Sensory W.I.S.E. Solutions Podcast for Parents episodes
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]
Did you know that development of handwriting skills depends on a solid foundation of sensory processing skills?
Really, all of our motor output (both gross and fine motor) become refined and developed after sensory skills have been established. So, it’s pretty common for some kids with handwriting challenges to have underlying sensory processing issues.
Dr. Tina Bryson is going to share some strategies to help you with night time routine struggles. We’ll also talk about how this might look different or be a little harder with a neurodivergent child, and when you might benefit from seeking support from an Occupational Therapist. [continue reading]
As an Occupational Therapist, I get asked all the time what my thoughts are on ABA, and if I think [continue reading]
Join me and the amazing Mr. Chazz Lewis as he educates us on what Conscious Discipline is, and what it isn’t…and more importantly, how you can apply conscious discipline methods to a neurodivergent child.
Mr. Chazz’s mission is to help adults truly see, guide and trust children. He is pushing the needle a little closer toward world peace. He goes by, “Mr. Chazz” and he even has a song to prove it. He has been a teacher of teachers and parents for a decade. He has worked with many schools, thousands of teachers and thousands of children. He has trained thousands of teachers in person and virtually. [continue reading]
Making the most out of your child’s OT services (that you had to fight tooth and nail for, go down very deep internet rabbit holes and stalk the local mom group just to find) is important, but how? In this episode, I’ll be answering common questions I get from parents, like what to do if your child isn’t making progress, how you can ask your OT to support you in non-traditional ways, when it might be time to take a break or pause from OT, and even some signs that you may need to switch therapists. [continue reading]
How can you best prepare your sensory child (and yourself) before a stressful event like going to a Doctor visit or going to the Dentist? I’ve got a list of practical tips and some mindset shifts that can set you up for success for the next time. [continue reading]
Did you know that there’s a difference between a meltdown and a tantrum? It’s important for parents and professionals to differentiate between the two because it gives us so much insight into our children and allows us to better support them in the best ways. Listen to this episode’s interview with Dr. AnnLouise Lockhart to find out how to identify the difference between a meltdown and a tantrum and some important tips to keep you on the right track. [continue reading]
One thing I’m always preaching to my clients, my in person clients, my virtual parent coaching clients and the parents in the Sensory WISE Solutions program is that it’s important to have the “sensory cup” talk with your child. You know, as long as they have the language capabilities to understand. It’s important for your child to understand that their brain processes sensory input differently and it’s even more important for them to understand that there’s nothing wrong with that. Listen to this episode to see how I talk about it with my 4 year old. [continue reading]
All behavior is a form of communication, but sometimes it can be hard to decipher what our children are communicating. When kids hit, kick, spit, punch, throw or push, parents often ask me, “is this sensory or is it behavior?”
I’m here to end that debate once and for all. Well, maybe not end it, but at least help you reframe it.
Because what the real question should be is “What is it my child is trying to communicate with me right now?”
Listen to this episode to hear more about the sensory and behavior link. [continue reading]
So you have a sensory sensitive child who’s sensitive to seams of socks, mushy textured food, messy play, or toilets flushing. What should you do? Do you accommodate every environment and task for them so they can avoid the sensory triggers altogether? Does that make them spoiled? Should you force them to get used to it? Where do you draw the line? Listen to this episode to find out how I talk about accommodating vs. exposure. [continue reading]
It’s so amazing how much a shift in mindset can positively impact progress in your own parenting journey as well as your neurodivergent child’s journey. Sometimes we can feel like we’re stuck, not making progress and we try to find all the right solutions and tricks and hacks, but what we need most is a mindset shift, or at least a mindset re-set.
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One of the most common questions I get asked about is if children can have mixed thresholds, meaning seek some sensory input and be sensitive to others. The answer is yes! A child can have a whole grab-bag of surprises when it comes to sensory profiles and sensory processing challenges. Listen to the episode to find out more. [continue reading]
My whole experience of motherhood has been completely different than what I had envisioned, and that’s okay, but it needs to be talked about. I don’t love this version of motherhood. I’m not enjoying the role I play as Mom. I miss the old me. Raising a neurodivergent child is hard. So many thoughts are unraveled in this episode, and I share a lot of vulnerable thoughts and feelings about motherhood, in an unscripted way. I also share a lot of confessions and frustrations that other moms have shared with me. [continue reading]
Co-regulation is something that will always be part of us as human beings. We are social beings and need the interaction, social transaction and intimacy and trust with another human being. But we can’t always rely on others to regulate ourselves, and we do want the ultimate goal for our children to be some version of self-regulation. I want to share with you what you can do now to build towards self regulation. [continue reading]
Forget thriving, how can we survive the holiday season with a neurodivergent child? Well I don’t have a magic wand, but I do have some tips for you to hopefully set you all up for success. Here’s a hint- it all has to do with building in familiar routines. [continue reading]
Out of all the social media posts, books, blogs, there’s just ONE thing you need to know about your neurodivergent child’s meltdowns, and that’s the fact that you can’t stop a meltdown. [continue reading]
Welcome everyone to a VERY exciting episode of the Sensory WISE Solutions Podcast for parents.
I have a TREAT for you all because I have Nicole Parish, who is the content creator and artist behind @soundoftheforest on tik-tok (with 1.7 million followers!)
Tune in to this episode to listen to Nicole’s experience of getting diagnosed with Autism in her adulthood, what her childhood experiences were like with some of her Autistic traits and how she’s found support. [continue reading]
This episode is completely unscripted but was so therapeutic for me to just talk and vent it all out. I’ll talk about why it’s so hard to keep up with her regulation, what’s going on with her at school, and even touch on our tough decision of not having any more children. [continue reading]
It’s our job as parents and educators to make sure that our children’s learning styles and sensory needs are supported and accommodated in the classroom. What are some of the classroom modifications and accommodations we can ask for to support our children with sensory differences? I’ll answer that in this podcast episode. [continue reading]
Ever wonder what the best preschool program would be for your child with SPD? Find out what questions you should be asking teachers and what to look out for when you tour preschools. [continue reading]
Empowering parents to be their child's best advocate.
-Laura Petix MS OTR/L