The OT is IN with Sarah Collins the Homeschool OT

In this episode you'll hear about: Defining Success and Challenges in Homeschooling Encouragement for parents to define "success" for their own families Recognition that listeners may be pursuing a nontraditional educational path Parental questions about raising expectations without causing power struggles Sarah Collins's current family homeschooling dynamics (older children graduating or not home...

In today's conversation, we dig into the real scope of speech-language therapy and why it's so much more than articulation drills—especially for homeschool families. We break down how feeding, reading, memory, and even a child's ability to follow instructions are deeply connected to language and brain development. We'll look at how challenges sometimes show up as frustrating behaviors, or why a se...

If you've ever found yourself wondering when it's time to seek help for your child's reading progress, or questioned whether difficulty with letter sounds is a passing phase or something more, this episode will bring clarity. Today, we're unpacking what foundational literacy looks like at home—especially in homeschool settings where parents are both teachers and advocates. You'll hear clear, pract...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  If you have ever found yourself wondering why your child can't get started on a task, even when they seem to know exactly what to do, this conversation is for you. Today, we are digging into what's really going on when initiation just isn't happening—especially at home, where the lines between support and indep...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  If you've ever found yourself wondering why your child forgets instructions moments after hearing them or seems to struggle with multi-step tasks—even when the concept itself isn't new—this episode is for you. We're talking all about working memory today, what it actually is, and how it affects both everyday ro...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  We're reframing handwriting as more than just pen-to-paper—it's a foundational skill that shapes how children learn, organize their thoughts, and even pay attention. In homeschooling, we have the flexibility to adapt instruction, but that also means making deliberate choices about how—and when—we build these co...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  If you've found yourself wondering if handwriting still matters in a digital world, or why your child's writing looks so different from their abilities in other areas, this episode is for you. We are unpacking the real value of handwriting for learning—both print and cursive—and why these skills deserve attenti...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  If you have ever found yourself saying 'no' more than you'd like, or wondering how to support your child's sensory and movement needs at home without turning your space upside down, this episode is for you. Today we're looking at the actual environment our kids live and learn in—and why the way you arrange your...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  d your child running, climbing, or crashing into things and wondered why movement seems to settle them rather than wind them up, this episode will get you thinking differently about what's driving that behavior. Today we're digging into proprioception—the often-overlooked sense that helps your child feel ground...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  If you've ever wondered whether reading aloud to your kids really matters once they're past the early years—or found yourself worrying that reading together is becoming stressful or too focused on performance and skill—this episode is for you. Today, we're exploring how read-alouds shift as children grow, and w...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  Download The Companion Guide For Why Reading Is Hard And What To Do About It If you've ever wondered why reading feels so different from day to day in your homeschool—why one lesson is smooth and the next is an uphill climb—this episode is for you. Today, we're looking at the five pillars of literacy from a mor...

Download The Companion Guide For Acceptance & Expectancy In Homeschooling Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  If your homeschool days seem to run smoothly one season and unravel the next, this episode will help you understand why. Today we're exploring how the rhythm of your day shifts as your children grow and why what worked before may suddenly...

Download The Companion Guide For Acceptance & Expectancy In Homeschooling Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?  Download Why Choose OT to find out!  This week we're exploring one of the most profound tensions parents face: finding the balance between fully accepting our children as they are, and encouraging them to stretch, grow, and gain independence. Drawing on neuroscience, executiv...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  I sat down with Pam Barnhill—longtime homeschooler, former classroom teacher, and podcasting inspiration—for an insightful conversation about fostering independence and planning skills in homeschooled kids. Pam shares her own homeschooling journey, from her early days teaching preschool at home to launching her...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  I sat down with Ryan, who is a lifelong artist, educator, and founder of faith-based art initiatives, including Shako Art Space, the Maker Institute of Studio Art and Theology, and Made Makers—a K-12 online art curriculum rooted in theology. Ryan shares his inspiring journey from a childhood shaped by art as a...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  We unravel what executive functioning really means (hint: it's all about self-cueing from the inside out), explore how it underpins our ability to learn and accomplish everyday tasks, and examine its powerful connection to literacy. Tera shares her unique journey across disciplines—spanning neuroscience, psycho...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  t down with Ross Forsyth, Executive Director of the National Weather Museum and Science Center in Norman, Oklahoma. Together, we explore an unexpected but universally relatable topic: the weather. From its role as a classic conversation starter to its powerful ability to spark curiosity and connection, we dive...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  I sat down with Liz Downing, a pediatric occupational therapist from Wilmington, Delaware, whose passion for nature-based therapy and supporting children's emotional and sensory needs shines through her practice, In the Woods OT. We first connected at the American Occupational Therapy Association conference, wh...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  m joined by the incredible Janine Halloran—a licensed counselor with over 20 years of experience supporting children and families as they build their coping toolkits. Janine has dedicated her career to developing accessible, effective resources for families, from workbooks and activity cards to evidence-based s...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  This week I'm joined by Dr. Isabella "Bella" Tate, a pediatric occupational therapist and recent doctoral graduate, who shares her journey from New Jersey to Sacramento as a traveling OT. I first met Bella at the AOTA Conference in Philadelphia, where Bella was presenting her doctoral capstone research on the S...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  This week I sat down with Tiffany Parsons, a pediatric occupational therapist and homeschooling mom with a deep passion for supporting families outside of traditional school settings. Tiffany shares her unique journey from clinic-based therapy to homeschooling her twin boys, and how that experience inspired her...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  Sarah Muldoon shares her journey from working in school systems, where she noticed traditional methods weren't engaging kids—to self-publishing a series of imaginative, doodle-driven books that help children build core handwriting skills through play and storytelling. They dive deep into the foundational skills...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  We're joined by Renee Mathews, an occupational therapist known for her innovative activity ideas geared toward kids both indoors and out. This lively conversation dives into Renee's journey from working in inpatient rehab to becoming a leader in the world of school-based teletherapy, where she helps students an...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  I am joined by Ashton Tate, a passionate innovator in the homeschool community and creator of the FORM curriculum. Ashton takes us on a deeply personal journey, sharing how his own struggles with health, self-confidence, and weight in his teen years inspired him to transform not only his life, but the lives of...

Curious if OT could help your child's struggles?   Download Why Choose OT to find out!  I am joined by Ivan Hardcastle, an experienced occupational therapist and parent coach from Idaho with nearly two decades of expertise. Ivan shares his journey from therapy rooms to parent coaching, highlighting the powerful impact that empowered, informed parents can have on their children's development especi...