days and kept on file within the email managing system under “Complaints and Resolutions” for a minimum of 7 years. Any complaints must be submitted within 3 months of course completion.
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Laura R. Barnhart, OTR/L, CNT, CIMC-Master Trainer, is a practicing Occupational Therapist and Certified Neonatal Therapist with over 20 years of experience in home health, out-patient and NICU settings. Her ongoing practice allows her stay relevant in the field and contribute to her teaching effectively.
Since 2014, she has traveled and trained pediatric healthcare professionals all over the United States. Additionally, Laura teaches and mentors international students, sharing her expertise and fostering global collaboration in pediatric healthcare.
Laura prefers to teach in a discussion style format, encouraging professionals to openly ask questions and contribute to the overall learning experience. Her teaching described as "relaxed and friendly," offers real-life, practical examples, creating an evironment where participants feel comfortable engaging and learning actively.
Disclosures -Financial: Laura is employed by Pediatric Theratools and receives an honorarium for this course. Non-Financial: There are no non-financial disclosures to report.
