All Things Sensory by Harkla
Rachel Harrington, COTA/L, AC & Jessica Hill, COTA/L
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
Mentioned books
Mar 29, 2023 • 57min
#249 - Picky Eating from a Holistic Perspective with Ashley Thurn, MS, OTR @thewholisticot
Ashley Thurn is a mother to three little ones, a pediatric occupational therapist, and feeding specialist by trade. She has a background in nutrition, sensory integration, holistic wellness and she specializes in picky eating and feeding disorders. She loves helping families navigate the many challenges that come with feeding children and it is her joy to help families find strategies to help nourish their growing children and expand their children’s diets to eat a more variety of...
Mar 22, 2023 • 22min
#248 - Will My Child Grow Out of Sensory Processing Disorder?
Answering a listener question today - Will my child grow out of sensory processing disorder?SPD is a neurological disorder that affects how your brain interprets sensory information. SPD can affect one or more of the eight senses. You might be over-responsive to one type of input while simultaneously being under-responsive to another. Learn more about SPD HERE.SPD can be lifelong, but there are strategies and modifications you can use to help. Things like environmental modifications, sk...
Mar 15, 2023 • 41min
#247 - Autism is Not a Burden with Jessie from @daily_dig
Jessie is a social media manager, work-from-home mother, Autism advocate, and accidental influencer. She’s the mother to a wonderful 4-year-old boy and she shares their journey on Instagram. You can find all of her links below. Looking for more in-depth help? Sign up for 2-on-1 Mentoring With Us!!We’d love to answer your questions on the podcast! Fill out this form -> https://harkla.typeform.com/to/ItWxQNP3 Brought To You By HarklaThis podcast is brought to you by Harkla. Our mission...
Mar 8, 2023 • 32min
#246 - What Are Preparatory Activities and Why Does Everyone Need to be Doing Them?
Preparatory activities are the “warm ups” you incorporate into a treatment session. These activities should stimulate different sensory systems, wake up different muscle groups, and help the child prepare for functional, occupation-based activities.We dive into WHY we love preparatory activities and we give you our top 10 favorites that you need to include daily! This isn’t just for therapists - parents and teachers can use these preparatory activities to help children prepare for daily activ...
Mar 1, 2023 • 31min
#245 - Therapy Case Study: 2 Year Old Sensory Seeker
We LOVE answering your questions! Today’s episode comes from a listener who reached out with a question about a client they work with.“He’s 2 years old. Definitely has a large sensory cup. He is extremely rough and tumble. This kid has face planted on concrete and will get up and keep running. I tried a weighted vest on him but he ripped it off right away. I’ve informed mom about heavy work at home. Our sessions usually look like me chasing him around. Any tips / strategies for kids like him?...
Feb 22, 2023 • 36min
#244 - Treatment Planning Brainstorm Session
A big piece of therapy is treatment planning - as a therapist, you spend a lot of time planning and executing treatment sessions for your clients. The more clients you have, the more treatment plans you have! It’s time consuming and can oftentimes be frustrating. We took 7 common treatment planning challenges and brainstormed ideas! The challenges we discussed ranged from lack of time, keeping it fun and play-based, to writing goals and burnout. If you’re a therapist, this episode is for you!...
Feb 15, 2023 • 34min
#243 - 10 Tips if You're Starting Your Sensory Journey!
Whether you’re a new listener and new to the sensory world, or if you’ve been here for a while and are familiar with sensory processing, this episode is full of little tips and tricks for anyone navigating sensory processing challenges! The tips that we dive into:EmpathyJust right challengeFeeding the sensesWorking as a teamIn-person OTPrimitive reflexesSensory strategiesSensory breaksModificationsElevator pitchLearn How to Create a Personalized Sensory DietAll Things Primitive ReflexesF...
Feb 8, 2023 • 1h 1min
#242 - The Overstimulated Parent's Guide to Parenting with Larissa Geleris, MS, OTR/L from @steadyparents
Larissa Geleris, MS, OTR/L, is a licensed occupational therapist specializing in identifying and treating sensory processing dysfunction. She is passionate about supporting parents who are experiencing overstimulation, overwhelm, and dysregulation. She has written multiple courses, has been a guest on several podcasts, and runs an Instagram platform that provides practical and evidence-based strategies for the sensory challenges of parenthood (@steadyparents). Larissa's dream is to help all p...
Feb 1, 2023 • 25min
#241 - Does Everybody Have Sensory Quirks?
Sensory processing disorder (SPD) occurs when the brain and the body cannot properly process and modulate the sensory input coming in. This causes a negative, adverse reaction to the incoming sensory input. This in turn negatively affects the individual’s life, on a DAILY basis. Sensory quirks are the smaller, less significant sensory things you seek out or avoid throughout the day. For example: chewing gum to stay focused, or fidgeting with your pen while listening to a lecture, or disliking...
Jan 25, 2023 • 1h 16min
#240 - Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy with Hallie Bulkin
Join Hallie Bulkin, a certified myofunctional therapist and pediatric feeding specialist, as she dives into the world of orofacial myofunctional therapy. She shares her journey from recognizing unsafe feeding practices in schools to founding her own therapy practice. Learn about the significance of tongue ties, genetics in jaw development, and how to evaluate dental concerns. Hallie emphasizes the importance of airway health, early intervention, and building a knowledgeable care team to support children’s needs.
