All Things Sensory by Harkla

Life can be challenging if you’re struggling with knowing where your body is in space. Some of your kiddos might be facing daily challenges if they lack body awareness, mid-range control, or force modulation, so today’s episode is all about these skills and tips for improving them. These three “skills” act like a little triad that you have to think about when you are addressing these challenges wi...

The topic of essential oils gives rise to varying opinions & reactions, & to help us understand this often misunderstood topic, we invited our friend Erin Owings, who runs The Supernatural Project, to have a discussion! As the mother to two children who have struggled with Laryngomalacia, which can greatly inhibit a baby's ability to breathe, Erin discovered the power of essential oils out...

Today’s show is all about speaking to your pediatrician about the different developmental stages of your child when they are between the ages of three months and one year old. Your hosts, Jessica and Rachel, are both mothers, so they are speaking from experience, and the episode is full of their personal stories. Rachel and Jessica want all new parents to know that decisions regarding your child’s...

Raising a child with Level 3 autism and a combined diagnosis of PANDAS can be a challenge for parent and child. Today we welcome back the Blymillers. We first interviewed Angela and Shawn 122 episodes ago! Much has changed since then. In this show, we check in with these super-parents to find out how their five-and-a-half-year-old boy, Theo, is responding to his various therapies, and to hear some...

As parents, therapists, and teachers, we have specific goals we want our kids to be able to achieve, whether it’s something like brushing their teeth at home, drinking water from an open cup, or working on their handwriting. What we don’t always think about are those underlying skills that we need them to establish before they can actually work on and achieve those specific goals. Today, on All Th...

Welcome to All Things Sensory by Harkla! This trailer is a great place to start if you're new to the show! We cover:Who we (Rachel & Jessica) areWhat our background is as Certified Occupational TherapistsWhat are our most popular episodesWho Harkla isIf you're looking to go deeper on any of the shows, we always include show notes and transcripts as Harkla.co/Podcast. If you want to connect wit...

In our early stages of development, we all have a template in our brains that guides how we move. And the movements we make based on that guide are called innate rhythmic movements. This set of movements helps us go from being defenseless babies to developing skills like walking, speaking, and even coping with stress. Today’s guest is Sonia Story, an expert in innate rhythmic movements and the cre...

We've got BIG NEWS to announce to everyone during this podcast episode! We're joining the Harkla Team as in-house content creators, experts, and podcast hosts! This means we're changing the name of the podcast to All Things Sensory by Harkla! Like we mention in the episode, to celebrate we're having a big sale on all of our Harkla products:One month free to the Harkla Sensory Club (which was The S...

We are often asked about how to deal with fighting between siblings and how to help them get along better. First off, it’s always useful to remember that fighting is a natural and inevitable part of life between children, and it’s just a matter of making sure that the difficulties that do arise are within a reasonable limit and are not dangerous. When a child has sensory challenges, these kinds of...

A career in occupational therapy can take on many different characteristics and trajectories. Our guest today, Reema Naim, is a great example of this and she shares her unique path and how she built a business and lifestyle around her passions and strengths. We hear from Reema about her early forays into the world of health and the different exploratory steps she took before settling into the role...

Facilitating speech for your child or the child you care for can be loads of fun, and in today’s episode, hosts Rachel and Jessica cover a whole bunch of activities that can incorporate language into daily tasks. While we don’t focus specifically on language development - but rather verbiage - some of these tasks may help your child with enunciation, so there should be something for everyone! We k...

Welcome to episode 138! This episode is sponsored by Harkla Co. Learn more about why we LOVE this company HERE! Use the Code: “sensory” for a 10% discount on everything in their shop! This week’s episode is an incredible conversation with Whitney Sarnowski. Whitney spent the first few years after graduating with her undergraduate degree - in special educations and a minor in primary education - te...

Back in 2018, we released our third podcast episode all about bedtime and sleep. This episode is an updated version of that episode - Sleep 2.0! Get ready for a discussion on WHY many children struggle to get a good night’s sleep as well as our fav tips, tricks, and strategies to help the entire family feel successful with bedtime. This podcast is brought to you by Harkla. Our mission at Harkla is...

This episode is an incredible conversation with Rachel McFedries - Rachel is passionate about helping parents of children ages birth - 7 years balance screen time and play time. Because parenting these days can feel overwhelming and energy-draining, screens can become the “easy” answer. As a result, some children are experiencing more screen time than ever before. Rachel’s passion began 4 years ag...

Have you ever had your child, client, or student draw a picture of a person, or of themself? Did you know that the drawing can tell you a lot about the child’s understanding of their body and environment? That’s what this episode is all about! And of course, stay tuned ‘til the end to hear tips, tricks, and strategies to help improve body awareness, spatial relations, and more! Be sure to check ou...

Today we have an incredible conversation with Jennifer Barnard, an Occupational Therapist who is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of plagiocephaly without a helmet, while treating torticollis quickly and effectively. You can hear the passion in her voice so make sure you check out her website and start following her on Instagram after listening to today's episode! Be sure to check out the...

Today’s episode is in answer to a listener question about treatment planning - how to plan and set up treatment activities for a variety of kiddos, at a variety of levels, to address a variety of goals. Get ready to take notes as Rachel & Jessica break down how to set up an obstacle course activity and how to easily modify each step. They also provide you with several of their favorite games t...

Today’s conversation is with McKenzie Hoffman, M.A., CCC-SLP, a Speech Pathologist who began her career in the NICU as well as providing feeding therapy in a pediatric outpatient clinic. Her passion led her to create a feeding program, as well as her Instagram account - @playingatyourplate - where she helps families feed their children in a positive and holistic way. Be sure to check out the show...

This episode is all about birth stories - Rachel and Jessica talk about their sons and how different their experiences were. No judgement, no criticism. Just stories. Can you relate?!Be sure to check out the show notes on our blog at Harkla. Co/Podcast. Brought To You By Harkla This podcast is brought to you by Harkla. Our mission at Harkla is to help those with special needs live happy and health...

Get ready for an AMAZING conversation with Stefanie, proud Mama to the incredible Lilly. She shares her journey with her daughter and her daughter’s Autism Service Dog, Indy, in this episode as well as on Instagram. After listening to this conversation, make sure you follow Stefanie and Lilly, reach out to them, and show them some love! Be sure to check out the show notes on our blog at Harkla. Co...

As your podcast DJs, we are answering a listener’s question today - how to create a sensory diet for a child with low registration. First, we dive into what it looks like to have a child with low registration. Then we give you our top 5 activities to complete with your child. Take some notes! Be sure to check out the show notes on our blog at Harkla. Co/Podcast. Brought To You By Harkla This podca...

In this episode, you get to hear from Lindsay Livingston, a Registered Dietitian (RD) and mother to 3 beautiful children. She started a food blog back in 2010, completed schooling to become an RD, and eventually shifted her focus to being with her children full time. Lindsay currently uses her blog and her Instagram page as a way to teach parents that healthy eating does NOT have to be complicated...

As podcast DJs, we LOVE answering your questions and this episode is just that - answering a listener’s question regarding gravitational insecurity. What is it? Why does it happen? What can you do to help your child if they exhibit gravitational insecurities? Listen in and take notes! Be sure to check out the show notes on our blog at Harkla. Co/Podcast. Brought To You By Harkla This podcast is br...

Today’s episode is a fantastic conversation with Jake Kreindler, a Pediatric Physical Therapist and a Level 3 Cuevas MEDEK Exercise Specialist. Jake has traveled around the world, helping children and families reach their goals. He currently works in New York, performing regular and intensive therapy sessions. Be sure to check out the show notes on our blog at Harkla. Co/Podcast. Brought To You By...

What is “stimming?” What does it look like? Who participates in it? Why? All of these questions are addressed in this episode, and MORE! We are always looking for ways to provide you with simple, tangible tips, tricks, and strategies and this episode has everything you need! Be sure to check out the show notes on our blog at Harkla. Co/Podcast. Brought To You By HarklaThis podcast is brought to yo...