A Sensory Emotional Lens

Summer can bring freedom and fun — but with its new sensory and emotional experiences, summer can also be sensory overload, emotional fatigue, and unexpected challenges for kids with unique sensory-emotional profiles (SEPs). In this episode, we dive deep into how to support your child’s SEP through summer’s shifting routines, hotter days, unstructured time and newly structured time.  With summer bringing new experiences, your child...

Summer can bring freedom and fun — but with its new sensory and emotional experiences, summer can also be sensory overload, emotional fatigue, and unexpected challenges for kids with unique sensory-emotional profiles (SEPs). In this episode, we dive deep into how to support your child’s SEP through summer’s shifting routines, hotter days, unstructured time and newly structured time.  With summer bringing new experiences, your child...

Picky eating isn’t just about preferences — it’s about how a child is experiencing their world. Today’s episode is one that many of you have been requesting — we’re diving deep into picky eating, not from a behavioral or surface-level view, but through the powerful lens of sensory and emotional processing. This topic often resurfaces during times of change and stress — like the transition from the school year to summer — and it'...

As we approach the end of the school year, many of us are preparing for big transitions—siblings coming home from college, summer camps kicking off, family vacations in the works, and those familiar routines starting to shift.

So today, we're looking back at one of our most timely episodes—because it’s more relevant than ever. In that episode, we explored how changes in routine, while exciting for some, can be overwhelming f...

Today, we’re tackling a phrase many parents and professionals hear — “This child is not sensory.” As awareness of sensory processing grows, more families and caregivers are trying sensory strategies to help children with regulation and participation. But when these strategies don't work as expected, it's often too quickly concluded that the child doesn’t have sensory needs.

The truth? Sensory processing is complex, highly individual...

In this episode, we explore the concept of Sensory Emotional Engagement and its role in personality development. Our research team is examining how Sensory Emotional Engagement bridges gaps between sensory integration, mental health, and early relational health. The central idea is that personality forms through repeated patterns of behavior in response to sensory and social stimuli. The way we take in sensations and move our body ...

In today’s episode, we’re diving into a common theme many families bring up: kids who need to be in control and have things “just so.” Parents often describe their child getting upset when daily routines aren’t followed exactly—like needing to get dressed in a specific order, wanting food served on certain plates, or insisting the bedtime routine goes the same way every single night.

We also hear stories about children needing t...

In today’s episode, we’re focusing on the Anxious Yet Deeply Feeling Sensory Emotional Personality map. We'll explore the specific sensory and emotional behaviors—essentially the landmarks—that you can expect to encounter on this SEP map. By recognizing these key traits, you’ll be better equipped to understand and navigate your child's world with connection, empathy, and insight. 

Just as a map offers guidance through un...

In today’s episode, we’re focusing on the Needy Yet Compassionate Sensory Emotional Personality map. We'll explore the specific sensory and emotional behaviors—essentially the landmarks—that you can expect to encounter on this SEP map. By recognizing these key traits, you’ll be better equipped to understand and navigate your child's world with connection, empathy, and insight. 

Just as a map offers guidance through unfam...

In today’s episode, we’re focusing on the Confused Yet Full of Wonder Sensory Emotional Personality map. We'll explore the specific sensory and emotional behaviors—essentially the landmarks—that you can expect to encounter on this SEP map. By recognizing these key traits, you’ll be better equipped to understand and navigate your child's world with connection, empathy and insight. 

Just as a map offers guidance through un...

In today’s bonus episode, we invite you to join our Take Time to PLAY campaign and experience the transformative power of play!

At Great Kids Place (and beyond), we’re encouraging families to engage in Sensory Emotional PLAY for just 15 minutes a day. Whether through creative games, hands-on activities, or sensory motor experiences, play has the power to strengthen emotional connections and boost overall well-being.

Why play?

When we ...

In today’s episode, we’re focusing on theScattered Yet Intentional and PassionateSensory Emotional Personality map. We'll explore the specific sensory and emotional behaviors—essentially thelandmarks—that you can expect to encounter on this SEP map. By recognizing these key traits, you’ll be better equipped to understand and navigate your child's world with connection, empathy, and insight. 

Just as a map offers guidance...

Sometimes navigating parenthood seems like exploring uncharted territory. Just as a map offers guidance through unfamiliar landscapes, understanding your child's Sensory Emotional Personality (SEP) can provide clear guidance through your child’s behaviors and interactions.

Each SEP serves as a guide, revealing how children process sensations and navigate their emotional world, and unveiling their unique characteristics and behavio...

In today’s episode, I share a personal story about the importance of play in our busy lives. Between running Great Kids Place and A Sensory Emotional Lens, and managing the hectic schedules of my kids—who are now almost 13 and 14—it's easy to forget the joy of play. We spend plenty of time together, like sharing meals, chatting during car rides, and reflecting at bedtime, but these moments aren’t the same as unstructured play.

A f...

Recently, I have been reflecting on gratitude, influenced by my own experiences with my Sensory Emotional kids during some challenging parenting moments. I’m trying to “practice what I preach” by applying a Sensory Emotional perspective to better understand situations where there may be a lack of gratitude. This approach helps me respond to such behaviors with greater understanding.

As we find ourselves in the holiday season, I be...

The holidays can be stressful for our sensory-emotional children and their caregivers. That’s why we want to revisit an earlier episode and share resources that may be helpful as we navigate the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

You may have noticed some behaviors resurfacing in recent weeks. The period leading up to the holidays and major events can be challenging for our sensory-emotional kids and their families. At Great...

Personality is a set of qualities that make up a person's character - their way of being. When we talk about someone's personality, we often describe the way they act and interact. For example, "he is the outgoing one who likes to talk a lot and try new things."

Sensory Emotional Personalities describe the characteristics - the way an individual acts and interacts - based on the way they are processing and moving in their world. ...

We know that the way we take in sensation impacts how we feel and, in turn, how we act and interact. We've discussed the global emotional expressions of body-based experiences - emotions like anxiety, embarrassment, surprise, confusion, needy, etc. Today, we are going to dive into social situations and a topic that's been coming up lately - kids saying things to others that are unkind or saying seemingly purposefully hurtful or mea...

Potty training can be a rollercoaster of emotions for both caregivers and kids. The pressure and stress surrounding this milestone can feel overwhelming at times. Whether it's the comments from other caregivers or grandparents about it being "time" or the need to meet deadlines for preschool transitions, the pressure to help our kids achieve this goal can be intense.

As we chatted about in a recent episode, our stress levels can a...