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
Oct 27, 2021 • 51min
#176 - Everything You Need to Know About Neuroplasticity with Dr. Karen Pryor
Our brain is an amazing thing and much of how it works is still being discovered. Today’s guest teaches us how using neuroplasticity, we can rewire processing for completely separate senses to overcome difficulty in sensory processing. Dr. Karen Pryor, author of Ten Fingers Ten Toes Twenty Things Everyone Needs to Know: Neuroplasticity for Children, talks to us about why she wrote this book, and how she uses neuroplasticity to overcome challenges. Karen is both a doctor of physical ...
Oct 20, 2021 • 24min
#175 - Empathizing with Individuals Who Have Sensory Differences
Having empathy in everyday life is important, but it's also crucial for creating a supportive connection with your child. What is empathy and how can we use it? We talk about the process of empathizing, and discuss the benefits for you and connecting with your loved ones, while keeping shame and anger at bay. From dealing with a sensory meltdown to other moms who aren't going through what you are, empathy provides us with tools to raise the emotional intelligence of everyone in the room...
Oct 13, 2021 • 39min
#174 - Brainstorming Session with a School Based OT
Something special happens when a conversation unfolds as a brainstorm between friends. That’s exactly what we do during this episode, with Nicky, a school-based OT with a background in in-patient rehabilitation. We talk about how to identify behavior and sensory related problems, and how going to the sensory room and taking a movement break can serve as useful strategies to help kiddos get back into their bodies. We talk through the role of teachers in facilitating helpful exercises for child...
Oct 6, 2021 • 29min
#173 - What is Overflow and Why is it Important to Know About?
Have you ever found yourself sticking your tongue out while concentrating on an activity, like cutting something or backing up your car? That’s called overflow, or overflow-associated movements. Although many of us do it, sometimes overflow can be a cause for concern. In today’s episode, we define what overflow is and give some examples of how it can present itself. You’ll hear about when this would be visible during an OT session, along with what some red flags would be. Overflow itself...
Sep 29, 2021 • 54min
#172 - Diving into Trauma and What You Can Do to Make a Difference with Jerrod Brown, PhD
On today’s episode, our guest, Jerrod Brown, talks to us about all things trauma: why it’s imperative for everyone to understand its role, the wide range of forms it takes in children and caregivers, and how the same traumatic experiences can impact people completely differently. We discuss how experiencing trauma without the necessary support robs people of joy, energy, and creativity. You’ll also hear how trauma affects executive function, and why it’s dangerous not to take trauma into...
Sep 22, 2021 • 22min
#171 - Tactile Processing and Tolerating Clothing Textures
If your child has tactile hypersensitivities, chances are they struggle with some area of getting dressed or wearing certain clothes. We’re going to talk specifically about how tactile processing affects getting dressed. Our bodies and brains are designed to filter out the unnecessary input of the feeling of wearing clothes, but for people who don’t have a well-modulated tactile system, they can’t filter it out. We break down the signs that your child may be struggling with tactile processing...
Sep 15, 2021 • 59min
#170 - A Conversation Around Parenting & Neurodiversity with Megan from On The Hard Days
Raise your hand if you’re raising a neurodiverse child. Now, raise your hand if this experience has ever made you question your abilities as a parent. You are not alone! Even if it feels that way sometimes. When you finally talk to another parent who gets it, it can be a powerfully validating experience, which is why today’s guest has created a special resource for moms raising out-of-the-box kids, where they can find support and encouragement from others who are going through the same t...
Sep 8, 2021 • 22min
#169 - Sensory Strategies for Kids Who Struggle With Haircuts
Haircuts can be challenging, even for those who don’t have sensory processing challenges! From prepping kiddos for the overstimulating environment of the salon to taking along some preferred sensory activities to help them override the noxious stimuli of light touch or vibrating clippers, there are so many ways to make this process a bit easier, but one of the biggest takeaways from this episode is teaching parents, caregivers, and therapists how to communicate with and support the child...
Sep 1, 2021 • 56min
#168 - Virtual Happy Hour with OT Entrepreneurs Alexi and Marlee from SENSE-ational Spaces
We are excited to offer 10% off of the base package fees for the first 10 people to book by September 30, 2021 using our special promotional code: ALLTHINGS10 - just got to the SENSE-ational Spaces website, linked below! Imagine your home, or the school you work in, has a dedicated space for children with sensory needs or a purposeful space for children without special needs. SENSE-ational Spaces is the company looking to meet this increasingly pressing need. The company’s founders, Alex...
Aug 25, 2021 • 28min
#167 - Facilitating Free Play! Our Favorite Tips, Tricks and Strategies!
In today we dive into the benefits and uses of free play! Discover what it means to engage in free play and how to facilitate it in easy, fun activities with your kids. Learn about the skills children can develop during free play, from an increased attention span to building the capacity to negotiate with other children. We break down why a combination of structured play and free play is great for your child’s development as well as some tips on how to find a balance. Later, we disc...
