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
Apr 17, 2024 • 47min
#304 - Therapist Mentoring Session: Setting Up a Sensory Diet for Teletherapy Clients in Schools
Check out our Autism Acceptance Month Sale, now through April 30, 2024 https://harkla.co/pages/aam-saleSave 15% on all sensory productsSave 20% on all digital productsWe recently completed a 2-on-1 mentoring session with a fellow OT practitioner.We discussed some simple activities to do with her young child as well as brainstormed ideas for her teletherapy clients! Some of the topics include: seating accommodations, getting outside, teaching teens about technology, executive functioning,...
Apr 10, 2024 • 16min
#303 - You Should Be Skeptical if Someone Says They Will "Cure" Your Child's Neurological Diagnosis
April is OT Month and we’re celebrating with a HUGE sale on our digital courses!If you’re an occupational therapy practitioner, you can earn your CE with our courses that are approved through AOTA!Check out the SALE here - https://harkla.co/pages/ot-month-saleSale ends April 14, 2024 at midnight!We received a message in IG asking about Brain Balance and how their company claims to “cure” ADHD.We thought this was interesting, so we wanted to talk about it!There are many things that we don’t sa...
Apr 3, 2024 • 21min
#302 - Therapy Regression: What is it and Why Does it Happen?
Check out our newly re-launched digital course: Early Intervention Blueprint: Sensory and Developmental Milestones for Infants and ToddlersDesigned for new and expecting parents, as well as therapists and professionals working with children ages birth - 4 years.OTs and OTAs - earn 11 CEU contact hours through AOTA with this digital course!What is regression?Why do some children go through a regression during therapy?Why do some children go through a regression during primitive reflex integrat...
Mar 27, 2024 • 36min
#301 - Does Your Toddler Have ADHD, SPD or Are They Acting in Typical Toddler Ways?
Check out our newly re-launched digital course: Early Intervention Blueprint: Sensory and Developmental Milestones for Infants and ToddlersDesigned for new and expecting parents, as well as therapists and professionals working with children ages birth - 4 years. OTs and OTAs - earn 11 CEU contact hours through AOTA with this digital course!As pediatric therapists, we’re often asked about certain toddler behaviors - Is this ‘normal’? Should I be concerned about _____? Does my toddler have ADHD...
Mar 20, 2024 • 22min
#300 - 7 Therapeutic Activities with Hula Hoops
Get ready for an episode full of simple, straightforward activities using one piece of equipment - a hula hoop!We dive into the benefits of this single piece of equipment, why you should have one in your home and multiple in your clinic and school, and then we jump right into our 7 favorite activities using hula hoops!Some of these activities can be done independently while others will need some assistance. These activities can be done with a variety of ages and modified to fit a variety of n...
Mar 13, 2024 • 21min
#299 - When is the Right Time to Discharge from OT?
Explore the nuances of discharging children from occupational therapy! Discover how tailored approaches can help children gain independence and confidence in daily activities. Uncover the key factors influencing discharge timing, including meaningful progress and family support. Celebrate achievements as milestones in therapy, and learn about effective home programs to maintain growth. Plus, engage with resources designed for sensory challenges, while emphasizing the importance of professional guidance!
Mar 6, 2024 • 22min
#298 - 10 Therapeutic Activities With a Yoga Ball
Get ready for an episode full of simple, straightforward activities using one piece of equipment - a yoga/therapy ball!We dive into the benefits of this single piece of equipment, why you should have one in your home and multiple in your clinic and school, and then we jump right into our 10 favorite activities using a yoga ball!Some of these activities can be done independently while others will need some assistance. These activities can be done with a variety of ages and modified to fit a va...
Feb 28, 2024 • 49min
#297 - How to Build Literacy Skills and a Love for Reading
Sami Carrick is a Child Development & Certified Reading Specialist (M.Ed) who shares (research based) tips for busy parents to take a proactive approach to learning and reading in schools by building a really strong foundation in the younger years and really looking at the whole child. She believes that we can prevent a lot of learning struggles and help kids thrive by making some simple improvements in the younger years.Follow Sami on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunnyseedco/Sami...
Feb 21, 2024 • 27min
#296 - The Pyramid of Learning
What is the Pyramid of Learning and why is it important?Williams and Shellenberger (1996) formulated this pyramid of learning and it highlights how sensory integration processing relates to the child’s learning process.This simple visual aide explains how academic learning, daily living activities (like brushing your teeth and getting dressed), even how your child behaves; it all grows and develops from a strong sensory foundation.https://www.smartpediatrics.com/post/understandingsensoryproce...
Feb 14, 2024 • 27min
#295 - Hypermobile Joints- What Are They and How Can You Provide Support?
What are hypermobile joints? Who can they affect? What are the functional implications?We dive into these questions, the research, and some information that will be helpful if your child or your clients have hypermobile joints. We also talk about some of the challenges that can be associated with hypermobility.Things like strength training, swimming, nutrition, and finding the right footwear are just a few of the strategies we talk about. Make sure to check out all of our links below!We’d lov...
