The Sensory Project

Kian McBurnie is a Speech Language Therapist from Long Island, NY (SLP-CCC, PROMPT Certified). She graduated in 2012 and has experience with students 3-21 years old across settings such as homecare, a school for the Deaf, and various school districts. She is PROMPT (Prompts for Restructuring Oral Phonetic Motor Targets) Certified and passionate about all things motor.Be sure to check out the show notes on our blog at Harkla.Co/Podcast.Brought To You By HarklaThis podcast is brought to y...

You may have heard us talk about this before, but we truly believe in the power of the pause. What does that even mean? When working with children who have sensory processing challenges or other developmental disabilities, a pause can have a huge effect on a lot of things. We dive into WHY a pause can be so beneficial as well as provide some interesting articles that discuss this topic. And stay tuned to the end where we answer 2 listener questions! Be sure to check o...

Toothbrushing is a skill that every child learns - but why do some children struggle more than others when it comes to brushing their teeth?We break down the WHY behind a variety of challenges related to toothbrushing - specifically from a sensory perspective but also looking at the specific skills required.Then we give you our favorite tips and tricks to try at home! We also answer two listener questions at the end, so make sure you stick around! Be sure to check out the show note...

Jenny Best, Founder and CEO of Solid StartsA mom of three, including twin toddlers, Jenny is a baby-led weaning expert and food and farming enthusiast on a mission to make it easier for parents to introduce real food to their babies.Prior to launching Solid Starts, Jenny led global communications at One Acre Fund and Slow Food USA and served many years in the NYC government. Before that she was a professional ballerina with the New York City Ballet. Be sure to check out the show notes on...

Today, we’re talking about auditory hypersensitivity. We explain the auditory system, what it is, and how it works, before moving on to discuss the various signs that might indicate that your child has auditory sensitivities, and the adverse reactions you might see.We share some helpful tips on how to support your child with auditory hypersensitivity. We also answer listener questions at the end of the episode! Want you question answered on the podcast? Send us a DM on Instagram @allthingssen...

The holidays can be stressful - changes in routine, lots of different sights, sounds, and activities, new and different foods, etc. So we’re here to give you our 10 favorite sensory strategies to help make your holiday season a little bit easier.We talk about visual schedules, sensory diets, and using your own sensory strategies!We also made a fun YouTube video and a Free Holiday Sensory Survival Guide! So make sure to check out the links below! Happy holidays from Rach, Jess, and t...

This week on the All Things Sensory podcast, we bring you our very own version of Myth Busters, SPD edition! Listen in as we discuss and debunk eight common myths about Sensory Processing Disorder. Tuning in, you’ll find out what you can say to someone who might not believe that SPD even exists, or if someone criticizes your parenting style because your child is ‘overreacting’. We discuss everything from whether autism and ADHD are linked to SPD and the importance of teaching kids coping mech...

Since it’s the week of Thanksgiving, we are talking about all the things we’re thankful for. A few weeks ago, we asked you to share with us on Instagram what you’re grateful for, and what you love most about your sensory child, or yourself, if you’re a little on the neuro-diverse side. We got some amazing responses. We talk about how sensory kids look at the world with a different perspective, and how they teach us to do the same. One of our listeners has recently been diagnosed with autism a...

Lori Benson Adams, MEd, is an educational intervention specialist and owner of Breakthrough Learning Solutions in Atlanta, Georgia. She has over 35 years of experience with students who experience sensory, learning, behavioral, and executive function challenges. Lori presents nationally to audiences of parents, therapists, and educators. She is known for her immediately practical information and wealth of knowledge and resources. Lori Benson Adams answers our questions about what dyslexi...

Motion sickness is caused when your brain can't make sense of the information sent from your eyes, ears, and body. Many of us have experienced motion sickness at some point in our lives and many of us experience it frequently. This episode is full of helpful tips and tricks related to motion sickness! We talk about using a variety of sensory strategies including olfactory strategies, oral motor and gustatory strategies, and of course proprioceptive strategies. We also chat abou...

You don't have to be sensory sensitive to feel the effects of a lively children's party, but that amount of sensory input may not be just fun and games for your kiddo. Perhaps they might experience some dysregulation before, during, or hours or days afterward. In this episode, we dive into the huge amount of stimuli that make up the party experience (and there are a lot), and outline the variety of ways these could be affecting your child. Then we talk about some strategies and comm...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...