This week I'm diving into some sneaky reasons why some sensory kids might be wigglers that have nothing to do with needing more movement. Prepare to get your mind blown as I break down the connection between core strength, posture, and focus. I'll also give you tons of do's and don'ts for supporting these kiddos in the classroom. By the end you'll be armed with all the deets to help your little learner shine without extra distractions.  You’ll learn: - The hidden connection between core...

As an OT, I often get asked how parents should explain why their child has to go to Occupational Therapy visits. In this episode,  parents will have some guidance on preparing children for evaluations, answering their questions about therapy, and explaining OT to siblings. You'll learn simple scripts tailored to different child ages that will help demystify the process and make OT a more positive experience. Whether you're new to OT or a seasoned pro, I'll share my tips for...

Get ready for an info-packed episode on Occupational Therapy to celebrate this wonderful field in OT month (for U.S.).  I shared how OT can help with all different kinds of challenges like motor skills, focusing, anxiety and sensory issues. Whether assessing needs, modifying environments or teaching regulating strategies, OTs have creative solutions to support kids' skills and behaviors. From building body awareness to providing customized interventions, we get to play all day while helping...

In this episode, I dive into why some kids – especially neurodivergent ones – thrive on routine and struggle when things change.  As a neurodivergent adult and occupational therapist, I'll share insights into the sensory and cognitive challenges that can make even small changes feel like big disruptions. I'll also dish out practical tips for parents to support their neurodivergent kiddos through these transitions. Join me as we uncover the secrets to smoother sailing in the unpredictable...

Do you feel pulled in multiple directions trying to meet the unique sensory needs of each child in your home? In this episode, I’ll dish my top strategies for balancing the often conflicting sensory profiles within families. You'll learn practical ways to create separate sensory spaces, set clear boundaries with alternatives, and rely on sensory layering to make any environment work for everyone.  Whether you have an overstimulated child and a sensory avoider under the same roof or just...

Parents, are you dealing with a kid who just constantly wakes up on the wrong side of the bed? NO matter what you do or offer them, they're just dysregulated no matter what.  This episode is for you. I'll help you make sense of those non-sensical moods and give you an action plan to hopefully curb some of that dysregulation.   Listen into learn:  That chronic dysregulation is a real thing and some children's nervous systems can get stuck in a state of fight or flight activation.  Why your...

In this episode, I'm exploring an approach I've found really effective called collaborative problem-solving. I'll break down the steps so you can understand the process. And I'll share a real example from my own parenting journey - what happened when I tried validating my daughter's perspective and attacking the problem objectively (minimizing emotions) to find a creative solution that she could agree to? Collaborative problem solving has really shifted our dynamic from a battle of wills to a...

 I wanted to share a new concept I've been thinking about called the "nervous system budget." Basically, it's a way to visualize how different tasks and environments affect our nervous systems. I'll explain how we all have a limited amount of "nervous system cash" each day, and how certain things can cost more than others.  I'll also give some ideas for how parents can help kids spend less and save more for the things that really matter. My hope is that framing it this way can help parents...

Dr. Alex Reed is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the assessment and support of neurodevelopmental diagnoses across the lifespan  Alex and I are both contributors in Dr. Becky’s goodinside community- a movement and platform that we really enjoy supporting. Alex and I have so many sideline conversations about neurodiversity and are constantly sharing resources and posts that speak to our souls— they usually have to do with finding ND affirming care. So I invited Alex on today...

Liliana surprises me every single day. She’s intelligent, well spoken, mature, empathetic and so so caring. You can see all of those qualities through her in this episode, which was in part created by you who submitted questions for her to answer! In this episode, you’ll hear Liliana give advice about What to do when you’re worried about going to schoolWhat to do when you can’t fall asleepHer favorite calming techniquesWhat to do in the morning if you have a hard time getting up  And so...

We cannot co-regulate our kids if we aren’t regulated ourselves. And most of us (I’m raising both of my hands here) need to make extra effort to activate our parasympathetic nervous system because our sympathetic nervous systems can go into overdrive so quickly as parents to neurodivergent kids. Chronic dysregulation and chronic sympathetic nervous system activation is definitely a THING, our kids can experience, and we can too. And when we’re chronically dysregulated, literally everything in...

Let's normalize screen time use in whatever way works for your family. I know as parents we are CONSTANTLY bombarded by a list of shoulds and shouldn’ts and really big, click-baity headlines that really create a lot of fear and guilt among parents. You see this for almost every childhood concern, but I see it a lot around screens. And in 2024, we’re definitely not decreasing our kids’ exposure to screens so let’s lean into it a bit and really find out- do we really need to stress about...

Dr. Joy and I chat about why nervous system regulation is so important for parents and kids to understand, and how you can start to explain it to them. We then touch on how you expand the knowledge of nervous system regulation into understanding that some brains and bodies are different, and their nervous system regulation (and finding the green energy) can look different for neurodivergent kids.  Dr. Joy Malik-Hasbrook, PsyD (she/her), is a licensed clinical psychologist who helps children...

Welcome to the 100th episode of the sensory W.I.S.E. solutions podcast! I'm so excited to celebrate this milestone with all of you. In this special episode, I'll be reflecting on our journey so far and sharing some of my favorite episodes and key stats from the past 100 shows. You’ll also get to hear from my 6 year old, Lilliana who shares her perspective on neurodiversity and gives some advice to any kids with similar support needs out there. And she'll even read a few pages from my kids...

In this episode I chat with Kristi Palmer, founder of Kiva Confection edibles, about how cannabis products can be integrated into our busy lives as parents. Kristi shares how she uses edibles to manage the chaos of dinner time and her kids' bedtime routine. I also discuss how edibles help me relax in the evenings and get a great night's sleep. We talk about dosing, favorite products, educating kids, and more. If you've been curious about edibles but have reservations, give this episode a...

Listen to this episode if you’re looking for practical next steps after your child receives an autism, ADHD, anxiety or other DSM diagnosis. Listeners will learn how to navigate the many emotions that come with a diagnosis, as I validate the relief, validation but also overwhelmed, confused or worried feelings parents may experience. I recommend taking time to process the diagnosis before making major decisions. Then I outline a step-by-step approach, including re-reading evaluation reports,...

In this episode, I break down the basics of sensory processing in a step  by step, easy to understand way. Learn how each of the 8 sensory inputs travel through our bodies, how the brain triggers a response and how that manifests in our behaviors. With this information, you’re ready to start tackling those behaviors from a more sensory informed lens! You’ll learn:  The 5-step process of how sensory information is processed and integratedHow sensory processing happens automatically and...

Follow along as my husband and I do a quick recap of the 17 days I spent away from home while I was in the Philippines and Mark took on the role of default parent for our daughter Liliana. We discussed how he handled the daily routines like school drop offs and meals without any reminders from me. Mark shared some funny stories like when he tried taking Lilianato a 4D movie experience that didn't go as planned (IYKYK). Overall, Mark rose to the challenge and felt more confident in his...

It’s one thing to be able to identify the best supports, tools and accommodations for your neurodivergent child, but I find that implementing it successfully in the classroom isn’t always easy. One of the things I recommend parents or teachers to do is to spend some time introducing the entire classroom to sensory tools, what they are, who they’re for, and how they help. The idea is to normalize neurodiversity early on, so that when sensory tools or fidgets are being used by an ND student in...

In this episode,I talk with Ina Chung, known as @theasianallergymom on Instagram. Ina shares her personal story of parenting her daughter who has food allergies to peanut, dairy and egg. She discusses how she educated herself on food allergies as a new mom and advocates tirelessly for inclusion of food allergy families. Ina offers practical tips and strategies for managing her daughter's allergies at school and in social settings. We also explore the intersections of food allergies and...

Listen in as I discuss important signs parents can look for to determine if a therapist or clinic is neurodiverse affirming so they can make the most informed decision when looking into therapy providers for their neurodivergent child. Links: episode on making the most out of OT services Sensory Detectives Waitlist (next cohort: early 2024) Episode transcript: https://www.theotbutterfly.com/podcast The OT Butterfly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theotbutterfly Work with Laura:...

In this episode, I explore one of the most nuanced topics in parenting - the use of labels for children. As an OT and mom to a sensory sensitive child, I've seen firsthand both the pros and cons that labels can bring. I discuss my own journey in understanding different perspectives on labels and how my views have evolved. Listeners will gain insight into why labels are so meaningful to some, yet controversial to others. I also share strategies for effective advocacy and community-building...

In this episode, I share my top comebacks for dealing with judgmental comments about parenting a neurodivergent child. As parents, we've all experienced unwanted advice or passive aggressive remarks from friends and family about our parenting style or our child's behavior. But it can be hard to know how to respond without causing conflict. I'll provide a variety of polite, informative, and sassy responses you can have in your back pocket for common comments like "My parents would never let me...

In this episode, Laura Petix interviews Casey Ehrlich, a social scientist and expert in Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). Casey shares her personal story of discovering her son's PDA diagnosis and journey to understanding. She discusses PDA as a dysregulated nervous system perceiving threats to autonomy. Casey provides 5 key accommodation strategies for supporting PDA needs, including letting kids win games, using declarative language, strewing for engagement, letting go of demands for...