I’m an enneagram 6, so my brain is constantly moving. My OT lenses never turn off and I can’t “un-see” the sensory and other developmental skills that go in to literally every activity. I love taking what I see and breaking it down into simple terms so parents can understand what goes into their child’s behavior and skills.
Have you ever heard of therapists use terms like “top down and bottom up approach” to working with behaviors in neurodivergent children? This episode will teach you the difference between the two and help you understand the pros and cons to each approach. [continue reading]
When parents find themselves in a space where they’re desperate for answers and solutions to help their neurodivergent child, they often forget one important step. Here’s a hint, it has to do with checking in with yourself! Listen to the episode to find out more. [continue reading]
The size of the problem is a common lesson therapists and teachers use to teach kids emotional regulation skills. As I have learned more about the neurodivergent community, I’ve started thinking about this lesson in a different way and want to share that with you in this episode. Don’t worry, it’s not all bad! [continue reading]
Ever wondered what a psychologist and an OT sound like when they get together and have a casual conversation about parenthood? Well, here’s your invitation to hang out with Dr. Ann Louise Lockhart and me as we chatted during our mom’s weekend getaway. [continue reading]
If you have a neurodivergent child who tends to get overstimulated, overwhelmed and dysregulated around gift-giving time during the holidays, you’re not alone. Over the years I’ve found ways to manage dysregulation around gifts and the meltdowns that usually happen and this year, I’m putting it all together so I can have a more regulated holiday season. [continue reading]
So you’ve identified your child may be differently wired, or neurodivergent. Now what? When is it time to seek support for your neurodivergent child? Who do you seek support from? Where do you even start? I’ll be answering all those questions in this episode.
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In this episode, we talk about the journey of becoming a conscious parent to a neurodivergent child and how we both have had to reconcile with our early visions of what we thought motherhood would be like. [continue reading]
Taking a vacation with a neurodivergent child sometime in the near future? Keep reading to learn 6 steps you can take to help make it more enjoyable for everyone. [continue reading]
Join Andi Putt, as we spread awareness of the different ways Autistic individuals learn and behave so we can be more neurodiverse affirming. [continue reading]
Are you struggling with aggressive behavior in children? When you have a neurodivergent child who has 20+ minute long, intense, aggressive meltdowns, sometimes you need to literally roll with the punches, AND keep everyone safe. How do you do that? Redirect those aggressive behaviors to safer alternatives, I’ll teach you how in this episode. [continue reading]
Do you have a child who refuses going to school and you either can’t figure out why or can’t figure out how to best help them? In this episode, Natasha Daniels educates us on what to do (what not to do) and general strategies for responding to school refusal. She also talks about some common school accommodations you can ask for to help your child have a more successful day. [continue reading]
Neurodivergent learners have different ways of learning and listening. They won’t always appear to be listening, and often get in [continue reading]
If you’ve been considering going to Disneyland with your Sensory kid, this post is for you. Keep reading to learn tips and tricks from an OT mom so you can make the most out of your Disneyland trip with your neurodivergent child. [continue reading]
I always get asked what kind of parent my husband is.
People want to know if we use the same parenting style and if we don’t, how do we handle that conflict?
People want to know what he thinks about our daughter’s neurodiversity and how he handles that.
I asked him all those questions and more in this episode!
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Have you ever wondered why your kid hates grooming tasks like taking a bath, washing their hair, brushing their teeth, [continue reading]
I’ll be taking a summer hiatus from podcasting and will return sometime in the fall of 2022. Until then, listen [continue reading]
I’m interviewing the talented and brilliant, Dr. Casiddy Freitas. I was on her podcast last year and since then, we’ve [continue reading]
The blog post, transcript and audio for this episode has moved and can be found here: [continue reading]
Dealing with power struggles and push back from your child when you just want them to clean up, get dressed, [continue reading]
When you have a child who’s neurodivergent, should you talk to them about their neurodiversity? When should you talk to them about their neurodiversity? And most importantly, HOW do you talk to them about it? [continue reading]
Even when young children drop their last nap, research shows it’s still important for their brain to have downtime and to rest. But how on Earth do you get a young child to stay in their room if they’re not napping? Keep reading to find out more tips. [continue reading]
As a pediatric OT, I have had to jump through hurdles and hoops just to get medical professionals to actively listen to my concerns about my daughter.
Just when I thought I got the “golden ticket” for an eval, another hurdle pops up.
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As a former ABA therapist, current OT and mama to a 4 year old, I’m no stranger to sticker charts. [continue reading]
CLICK TO READ TRANSCRIPT In this episode, I share clips from my recent masterclass that talks about the 3 biggest [continue reading]
If you follow me on instagram, you know that mornings before school are the hardest times for us. Now I’m [continue reading]
I’ve been getting a lot of requests lately from parents who are having a hard time explaining their child’s neurodivergent [continue reading]
So you’ve identified some needs for your child, maybe fine motor needs, sensory needs, picky eating, or some other challenging [continue reading]
Most parents deal with a picky eating phase, but some parents’ journey with their child’s picky eating is a little more severe than others, and we’re going to cover it all today. [continue reading]
Empowering parents to be their child's best advocate.
-Laura Petix MS OTR/L