All Things Sensory by Harkla

Raising a Sensory Smart Child was one of the first books I read as a new practitioner, so getting to sit down with Lindsey Biel was a little bit of a fangirl moment! In this episode, I’m talking with Lindsey about her journey into occupational therapy and how sensory practice has changed over more than two decades. We talk about moving away from rigid sensory schedules and compliance toward more flexible, individualized support. Lindsey shares why listening to children, learning from adults with lived sensory experiences, and collaborating with caregivers can tell us so much more than following a checklist of activities. We also get into mentorship, clinical reasoning, and why generic online advice or an AI-generated sensory diet can’t replace knowing the person you’re supporting. One of my favorite reminders from this conversation? We are a therapeutic tool, too. Before we reach for another piece of equipment, there’s so much value in slowing down, connecting, and playing. Whether you’re a new OT or COTA or you’ve been doing this work for years, Lindsey brings us back to the foundations while encouraging us to keep learning. Thanks for listening 🩷 Send this to a fellow practitioner who would love a conversation about bringing more connection, curiosity, and play into their sessions.LinksFollow Lindseyhttps://www.instagram.com/lindseybiel/?hl=enLindsey’s Websitehttp://sensorysmarts.com/index.html Raising a Sensory Smart Childhttps://www.amazon.com/Raising-Sensory-Smart-Child-Definitive-ebook/dp/B004IE9QM2/ref=sr_1_1We’d love to answer your questions on the podcast! Fill out this form - https://harkla.typeform.com/to/ItWxQNP3 All Things Sensory Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/allthingssensorypodcast/ Harkla Website https://harkla.co/ Harkla YouTube​​https://www.youtube.com/c/HarklaFamily Harkla Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/harkla_family/ Harkla Digital Courseshttps://harkla.co/collections/courses 

In this episode, I sit down with Abbey Phillipson, a strength and conditioning coach and disability advocate who lives with classical Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). Abbey shares how she went from being the kid who sat out of gym class to helping people with disabilities find their place in sports and strength training.We talk about her childhood diagnosis, spinal surgery as a teenager, and what changed for her when she started building strength. Of course, we get into proprioception, too! Abbey describes what it felt like to struggle with body awareness and how learning to move differently became an important part of understanding her own body.But this conversation goes beyond movement. Abbey shares the healthcare experiences that led her to advocate for people with rare EDS types and why knowing a diagnosis isn’t the same as knowing the person in front of you. For my fellow OT practitioners, there’s an important reminder here about listening to lived experience, questioning our assumptions, and helping clients participate in the things that matter to them. Thanks for listening 🩷 Share this with a fellow practitioner who values learning directly from the people we support.LinksFollow Abbeyhttps://www.instagram.com/abbeyphillipson/ Collagen Advocacy Networkhttps://collagenadvocacynetwork.org/ We’d love to answer your questions on the podcast! Fill out this form - https://harkla.typeform.com/to/ItWxQNP3 All Things Sensory Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/allthingssensorypodcast/ Harkla Website https://harkla.co/ Harkla YouTube​​https://www.youtube.com/c/HarklaFamily Harkla Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/harkla_family/ Harkla Digital Courseshttps://harkla.co/collections/courses 

I spend so much time thinking about what my clients and my own kiddos need. More movement? Less noise? A sensory break? But sometimes the person who needs those supports is me. And knowing all the regulation strategies doesn’t mean I always remember to use them myself.In this episode, I’m turning the attention back to our own nervous systems. I talk about recognizing sensory overload, finding strategies that work for you, and building them into your day before you’re completely overwhelmed. For my fellow OT practitioners, that includes taking a closer look at our therapeutic use of self. How we connect, respond, and support co-regulation matters just as much as the tools we bring into a session. This is exactly why I wrote Grounded: A Nervous System Regulation Guide for Overstimulated Parents. I’m sharing the experiences behind the book and how it brings together sensory strategies, movement, and practical daily routines. Whether you’re supporting clients, raising kids, or doing both, the goal isn’t to be calm every second. It’s to understand your own needs and have tools to come back to when things feel like too much. Thanks for listening 🩷 Share this with a fellow practitioner who spends their day supporting everyone else and could use a reminder that their nervous system matters, too.LinksSPD MONTH GIVEAWAY‼️Win Over $3,000 in Sensory Support! 💙 Click below to enter!https://harkla.co/pages/spd-month-giveaway Pre-order Grounded and explore the preorder bonuseshttp://sensationalbrain.com/landing/grounded/ We’d love to answer your questions on the podcast! Fill out this form - https://harkla.typeform.com/to/ItWxQNP3 All Things Sensory Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/allthingssensorypodcast/ Harkla Website https://harkla.co/ Harkla YouTube​​https://www.youtube.com/c/HarklaFamily Harkla Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/harkla_family/ Harkla Digital Courseshttps://harkla.co/collections/courses 

In honor of Sensory Processing Disorder Awareness Month, I’m going back to the basics and diving into one of my all-time favorite topics: sensory processing.In this episode, we’re talking about sensory modulation, over- and under-responsiveness, sensory craving, and all eight sensory systems. We’ll also look at how sensory differences can show up during everyday occupations like dressing, eating, toileting, learning, play, and transitions.But I don’t want to stop at understanding sensory processing, I want to talk about how we can actually support it in practice. We’ll get into proactive sensory input, movement, heavy work, sensory spaces, and helping our clients build awareness of what their own bodies need.One of my biggest reminders for therapists: instead of immediately asking, “How do I stop this behavior?” Let's get curious and ask, “What is their nervous system trying to tell me?”Whether you’re newer to pediatric OT or just need a good sensory processing refresher, this episode will help you get back to the basics and think about sensory needs through a practical OT lens. This is also a great episode to share with families if they need help understanding sensory processing more!Thanks for being here 🩷 If this episode sparked a clinical lightbulb moment, come find me at @allthingssensorypodcast and tell me what you’re noticing in your practice. LinksWe’d love to answer your questions on the podcast! Fill out this form - https://harkla.typeform.com/to/ItWxQNP3 Episode #368 - Ocular Motor Skillshttps://open.spotify.com/episode/6yGQpQ6r0NbOsOGIK2N0DEEpisode #372 - Crawling & Ocular Motor Skillshttps://open.spotify.com/episode/2zf5VSTe0fxfmP6cFzTrG5 Episode #225 - ADHD Tips, Tricks & Infohttps://open.spotify.com/episode/0qv4CsQGAXHaPaANCKNZWjEpisode #34 - What is Auditory Processing Disorder?https://open.spotify.com/episode/1M48a9mEy0IVU4bB6iJvGR Episode #367 - Auditory Processing vs Attention Issueshttps://open.spotify.com/episode/4KKYDlcOaHLonM8oagThpuSensory Preferences Checklisthttps://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1380/9417/files/Copy_of_Mod_3_5_Child_Sensory_Preferences.pdf?v=1729447315

Hi podcast fam! I just wanted to have a quick pow-wow and chat about what this season is going to look like. As many of you may know already, my son is starting kindergarten this fall and I'll be doing a homeschool program with him. Exciting but also very time consuming!We also have a team member getting married this fall and we are excited to travel and celebrate with her family!And of course, we have been working on a really exciting product launch: My Weighted Vest! It's finally coming to life and it's been a really time consuming product to bring (back) to life!That being said, it's a crazy time for our whole team, which is why we're pressing the pause button on recording new episodes, so we can all find our footing over the next few months.As always, I appreciate your support and dedication! I'll be back soon as your podcast host and give you all the homeschooling tea you could ever imagine!Make sure you're subscribed here so you get notified when our next episode launches!And we'll share all the pictures, videos and updates on Instagram in the meantime: @allthingssensorypodcastLove you all and I'll be back soon!LinksWe’d love to answer your questions on the podcast! Fill out this form - https://harkla.typeform.com/to/ItWxQNP3 All Things Sensory Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/allthingssensorypodcast/ Harkla Website https://harkla.co/ Harkla YouTube​​https://www.youtube.com/c/HarklaFamily Harkla Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/harkla_family/ Harkla Digital Courseshttps://harkla.co/collections/courses