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

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...

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 o...

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 chi...

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? C...

 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 spen...

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 ...

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 school
• What to do when you can’t fall asleep
• Her favorite calming techniques
• What ...

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. An...

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 ...

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, P...

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 su...

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'...

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 st...

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 a...

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...

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 whe...

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 setti...

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

SDBC Waitlist
Episode transcript: https://www.theotbutterfly.com/podcast

The OT Butterfly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/t...

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...