Sensory W.I.S.E. Solutions Podcast for Parents

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! You’ve heard me share my own story and progress as I work to support my neurodivergent daughter at home, and you’ve heard me share stories of other families I’ve helped support… but for the first time ever, you get to hear directly from another parent about their entire story.  Listen to this episode to hear Carrie share Will’s story and how he...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! 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 th...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! Have you ever heard of occupational 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. Links: Episode transcript: https://www.theotbutterfly.com/56 The OT Butterfly...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! 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.  Links: Episode transcript: https://www.theotbutterfly.com/55 The OT Butterfly Inst...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! 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 late and want to share that with you in this episode. Don’t worry, it’s not all bad! Links:  Episode transcript: https:...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! 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 together during our mom’s weekend getaway.  In our conversation, we touch on some of the following topics:  How kids and parenting...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! 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...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! 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.  Links: Episode transcript: https://www.theotbutterfly.com/podcast The OT Butterfly In...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! Listen in on my conversation with Kendra Williams, a silicon valley professional turned Motherhood Coach. She specializes in helping women navigate the identity shift that occurs when women enter Motherhood. She is a certified conscious parent coach, master practitioner of NLP and Mama Rising facilitator. In this episode, we talk about the journ...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! A vacation with a neurodivergent child doesn’t always scream relaxation, and it certainly doesn’t even scream regulation- but we can change that narrative. There are things to put in place before you go on vacation and even some in-the-moment strategies and modifications you can make to your trip in order to set your neurodivergent child up for...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! Andi is a pediatric speech language pathologist who specializes in Autism assessment. She is neurodivergent and passionate about Autism advocacy. Andi works in public schools and owns MrsSpeechieP. Join us for this interview episode where we talk all things Autism- how to celebrate it, think about it and talk about it in 2022 from a neurodiverse...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! 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. Lin...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! 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 chi...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! Neurodivergent learners have different ways of learning and listening. They won’t always appear to be listening, and often get in trouble when they aren’t using “whole body listening”. Keep reading to find out why this is a big problem and what we should be doing instead.  Links: Episode transcript: https://www.theotbutterfly.com/45 The OT Butte...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! If you’ve been considering going to Disneyland with your Sensory kid, this is for you. Listen to learn tips and tricks from an OT mom so you can make the most out of your Disneyland trip with your neurodivergent child.  This is specific to the California Disneyland Resort and California Adventure- Disneyworld and Disneyland Paris, Tokyo all have...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! 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! Links  Episode transcript: https://...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! Have you ever wondered why your kid hates hygiene tasks like taking a bath, washing their hair, brushing their teeth, and any other task that keeps them, you know, clean and hygienic? In this blog post, you’ll learn the main reason why they might hate it, especially if they’re sensory sensitive.  Links to include:  Episode transcript: https://ww...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! I'll be taking a summer hiatus from podcasting and will return sometime in the fall of 2022. Until then, listen to some of my most trusts colleagues in the parenting space as they leave you with some challenges to try over the summer. Pick one that you feel comfortable in and let me know what you choose. Find more information from the exper...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! I’m interviewing the talented and brilliant, Dr. Casiddy Freitas. I was on her podcast last year and since then, we’ve been insta-friends, colleagues and we definitely share the same for you page on tiktok (if you follow her, you know what I mean!). If you don’t know her, Dr. Cassidy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist offering virtual s...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! Tags are too itchy, seams are too irritating, pants are either too tight or too loose; the shoes don't feel "just right". Whatever the clothing issue is, I've heard it all. As a pediatric Occupational Therapist, clothing sensitivities is one of the most common challenges I support in my professional practice and in my person...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! Dealing with power struggles and push back from your child when you just want them to clean up, get dressed, brush their teeth or simply transition from one activity to the next can be exhausting. While I wish I had a child who would just do what I say when I say it with no tricks, unfortunately, I have a very opinionated, strong willed girl and...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! 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? All those questions answered in this episode.  Links:  Work with me: www.theotbutterfly.com/parentconsult Transcript/show notes at www.the...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! 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? Listen to this episode to learn how you can get started, no matter how old your child is. Links:  Transcript/show notes at www.theo...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! You've heard me say the system is broken, but did you know it's broken even for those of us who work IN the system? 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, a...

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note! Sticker charts, reward charts, token systems almost always work, until they don't.  I've seen sticker charts backfire more often than not, especially when used in a way with neurodivergent children to manipulate or change their behavior. In this episode, I detail why I don't love using these approaches with neurodivergent children...