All Things Sensory by Harkla
Rachel Harrington and Jessica Hill, are two passionate Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants who answer your questions related to all things sensory, occupational therapy, parenting, self-care, nutrition, and health, from a therapist’s perspective. Providing raw, honest, fun ideas, and strategies, for parents and families to implement into daily life. Great for those who work with children with sensory processing disorder, special needs, autism, and ADHD. This podcast is brought to you by Harkla. At Harkla, our goal is to help those with special needs live happy and healthy lives.
Episodes
“I’ve been doing the Moro and FPR exercises for three months but haven’t seen any positive results. Why?”
This is a common question we hear from parents, therapists, and caregivers working on primitive reflex integration—especially with the Moro Reflex and Fear Paralysis Reflex (FPR).
In this episode, we break down what these two powerful reflexes are, how they impact emotional regulation and sensory processing, and the hidden reason...
In this episode, we explore how to track progress beyond reflex testing by looking at functional, everyday signs of improvement. Reflex tests are important, but they don’t always tell the whole story. Sometimes a child may have several retained reflexes, but those reflexes don’t significantly interfere with their day-to-day life!
If you’ve ever wondered whether your reflex integration work is truly helping, this episode will help yo...
NEW Motor Skills Digital Course is LIVE! https://harkla.co/products/motor-skills-course
Play is a child’s main occupation — it’s how they learn, grow, and develop critical skills like sequencing, executive functioning, and social interaction. But what happens when a child doesn’t engage with the types of play activities we expect them to enjoy?
In this episode, we dive into a real-life scenario with a non-speaking autistic chi...
NEW Motor Skills Digital Course is LIVE! https://harkla.co/products/motor-skills-course
In this episode of the All Things Sensory Podcast, we’re sharing our favorite regulation activities and tools to support your child / clients before and after school — plus tips for YOU as an adult.
We’ll walk you through simple, practical strategies that start the night before, like creating a calming bedtime routine, prepping for the next...
Sarah Selznick, MS, OTR/L is an occupational therapist, author, and the founder of Sensory Explorers, a private practice supporting children, caregivers, and adults through sensory wellness, pelvic health, and developmental care. She’s the creator of the online Super Poopers course, helping families navigate pediatric bowel and bladder challenges with humor and heart. Sarah is also the author and illustrator of children’s books tha...
Have you ever wondered why some children constantly chew on clothing, pencils, or even their hair? In this episode of All Things Sensory, we’re diving into oral sensory seeking—what it is, why it happens, and how to support children who experience it.
Children who are sensory seekers often crave oral input to regulate their nervous system. Chewing, sucking, and biting provide proprioceptive input that can be calming, especially for ...
In this episode, we dive deep into the connection between childhood anxiety and the retained Moro Reflex — and how both can impact children in the classroom. From understanding what anxiety looks like in a school setting, to uncovering the role of primitive reflexes, we’ll explore how to support children who struggle with heightened worry, reactivity, and sensory sensitivity.
A retained Moro reflex can mimic or worsen classroom anxi...
This week, we’re diving into one of our favorite topics - Motor Labs! These movement-based, circuit-style spaces are game-changers for students of all ages, especially those with ADHD, autism, sensory processing challenges, or retained primitive reflexes.
We’ll break down:
What a Motor Lab is and who benefits most
The science-backed benefits like improved attention, self-regulation, and foundational sensory-motor skills
Calm down z...
Do you have a student who’s always moving, touching everything, or humming non-stop? They might be a sensory seeker—a child with a high sensory threshold who craves extra input to feel regulated.
In this episode of All Things Sensory, we break down what sensory seeking really means, why it can look different for every child, and how to proactively support these students in the classroom. We’ll share real-life examples, practical str...
Crawling is a foundational developmental milestone that does more than just strengthen muscles — it plays a critical role in developing the visual system, especially ocular motor skills such as tracking, convergence, and coordinated eye movements.
We’re diving into why crawling is essential and how to help children of ALL ages crawl!
LINKS
We’d love to answer your questions on the podcast! Fill out this form - https://harkla.typeform...
Is your child/client constantly skipping words while reading, losing their place on the page, or avoiding reading altogether? These might not be “reading problems”—they could be visual problems.
In this episode, we break down how ocular motor skills—specifically saccades, pursuits, and convergence—are essential for reading success. You’ll learn how these visual skills impact everything from decoding to attention span, and why childr...
In this episode, we break down what ocular motor skills really are, how they affect your child’s behavior and development, and most importantly simple at-home activities you can start using right away to help.
They also share how retained primitive reflexes, screen time, and missed developmental milestones can all impact how your child’s eyes work together — and why this often goes unnoticed.
Whether you’re a parent, therapist, or ed...
In episode of All Things Sensory, we sit down with the incredible Dr. Tessa Grigg - PhD, Dip Tch (Primary) Dip Tch (ECE). She has a wide range of experience within the Early Childhood Education field. She has taught in a Primary School, supervised a preschool with specialist work in the sensory-motor area, worked as a Child and Family Therapist, taught adult students in teaching and child development, and owned and operated a Gymba...
Headaches that won’t go away? Trouble reading or switching between screens? Feeling drained after a day at your desk? These might not be random quirks—they could be signs of ocular motor deficits.
In this episode, we’re diving into how visual-ocular challenges—convergence, saccades, and pursuits—can impact adults in everyday life. You’ll hear a personal story, a powerful example of how unresolved visual motor skills led to chronic h...
In this episode, we sit down with pediatric audiologist Debbie Baerlocher to unpack the real truth about Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)—what it is, what it’s not, and why it’s often misunderstood. Learn how APD is diagnosed, when to seek help, and why many children show similar symptoms without actually having APD.
Debbie has her Doctorate in Audiology and has been working at Elks Hearing and Balance, aka St. Luke's Hearing and ...
Dr. Craig D. Clayton is a functional and biomimetic dentist based in Meridian, Idaho, and an influential online educator with a following of over 380K on Instagram. Passionate about uncovering the root causes of oral health issues, Dr. Clayton focuses on holistic cavity prevention, airway health, and innovative, biologically sound approaches to restoring teeth. As the host of the Dentistry Disrupted podcast, he is on a mission to s...
Shop our Summer Sensory SALE! https://harkla.co/pages/summer-sensory-sale-2025
Free Primitive Reflex Webinar
https://harkla.co/pages/register-for-the-primitive-reflex-webinar-2025
Free Sensory Diet Webinar
https://harkla.co/pages/sensory-diet-webinar-registration-2024
We’re diving deep into the why behind retained primitive reflexes. These early movement patterns are essential in infancy—but when they don’t integr...
Shop our Summer Sensory SALE! https://harkla.co/pages/summer-sensory-sale-2025
Free Primitive Reflex Webinar https://harkla.co/pages/register-for-the-primitive-reflex-webinar-2025
Summer can bring a lot of fun — and a lot of sensory dysregulation. In this episode, we’re sharing 10 activity ideas to help your child stay regulated during the warmer months. From water play and outdoor obstacle courses to sensory-friendly p...
Summer is here—and with the heat, play, and sunshine comes a unique challenge for kids (and adults!) who struggle with interoception. In this episode, we explore what interoception is and why it’s so important to pay attention during the summer months. We discuss how challenges like dehydration, overheating, and sun sensitivity can affect children with sensory needs and how parents and caregivers can better support them through pra...
Register for our FREE live webinar on June 4, 2025 https://harkla.co/pages/summer-sensory-diet-webinar-registration-2025
In this episode of the All Things Sensory Podcast, we explore how a baby’s sensory and nervous systems begin developing long before birth — and how expectant parents can actively support this critical growth during pregnancy.
From taste and touch to vestibular and proprioceptive systems, you'll learn whe...
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