In this final episode of our Screens with Purpose series, AnnMarie is joined once again by OT doctoral student Alexis Faria, and Geena Gaver, an OT at Great Kids Place, to explore one of the toughest challenges families face around screen time — helping kids transition off of screens.
Over the past three episodes, we’ve talked about why screen time matters, what it looks like in our homes, and how to find balance between digital engagement and meaningful off-screen play. Today, we’re diving into what happens in those big emotional moments when the tablet turns off — and how to support kids through them with empathy, structure, and connection. We’ll also explore how transitions off screen time can look different depending on each child’s SEP.
In this episode, you'll learn real-world strategies to help you:
Build predictable routines that guide your child’s expectations
Use sensory experiences to ease the shift from screen time to playtime
Foster connection and emotional safety in those tricky transition moments
Resources & More:
Alexis has been developing additional resources to help families and therapists put these ideas into practice. Follow @GreatKidsPlace on Instagram & Facebook for updates, visuals, and downloadable tools.
About
AnnMarie Murphy, OTD, OT/L, CIMI-2
Occupational Therapist, Great Kids Place
AnnMarie Murphy has advanced training and certification from the STAR Institute, specializing in the evaluation and treatment of Sensory Processing Disorder. She holds an MS in Occupational Therapy from American International College and a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Temple University.
Her background also includes a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, supporting her focus on the neurobiology of sensory processing and the impacts SPD can have on social-emotional development, parent stress, and family dynamics.
Alexis Faria, OTD Candidate
Alexis Faria is a doctoral student in Occupational Therapy at Kean University. She first joined the GKP community during her fieldwork in the spring, where she had the privilege of working closely with Michele and the team while learning the Sensory Emotional Engagement Model. Alexis is now thrilled to return for her doctoral residency project, Screens with Purpose: Fostering Intentional Tech Use to Support Child Development, where she is leading a series on guiding families toward balanced and purposeful screen time.
Geena Gaver, OTD, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist, Great Kids Place
Geena Gaver is a specialist in Sensory Processing and Integration Disorder with advanced training from the Sensory Therapies and Research Institute on the evaluation and treatment of Sensory Processing Disorder. She holds a doctorate in occupational therapy from Kean University.
Her background includes supporting children with sensory motor differences, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and anxiety. Geena is also a 200-hour certified yoga instructor and uses her knowledge and experience with movement, mindfulness, & breathwork in her practice.
AboutA Tribute to Michele Parkins, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E®
Founder, Great Kids Place and the Sensory-motor Emotional EngageMent Frame of Reference
Michele Parkins dedicated her life to supporting children and families with sensory processing and social-emotional challenges. As both a professional and a parent of two sensory children, she combined expertise with deep personal understanding.
Passionate about empowering families and mentoring therapists, Michele taught internationally, consulted with schools, and co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the leading textbook in the field. At the time of her passing, she was writing books to help families recognize their Sensory Emotional Personality styles and discover strength and joy within them.
Though gone too soon, Michele’s legacy endures in the lives she touched, the community she built, and the vision she entrusted us to carry forward.
In this week’s episode of A Sensory Emotional Lens, AnnMarie Murphy and OT doctoral student Alexis continue the “Screen with Purpose” series — turning the focus from screens themselves to the children behind them.
Every child experiences screens differently. Some turn to them for comfort, some for excitement, and others for connection or escape. Through a sensory emotional lens, we can uncover why screens hold such appeal and learn how to guide our kids toward balance — with playful, meaningful off-screen alternatives that meet their individual sensory and emotional needs.
Alexis and AnnMarie walk through five Sensory Emotional Personality (SEP) profiles — from the anxious yet deeply feeling to the scattered yet intentional and passionate — and share practical, connection-based ideas to help parents and caregivers nurture regulation, independence, and creativity in everyday life. Whether it’s creating safe forts, superhero rescue missions, or cooking as activation, these strategies help you connect before you disconnect — strengthening relationships while supporting growth, regulation, and confidence.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
How to view screen time through a Sensory Emotional Lens
The five Sensory Emotional Personalities (SEPs) — and how screens show up differently for each
Simple, low-prep activities that balance screen and off-screen engagement
How to replace “easy” screen time with intentional, regulating alternatives
Why connection, curiosity, and co-regulation are key to balanced routines
The importance of the “connect before you disconnect” mindset for both parents and kids
Join our community!
@TheSensoryEmotional_OT on Instagram
@GreatKidsPlace on Instagram & Facebook
About
AnnMarie Murphy, OTD, OT/L, CIMI-2
Occupational Therapist, Great Kids Place
AnnMarie Murphy is an Occupational Therapist with advanced training and certification from the Sensory Treatment and Research (STAR) Institute, specializing in the evaluation and treatment of Sensory Processing Disorder. She holds a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from American International College and a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Temple University.
Her background also includes a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, supporting her focus on the neurobiology of sensory processing and the impacts SPD can have on social-emotional development, parent stress, and family dynamics.
Alexis Faria, OTD Candidate
Alexis Faria is a doctoral student in Occupational Therapy at Kean University. She first joined the Great Kids Place community during her fieldwork in the spring, where she had the privilege of working closely with Michele and the team while learning the Sensory Emotional Engagement Model. Alexis is now thrilled to return for her doctoral residency project, Screens with Purpose: Fostering Intentional Tech Use to Support Child Development, where she is leading a series on guiding families toward balanced and purposeful screen time.
A Tribute to Michele Parkins, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E®
Founder, Great Kids Place and the Sensory-motor Emotional EngageMent Frame of Reference
Michele Parkins, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E®, dedicated her life to supporting children and families with sensory processing and social-emotional challenges. As both a professional and a parent of two sensory children, she combined expertise with deep personal understanding.
Passionate about empowering families and mentoring therapists, Michele taught internationally, consulted with schools, and co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the leading textbook in the field. At the time of her passing, she was writing books to help families recognize their Sensory Emotional Personality styles and discover strength and joy within them.
Though gone too soon, Michele’s legacy endures in the lives she touched, the community she built, and the vision she entrusted us to carry forward.
In this week’s episode of A Sensory Emotional Lens, AnnMarie welcomes back OT doctoral student Alexis to continue the conversation on screen time — but this time, through the lens of what kinds of screens kids are using and where they’re using them.
Building on last week’s discussion about why kids are drawn to screens, this episode explores how the type and context of screen use can deeply influence a child’s sensory, emotional, and social development. Together, AnnMarie and Alexis unpack how screens can both support and challenge regulation, connection, and play — depending on how intentionally they’re used.
You’ll learn:
Why what kids watch and where they watch it matters just as much as the amount
How children use screens to explore themes of safety, control, bravery, curiosity, and connection — just like in traditional play
Sensory-emotional profiles and screen habits
How shifting screens from bedrooms to shared spaces can transform isolation into connection
Practical swaps and ideas
By noticing what kids are watching, where it’s happening, and why they’re drawn to it, we can guide screen use in ways that nurture regulation, connection, and real-world growth through a Sensory Emotional Lens.
Turning your child’s screen to grayscale can help reduce visual stimulation and make screens feel calmer and less “rewarding.”
Here’s how to do it:
That’s it! Your child’s screen will now appear in black and white.
Join our community!
@TheSensoryEmotional_OT on Instagram
@GreatKidsPlace on Instagram & Facebook
About
AnnMarie Murphy, OTD, OT/L, CIMI-2
Occupational Therapist, Great Kids Place
AnnMarie Murphy is an Occupational Therapist with advanced training and certification from the Sensory Treatment and Research (STAR) Institute, specializing in the evaluation and treatment of Sensory Processing Disorder. She holds a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from American International College and a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Temple University.
Her background also includes a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, supporting her focus on the neurobiology of sensory processing and the impacts SPD can have on social-emotional development, parent stress, and family dynamics.
Alexis Faria, OTD Candidate
Alexis Faria is a doctoral student in Occupational Therapy at Kean University. She first joined the Great Kids Place community during her fieldwork in the spring, where she had the privilege of working closely with Michele and the team while learning the Sensory Emotional Engagement Model. Alexis is now thrilled to return for her doctoral residency project, Screens with Purpose: Fostering Intentional Tech Use to Support Child Development, where she is leading a series on guiding families toward balanced and purposeful screen time.
A Tribute to Michele Parkins, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E®
Founder, Great Kids Place and the Sensory-motor Emotional EngageMent Frame of Reference
Michele Parkins, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E®, dedicated her life to supporting children and families with sensory processing and social-emotional challenges. As both a professional and a parent of two sensory children, she combined expertise with deep personal understanding.
Passionate about empowering families and mentoring therapists, Michele taught internationally, consulted with schools, and co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the leading textbook in the field. At the time of her passing, she was writing books to help families recognize their Sensory Emotional Personality styles and discover strength and joy within them.
Though gone too soon, Michele’s legacy endures in the lives she touched, the community she built, and the vision she entrusted us to carry forward.
Screens are everywhere—classrooms, living rooms, even in our pockets. But what makes them so appealing to our kids? And how can we, as caregivers, better understand the way children experience screen time through their unique sensory and emotional lenses?
In this episode, host AnnMarie Murphy is joined by Alexis Faria, doctoral OT student at Kean University, who has spent months researching screen time and its impact on kids. Together, they kick off our 4-part “Screens with Purpose” series by exploring why children are drawn to screens in the first place.
You’ll learn:
How different Sensory Emotional Personality (SEP) styles influence the way kids experience screens
Why anxious yet deeply feeling kids may seek predictability and comfort in screen time
How unaware yet deep thinkers might find screens captivating but still need real-world movement to stay regulated
Why confused yet full of wonder kids are drawn to the clarity and predictability screens provide
How needy yet compassionate kids may find screens less physically demanding—and what caregivers can do to balance that
Why scattered yet intentional kids may gravitate toward the built-in structure of screen-based activities
Most importantly, you’ll discover practical strategies for helping your child balance their screen time in ways that support growth, regulation, and connection—while still honoring what they enjoy most
This episode will shift your perspective on screens from “good vs. bad” to intentional and purposeful. By understanding what draws your child to screens, you can become their playful protector, connector, encourager, or organizer—helping them use technology in ways that support their whole self.
Join our community!
@TheSensoryEmotional_OT on Instagram
@GreatKidsPlace on Instagram & Facebook
About
AnnMarie Murphy, OTD, OT/L, CIMI-2
Occupational Therapist, Great Kids Place
AnnMarie Murphy is an Occupational Therapist with advanced training and certification from the Sensory Treatment and Research (STAR) Institute, specializing in the evaluation and treatment of Sensory Processing Disorder. She holds a MS in Occupational Therapy from American International College and a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Temple University. Her background also includes a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, supporting her focus on the neurobiology of sensory processing and the impacts SPD can have on social-emotional development, parent stress, and family dynamics.
Alexis Faria, OTD Candidate
Alexis Faria is a doctoral student in Occupational Therapy at Kean University. She first joined the Great Kids Place community during her fieldwork in the spring, where she had the privilege of working closely with Michele and the team while learning the Sensory Emotional Engagement Model. Alexis is now thrilled to return for her doctoral residency project, Screens with Purpose: Fostering Intentional Tech Use to Support Child Development, where she is leading a series on guiding families toward balanced and purposeful screen time.
A Tribute to Michele Parkins, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E®
Founder, Great Kids Place and the Sensory-motor Emotional EngageMent Frame of Reference
Michele Parkins, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E®, dedicated her life to supporting children and families with sensory processing and social-emotional challenges. As both a professional and a parent of two sensory children, she combined expertise with deep personal understanding. Passionate about empowering families and mentoring therapists, Michele taught internationally, consulted with schools, and co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the leading textbook in the field. At the time of her passing, she was writing books to help families recognize their Sensory Emotional Personality styles and discover strength and joy within them.
Though gone too soon, Michele’s legacy endures in the lives she touched, the community she built, and the vision she entrusted us to carry forward.
With the start of a new school year comes new routines, transitions, and a whole lot of change—for kids and adults. In this episode, we explore the incredible power you hold—whether you’re a parent, therapist, teacher, or grandparent—in supporting children’s developing brains and bodies through a sensory emotional lens.
We’ll unpack how the brain develops, why kids can’t always do what we expect, and how understanding their sensory emotional personality (SEP) can transform daily routines from chaos to connection.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Why children’s brains aren’t wired for full planning, decision-making, and impulse control until around age 25
How to spot different sensory emotional personalities (SEPs) and the role you can play in supporting each one
Simple strategies to reduce morning meltdowns, strengthen independence, and foster persistence
How your presence, tone, and creativity—not fancy equipment—are your greatest tools for connection
The 5 Sensory Emotional Personalities (and Your Role):
Anxious yet Deeply Feeling → Playful Protector
Create predictability, calm, and safety through a gentle tone and playful structure
Unaware yet Deep Thinker → Connector
Use exaggerated expressions, movement, and humor to motivate and engage
Confused yet Full of Wonder → Wondering Experimenter
Encourage trial and error, use “Plan A / Plan B,” and guide with “I wonder…” language
Needy yet Compassionate → Helpful Supporter
Provide physical and emotional support, filling in the gaps to prevent overwhelm
Scattered yet Intentional and Passionate → Organizer
Offer structure, sequencing, and playful problem-solving to turn chaos into clarity
No matter your role in a child’s life, you have the power to shape their experience with compassion, connection, and creativity. By stepping into these supportive roles, you help bridge gaps in their development while nurturing independence and resilience.
Try one of the strategies shared today in your morning routine and send us your experiences—we’d love to share them with our community!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesensoryemotional_ot/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatkidsplace/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatKidsPlace/
Want more resources? Please visit our blog: https://greatkidsplace.com/category/blog/
and https://sensoryemotional.org/
About
AnnMarie Murphy, OTD, OT/L, CIMI-2, Occupational Therapist, Great Kids Place
AnnMarie Murphy is an Occupational Therapist with advanced training and certification from the Sensory Treatment and Research (STAR) Institute, specializing in the evaluation and treatment of Sensory Processing Disorder. She holds a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from American International College and a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Temple University. Her background also includes a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, supporting her focus on the neurobiology of sensory processing and the impacts SPD can have on social-emotional development, parent stress, and family dynamics.
A Tribute to Michele Parkins, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E®
Founder, Great Kids Place and the Sensory-motor Emotional EngageMent Frame of Reference
Michele Parkins, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E®, dedicated her life to supporting children and families with sensory processing and social-emotional challenges. As both a professional and a parent of two sensory children, she combined expertise with deep personal understanding. Passionate about empowering families and mentoring therapists, Michele taught internationally, consulted with schools, and co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the leading textbook in the field. At the time of her passing, she was writing books to help families recognize their Sensory Emotional Personality styles and discover strength and joy within them.
Though gone too soon, Michele’s legacy endures in the lives she touched, the community she built, and the vision she entrusted us to carry forward.
This episode is tender and deeply personal for all of us at Great Kids Place. Just over a month has passed since the loss of our beloved founder, host, mentor, and friend, Michele Parkins. Michele was the heart of this podcast and the soul behind so much of what we do. Her vision for play, connection, and sensory-emotional work continues to guide us, and today we honor her by exploring grief through the very lens she taught us to use: the sensory-emotional lens.
Grief doesn’t only live in our minds or hearts—it lives in our bodies. It shapes how we breathe, move, feel, and connect. In this conversation, AnnMarie Murphy, Occupational Therapist at Great Kids Place, is joined by members of our therapy team as they share their lived experiences of grief through their own Sensory Emotional Personality (SEP) styles.
Together, we reflect on:
How grief shows up differently for each Sensory Emotional Personality style
The ways grief impacts our sensory systems, body responses, and daily rhythms
Personal stories from our therapists that show how grief can look and feel in real life
Practical strategies for supporting ourselves and our children through loss using sensory-emotional awareness
This episode is an invitation to pause, to feel, and to recognize that while grief is universal, the way we experience it is deeply individual. By honoring those differences, we can better support ourselves and those we love.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
Anxious yet Deeply Feeling: why grief can feel overwhelming and lead to control-seeking behaviors
Unaware yet Deep Thinkers: how deep thought and disconnection can coexist in grief
Confused yet Full of Wonder: the challenge of navigating grief in a black-and-white, all-or-nothing world
Needy yet Compassionate: why grief can drain energy and heighten the need for support
Scattered yet Intentional and Passionate: how grief disrupts organization and planning, and how leaning into play and connection can ground us
As we continue this podcast in Michele’s memory, we hold tight to her belief that connection and play are powerful healing forces. We hope this conversation helps you feel seen, understood, and less alone.
For more resources on how to talk with children about the death of a loved one, visit: UNICEF: How to Talk to Your Children About the Death of a Loved One
About
AnnMarie Murphy, OTD, OT/L, CIMI-2
Occupational Therapist, Great Kids Place
AnnMarie Murphy is an Occupational Therapist with advanced training and certification from the Sensory Treatment and Research (STAR) Institute, specializing in the evaluation and treatment of Sensory Processing Disorder. She holds a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from American International College and a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Temple University.
Her background also includes a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, supporting her focus on the neurobiology of sensory processing and the impacts SPD can have on social-emotional development, parent stress, and family dynamics.
A Tribute to Michele Parkins, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E®
Founder of Great Kids Place and the Sensory-Motor Emotional Engagement Model
Michele Parkins, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E®, dedicated her life to supporting children and families with sensory processing and social-emotional challenges. As both a professional and a parent of two sensory children, she combined expertise with deep personal understanding.
Passionate about empowering families and mentoring therapists, Michele taught internationally, consulted with schools, and co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the leading textbook in the field. At the time of her passing, she was writing books to help families recognize their Sensory Emotional Personality styles and discover strength and joy within them.
Though gone too soon, Michele’s legacy endures in the lives she touched, the community she built, and the vision she entrusted us to carry forward.
It is with the deepest sadness and heavy hearts that we share the unexpected passing of our beloved founder, host, and guiding light, Michele Parkins.
Michele was the heart of A Sensory Emotional Lens, Great Kids Place, and a guiding light to so many families, therapists, and professionals. Her legacy of compassion, connection, and play will continue through the voices she inspired and the mission she passionately led.
Jenna Hammond, Program Manager, and Laura Baldwin, Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist™ at Great Kids Place, host today’s heartfelt and reflective episode. Laura walks us through the complex and deeply personal journey of grief—how it shows up, how it affects children and adults, and how we can support one another through it, all through the Sensory Emotional Lens that Michele helped us see the world through.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
How grief impacts children, families, and professionals
Why the stages of grief aren't linear or universal
How grief is expressed through behavior, play, and sensory-emotional rhythms
Practical tools and language for supporting both kids and adults through loss
How different developmental stages influence a child’s experience of grief
The connection between grief and love—and how honoring grief is part of healing
A Legacy of Play: Honoring Michele Parkins
In Michele’s memory, we invite you to take a moment today to pause and play. Whether it’s 15 minutes of laughter, a sensory activity, or imaginative play, let’s honor her belief in the healing power of connection, creativity, and joy.
For more resources on how to talk to your children about the death of a loved one, visit:
https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-care/how-talk-your-children-about-death-loved-one
About
Laura Baldwin, MA, LPC, RPT™, NCC, ADHD-CCSP
Licensed Professional Counselor, Registered Play Therapist™ , Great Kids Place
Laura is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Registered Play Therapist™, and a Social-Emotional Development Coach at Great Kids Place. She is a steadfast advocate for developmentally appropriate interventions that improve the physical, psychological, social, and emotional well-being of another person. Laura holds a master’s degree in Clinical and School Counseling. With Great Kids Place’s Sensory-Emotional Engagement Model™ as her foundation, she demonstrates advanced knowledge in the areas of pediatric mental health, child development, neurodivergent populations (ADHD, Autism, gifted, highly sensitive, etc.), sensory processing differences, visual-spatial capacities, parent coaching, family support, attachment theories, developmental and behavioral assessments, social skills, DIR® Floortime™, and Crisis Prevention and Safety Care Interventions.
Michele Parkins MS, OTR/L IMH-E®
Founder & Director, Great Kids Place
Founder, Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™
Michele is an Occupational Therapist endorsed as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. She specializes in working with children and families with Sensory Processing and Integration Disorders and challenges in social-emotional development. She is also a parent of two sensory kids. Michele is passionate about working with families and other therapists and continues to do so as a clinician and educator. She educates therapists from all over the country and world and continues to provide consultation to schools on treatment for sensory processing disorder. Michele has co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the textbook for sensory evaluation and treatment, alongside world-renowned pioneers in the field, and is currently writing a parenting book and children’s books. She hopes to help everyone - children and adults- understand their Sensory Emotional Personality™ style and ways to find strength and joy within them.
With summer often comes vacations, and it’s important to remember that Sensory Emotional Kids tend to express their SEPs more vividly during vacations. Why? Because vacations often involve a break from routine and a flood of novel sensory-motor, social and emotional experiences. These changes can bring out new or more intense social-emotional responses—some that may not usually show up in day-to-day life.
When we use a Sensory Emotional Lens, we recognize that the way we take in sensation and move our bodies affects how we feel, act, and interact with the world. At the same time, how we feel, act, and interact influences how we experience sensation and movement. Tune in as we dive into each Sensory Emotional Personality (SEP) and explore strategies tailored to each one, as well as some general strategies worth keeping in mind when going on your next vacation.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Why taking a Sensory Emotional Lens matters so much on vacation
How the novelty in sensory, motor, emotional, and social demands of vacations can amplify SEPs
General strategies to consider when planning trips with Sensory Emotional kids
Specific strategies when planning for and while on vacation for each SEP:
Anxious yet Deeply Feeling: How to offer control, protection, and predictability
Needy yet Compassionate: Building in rest, emotional support, and bravery boosts
Scattered yet Intentional and Passionate: Planning, preparing, and empowering leadership
Unaware yet Deep Thinking: Using input, movement, and connection to encourage engagement
Confused yet Full of Wonder: Fostering curiosity, offering space to experiment, and navigating social nuance
Join our community!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesensoryemotional_ot/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatkidsplace/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatKidsPlace/
Visit our Learning Center
We know that sensory-motor experiences play a significant role in a child’s daily life and emotional well-being. Using playful interactions, The Sensory Emotional Center of Learning is designed to bring our therapeutic model, the Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™, into your home or work.
https://www.sensoryemotionalcenteroflearning.com
Want more resources? Please visit our blog: https://greatkidsplace.com/category/blog/
and https://sensoryemotional.org/
About
Michele Parkins MS, OTR/L IMH-E®
Founder & Director, Great Kids Place
Founder, Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™
Michele is an Occupational Therapist endorsed as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. She specializes in working with children and families with Sensory Processing and Integration Disorders and challenges in social-emotional development. She is also a parent of two sensory kids. Michele is passionate about working with families and other therapists and continues to do so as a clinician and educator. She educates therapists from all over the country and world and continues to provide consultation to schools on treatment for sensory processing disorder. Michele has co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the textbook for sensory evaluation and treatment, alongside world-renowned pioneers in the field, and is currently writing a parenting book and children’s books. She hopes to help everyone - children and adults- understand their Sensory Emotional Personality™ style and ways to find strength and joy within them.
Summer can bring freedom and fun — but with its new sensory and emotional experiences, summer can also be sensory overload, emotional fatigue, and unexpected challenges for kids with unique sensory-emotional profiles (SEPs). In this episode, we dive deep into how to support your child’s SEP through summer’s shifting routines, hotter days, unstructured time and newly structured time. With summer bringing new experiences, your child may also be presenting in new ways. It’s a great time to review all of the SEPs as your child may have some shifts within and between them this summer.
Whether your child is Anxious yet Deeply Feeling, Unaware yet Deep Thinking, Confused yet Full of Wonder, Needy yet Compassionate, or Scattered yet Intentional and Passionate, we cover specific strategies for home life, navigating camp, and managing parent-child SEP clashes.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
The unique summertime experiences of children with the Sensory Emotional Personalities of Confused yet Full of Wonder, Needy yet Compassionate and Scattered yet Intentional & Passionate
The reasons your child may be more embarrassed, curiously moving and touching more, having difficulty following directions and participating in activities, needing more support, whiny and demanding of you, bossy, and all over the place in the summer
Ways to support your child to bring calm, organization, independence, engagement and joy into the summer days
Ways your own Sensory Emotional Personality and the way you process the new and different sensations and experiences of summer can impact your response to your child and your relationships in the summertime
To learn more about Sensory Emotional Personalities, tune in to episode 09. Sensory Motor Systems and Personalities through A Sensory Emotional Lens
Join our community!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesensoryemotional_ot/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatkidsplace/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatKidsPlace/
Visit our Learning Center
We know that sensory-motor experiences play a significant role in a child’s daily life and emotional well-being. Using playful interactions, The Sensory Emotional Center of Learning is designed to bring our therapeutic model, the Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™, into your home or work.
https://www.sensoryemotionalcenteroflearning.com
Want more resources? Please visit our blog: https://greatkidsplace.com/category/blog/
and https://sensoryemotional.org/
About
Michele Parkins MS, OTR/L IMH-E®
Founder & Director, Great Kids Place
Founder, Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™
Michele is an Occupational Therapist endorsed as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. She specializes in working with children and families with Sensory Processing and Integration Disorders and challenges in social-emotional development. She is also a parent of two sensory kids. Michele is passionate about working with families and other therapists and continues to do so as a clinician and educator. She educates therapists from all over the country and world and continues to provide consultation to schools on treatment for sensory processing disorder. Michele has co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the textbook for sensory evaluation and treatment, alongside world-renowned pioneers in the field, and is currently writing a parenting book and children’s books. She hopes to help everyone - children and adults- understand their Sensory Emotional Personality style and ways to find strength and joy within them.
Summer can bring freedom and fun — but with its new sensory and emotional experiences, summer can also be sensory overload, emotional fatigue, and unexpected challenges for kids with unique sensory-emotional profiles (SEPs). In this episode, we dive deep into how to support your child’s SEP through summer’s shifting routines, hotter days, unstructured time and newly structured time. With summer bringing new experiences, your child may also be presenting in new ways. It’s a great time to review all of the SEPs, as your child may have some shifts within and between them this summer.
Whether your child is Anxious yet Deeply Feeling, Unaware yet Deep Thinking, Confused yet Full of Wonder, Needy yet Compassionate, or Scattered yet Intentional and Passionate, we cover specific strategies for home life, navigating camp, and managing parent-child SEP clashes.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
The unique summertime experiences of children with the Sensory Emotional Personalities of Anxious yet Deeply Feeling and Unaware yet Deep Thinking
The reasons your child may be more anxious, hesitant, avoidant, controlling, unaware, a few steps behind, lost in space, inattentive and/or daydream-y in the summer
Ways to support your child to bring comfort, awareness, exploration, engagement and joy into the summer days
Ways your own Sensory Emotional Personality and the way you process the new and different sensations and experiences of summer can impact your response to your child and your relationships in the summertime
To learn more about Sensory Emotional Personalities, tune in to episode 09. Sensory Motor Systems and Personalities through A Sensory Emotional Lens
Join our community!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesensoryemotional_ot/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatkidsplace/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatKidsPlace/
Visit our Learning Center
We know that sensory-motor experiences play a significant role in a child’s daily life and emotional well-being. Using playful interactions, The Sensory Emotional Center of Learning is designed to bring our therapeutic model, the Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™, into your home or work.
https://www.sensoryemotionalcenteroflearning.com
Want more resources? Please visit our blog: https://greatkidsplace.com/category/blog/
and https://sensoryemotional.org/
About
Michele Parkins MS, OTR/L IMH-E®
Founder & Director, Great Kids Place
Founder, Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™
Michele is an Occupational Therapist endorsed as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. She specializes in working with children and families with Sensory Processing and Integration Disorders and challenges in social-emotional development. She is also a parent of two sensory kids. Michele is passionate about working with families and other therapists and continues to do so as a clinician and educator. She educates therapists from all over the country and world and continues to provide consultation to schools on treatment for sensory processing disorder. Michele has co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the textbook for sensory evaluation and treatment, alongside world-renowned pioneers in the field, and is currently writing a parenting book and children’s books. She hopes to help everyone - children and adults- understand their Sensory Emotional Personality™ style and ways to find strength and joy within them.
Picky eating isn’t just about preferences — it’s about how a child is experiencing their world. Today’s episode is one that many of you have been requesting — we’re diving deep into picky eating, not from a behavioral or surface-level view, but through the powerful lens of sensory and emotional processing. This topic often resurfaces during times of change and stress — like the transition from the school year to summer — and it's important to look beneath the surface to understand why mealtime can become such a battleground.
We’ll explore how a child’s sensory-emotional way of being impacts their experience with food, what their behaviors might be trying to communicate, and how you can support them in feeling safer and more confident with eating.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
The sensory motor foundations involved in eating: proprioception, tactile processing, vestibular processing, core strength and stability, and motor planning
How different Sensory Emotional Personality (SEP) styles shape a child’s food preferences and responses
Practical, compassionate strategies to support your child — tailored to their unique SEP style
Join our community!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesensoryemotional_ot/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatkidsplace/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatKidsPlace/
Visit our Learning Center
We know that sensory-motor experiences play a significant role in a child’s daily life and emotional well-being. Using playful interactions, The Sensory Emotional Center of Learning is designed to bring our therapeutic model, the Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™, into your home or work.
https://www.sensoryemotionalcenteroflearning.com
Want more resources? Please visit our blog: https://greatkidsplace.com/category/blog/
and https://sensoryemotional.org/
About
Michele Parkins MS, OTR/L IMH-E®
Founder & Director, Great Kids Place
Founder, Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™
Michele is an Occupational Therapist endorsed as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. She specializes in working with children and families with Sensory Processing and Integration Disorders and challenges in social-emotional development. She is also a parent of two sensory kids. Michele is passionate about working with families and other therapists and continues to do so as a clinician and educator. She educates therapists from all over the country and world and continues to provide consultation to schools on treatment for sensory processing disorder. Michele has co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the textbook for sensory evaluation and treatment, alongside world-renowned pioneers in the field, and is currently writing a parenting book and children’s books. She hopes to help everyone - children and adults- understand their Sensory Emotional Personality style and ways to find strength and joy within them.
As we approach the end of the school year, many of us are preparing for big transitions—siblings coming home from college, summer camps kicking off, family vacations in the works, and those familiar routines starting to shift.
So today, we're looking back at one of our most timely episodes—because it’s more relevant than ever. In that episode, we explored how changes in routine, while exciting for some, can be overwhelming for kids with sensory and sensory-motor differences. While most of us appreciate routine, our sensory kids depend on it.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Why routine is so important for regulation and participation
What’s happening in the body when routines change
The social-emotional behaviors that tend to show up during transitions
And most importantly, how you can support your child through these shifts with confidence and compassion
So, whether you're packing for camp or just adjusting to having more people in the house again, this episode will help you see these seasonal shifts through a sensory-emotional lens and give you tools to make them smoother for everyone.
Join our community!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesensoryemotional_ot/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatkidsplace/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatKidsPlace/
Visit our Learning Center
We know that sensory-motor experiences play a significant role in a child’s daily life and emotional well-being. Using playful interactions, The Sensory Emotional Center of Learning is designed to bring our therapeutic model, the Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™, into your home or work.
https://www.sensoryemotionalcenteroflearning.com
Want more resources? Please visit our blog: https://greatkidsplace.com/category/blog/
and https://sensoryemotional.org/
About
Michele Parkins MS, OTR/L IMH-E®
Founder & Director, Great Kids Place
Founder, Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™
Michele is an Occupational Therapist endorsed as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. She specializes in working with children and families with Sensory Processing and Integration Disorders and challenges in social-emotional development. She is also a parent of two sensory kids. Michele is passionate about working with families and other therapists and continues to do so as a clinician and educator. She educates therapists from all over the country and world and continues to provide consultation to schools on treatment for sensory processing disorder. Michele has co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the textbook for sensory evaluation and treatment, alongside world-renowned pioneers in the field, and is currently writing a parenting book and children’s books. She hopes to help everyone - children and adults- understand their Sensory Emotional Personality™ style and ways to find strength and joy within them.
Today, we’re tackling a phrase many parents and professionals hear — “This child is not sensory.” As awareness of sensory processing grows, more families and caregivers are trying sensory strategies to help children with regulation and participation. But when these strategies don't work as expected, it's often too quickly concluded that the child doesn’t have sensory needs.
The truth? Sensory processing is complex, highly individualized, and often misunderstood. We’ll explore why general sensory strategies might not always work — not because the child isn’t “sensory” — but because the strategy wasn’t the right fit for their unique sensory profile.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Why and when generalized sensory strategies can fall short
The hidden sensory profiles that don’t benefit from standard sensory breaks
Why sensory support isn’t just about adding or removing input
A new set of strategies to address dysregulation when sensory breaks and sensory input does not work
Why similar behaviors can have different sensory-based meanings and how understanding the meaning can support effective strategies for the behavior
Join our community!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesensoryemotional_ot/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatkidsplace/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatKidsPlace/
Want more resources? Please visit our blog: https://greatkidsplace.com/category/blog/
and https://sensoryemotional.org/
About
Michele Parkins MS, OTR/L IMH-E®
Founder & Director, Great Kids Place
Founder, Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™
Michele is an Occupational Therapist endorsed as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. She specializes in working with children and families with Sensory Processing and Integration Disorders and challenges in social-emotional development. She is also a parent of two sensory kids. She works and lives sensational kids! Michele is a fellow of Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, OTR.
Michele is passionate about working with families and other therapists and continues to do so as a clinician and educator. She educates therapists from all over the country and world and continues to provide consultation to schools on treatment for sensory processing disorder. Michele has co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the textbook for sensory evaluation and treatment, alongside world-renowned pioneers in the field, and is currently writing a parenting book and children’s books. She hopes to help everyone - children and adults- understand their Sensory Emotional Personality™ style and ways to find strength and joy within them.
In this episode, we explore the concept of Sensory Emotional Engagement and its role in personality development. Our research team is examining how Sensory Emotional Engagement bridges gaps between sensory integration, mental health, and early relational health. The central idea is that personality forms through repeated patterns of behavior in response to sensory and social stimuli. The way we take in sensations and move our body impacts the way we feel. The way we sense, move, and feel impacts the way we act and interact within environments and with others. The way we act and interact becomes our personality style.
In this episode, you'll discover:
An understanding of how sensations and movement patterns relate to how our children are feeling and acting helps us understand the body-based contribution to their personality style—or their Sensory–Emotional Personality
How this understanding helps us respond to them in ways that help us develop better relational patterns with them, and better support their participation and engagement socially and physically
The impact of caregiver responses on the meaning that our children place on sensations and movements and how this further impacts their social and emotional responses
How sensory systems themselves are related to specific emotional responses
How different postures and movement are related to specific emotional and social responses
How we sense, move, and feel, and how it impacts the way we act and interact - our personality - within environments and with others
Join our community!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesensoryemotional_ot/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatkidsplace/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatKidsPlace/
Want more resources? Please visit our blog: https://greatkidsplace.com/category/blog/
and https://sensoryemotional.org/
About
Michele Parkins MS, OTR/L IMH-E®
Founder & Director, Great Kids Place
Founder, Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™
Michele is an Occupational Therapist endorsed as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. She specializes in working with children and families with Sensory Processing and Integration Disorders and challenges in social-emotional development. She is also a parent of two sensory kids. She works and lives sensational kids! Michele is a fellow of Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, OTR.
Michele is passionate about working with families and other therapists and continues to do so as a clinician and educator. She educates therapists from all over the country and world and continues to provide consultation to schools on treatment for sensory processing disorder. Michele has co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the textbook for sensory evaluation and treatment, alongside world-renowned pioneers in the field, and is currently writing a parenting book and children’s books. She hopes to help everyone - children and adults- understand their Sensory Emotional Personality™ style and ways to find strength and joy within them.
In today’s episode, we’re diving into a common theme many families bring up: kids who need to be in control and have things “just so.” Parents often describe their child getting upset when daily routines aren’t followed exactly—like needing to get dressed in a specific order, wanting food served on certain plates, or insisting the bedtime routine goes the same way every single night.
We also hear stories about children needing things in a specific order or setup—whether it’s where they place their shoes, how their toys are arranged, or even how they play independently. This might look like building with blocks in a very particular pattern, repeating the same storyline in pretend play word-for-word, or only using the exact same props every time.
Parents often describe these behaviors as “perfectionism,” and it’s understandable why so many start to wonder about OCD, since these patterns can overlap with that diagnosis.
Tune in as we unpack the underlying sensory motor components to each of these behaviors and the tasks during which they occur — and how to support kids who feel the need for this level of control and consistency using the Sensory Emotional Engagement Model.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Ways to expand your understanding of OCD behavior patterns by considering the sensory motor underpinnings to our thoughts and behaviors
Highlighting stress as a driver of OCD behavior patterns and ways our sensory emotional kids experience stress due to the different ways they process sensation that lead to controlling, checking, ordering, washing/cleaning behaviors.
Understanding that OCD-like behaviors are at times secondary to a need to control the amount and type of sensation that is experienced for our Anxious yet Deeply Feeling kids and what to do about it
Exploring how deep thinking can lead to getting “stuck in thought” and getting “stuck in repetitive actions” and lead to OCD-like behaviors for our Unaware yet Deep Thinkers and what do to about it
Recognizing the impact of pressure to get things right the first time has on OCD- tendencies for our Confused yet Full of Wonder and Scattered yet Intentional and Passionate kids.
Understanding why helping our Needy yet Compassionate kids feel strong and brave in their body can minimize OCD-like behaviors.
How to respond in a sensory emotional way to these behaviors that could be more effective than the responses you may have tried when considering the thought-based side of these behaviors
Join our community!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesensoryemotional_ot/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatkidsplace/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatKidsPlace/
Visit our Learning Center
https://www.sensoryemotionalcenteroflearning.com
Want more resources? Please visit our blog: https://greatkidsplace.com/category/blog/
and https://sensoryemotional.org/
About
Michele Parkins MS, OTR/L IMH-E®
Founder & Director, Great Kids Place
Founder, Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™
Michele is an Occupational Therapist endorsed as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. She specializes in working with children and families with Sensory Processing and Integration Disorders and challenges in social-emotional development. She is also a parent of two sensory kids. Michele is passionate about working with families and other therapists and continues to do so as a clinician and educator. She educates therapists from all over the country and world and continues to provide consultation to schools on treatment for sensory processing disorder. Michele has co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the textbook for sensory evaluation and treatment, alongside world-renowned pioneers in the field, and is currently writing a parenting book and children’s books. She hopes to help everyone - children and adults- understand their Sensory Emotional Personality™ style and ways to find strength and joy within them.
In today’s episode, we’re focusing on the Anxious Yet Deeply Feeling Sensory Emotional Personality map. We'll explore the specific sensory and emotional behaviors—essentially the landmarks—that you can expect to encounter on this SEP map. By recognizing these key traits, you’ll be better equipped to understand and navigate your child's world with connection, empathy, and insight.
Just as a map offers guidance through unfamiliar landscapes, understanding your child's Sensory Emotional Personality (SEP) can provide clear guidance through your child’s behaviors and interactions. Each SEP serves as a guide, revealing how children process sensations and navigate their emotional world, and unveiling their unique characteristics and behavioral tendencies, shedding light on why they act the way they do. As caregivers, this understanding empowers us to anticipate and respond to their needs more effectively.
The expected social behaviors of the Anxious Yet Deeply Feeling Personality
The expected emotional expressions of the Anxious Yet Deeply Feeling Personality
Ways to understand avoidance of tasks and social situations in your Anxious Yet Deeply Feeling child based on their way of processing sensations
Understanding your child’s experience of being scared and worried about things as a result of the sensations and current motor demands being overwhelming to them
Understanding tricky behaviors - such as demanding things to happen a specific way or refusal to do things, and even hitting or yelling - as safety mechanisms and how to respond as such to support participation and regulation
Ways to respond to your Anxious Yet Deeply Feeling child to both address and prevent dysregulation through validation of their experience and provision of Sensory Emotional supports
Join our community!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesensoryemotional_ot/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatkidsplace/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatKidsPlace/
Visit our Learning Center
We know that sensory-motor experiences play a significant role in a child’s daily life and emotional well-being. Using playful interactions, The Sensory Emotional Center of Learning is designed to bring our therapeutic model, the Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™, into your home or work.
https://www.sensoryemotionalcenteroflearning.com
Want more resources? Please visit our blog: https://greatkidsplace.com/category/blog/
and https://sensoryemotional.org/
About
Michele Parkins MS, OTR/L IMH-E®
Founder & Director, Great Kids Place
Founder, Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™
Michele is an Occupational Therapist endorsed as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. She specializes in working with children and families with Sensory Processing and Integration Disorders and challenges in social-emotional development. She is also a parent of two sensory kids. Michele is passionate about working with families and other therapists and continues to do so as a clinician and educator. She educates therapists from all over the country and world and continues to provide consultation to schools on treatment for sensory processing disorder. Michele has co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the textbook for sensory evaluation and treatment, alongside world-renowned pioneers in the field, and is currently writing a parenting book and children’s books. She hopes to help everyone - children and adults- understand their Sensory Emotional Personality™ style and ways to find strength and joy within them.
In today’s episode, we’re focusing on the Needy Yet Compassionate Sensory Emotional Personality map. We'll explore the specific sensory and emotional behaviors—essentially the landmarks—that you can expect to encounter on this SEP map. By recognizing these key traits, you’ll be better equipped to understand and navigate your child's world with connection, empathy, and insight.
Just as a map offers guidance through unfamiliar landscapes, understanding your child's Sensory Emotional Personality (SEP) can provide clear guidance through your child’s behaviors and interactions. Each SEP serves as a guide, revealing how children process sensations and navigate their emotional world, and unveiling their unique characteristics and behavioral tendencies, shedding light on why they act the way they do. As caregivers, this understanding empowers us to anticipate and respond to their needs more effectively.
The expected social behaviors of the Needy Yet Compassionate Personality
The expected emotional expressions of the Needy Yet Compassionate Personality
How fatigue from weakness in the body shows up as fast mood swings; frustration and whininess when asked to do things; and difficulty ‘doing hard things’.
Ways to understand difficulty with attention and remaining focused on tasks in your Needy Yet Compassionate child
Understanding your child’s experience of being scared and worried about things that their peers or siblings are not longer afraid of as an outcome of weakness in the body
How sensory seeking shows up for Needy yet Compassionate kids and why giving them more opportunities for input often leads to further dysregulation.
Why your child can be seemingly lazy and how using a helper role can eliminate this experience
Ways to respond to your Needy Yet Compassionate child to both address and prevent dysregulation through validation of their experience and provision of Sensory Emotional supports
Join our community!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesensoryemotional_ot/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatkidsplace/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatKidsPlace/
Visit our Learning Center
We know that sensory-motor experiences play a significant role in a child’s daily life and emotional well-being. Using playful interactions, The Sensory Emotional Center of Learning is designed to bring our therapeutic model, the Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™, into your home or work.
https://www.sensoryemotionalcenteroflearning.com
Want more resources? Please visit our blog: https://greatkidsplace.com/category/blog/
and https://sensoryemotional.org/
About
Michele Parkins MS, OTR/L IMH-E®
Founder & Director, Great Kids Place
Founder, Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™
Michele is an Occupational Therapist endorsed as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. She specializes in working with children and families with Sensory Processing and Integration Disorders and challenges in social-emotional development. She is also a parent of two sensory kids. Michele is passionate about working with families and other therapists and continues to do so as a clinician and educator. She educates therapists from all over the country and world and continues to provide consultation to schools on treatment for sensory processing disorder. Michele has co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the textbook for sensory evaluation and treatment, alongside world-renowned pioneers in the field, and is currently writing a parenting book and children’s books. She hopes to help everyone - children and adults- understand their Sensory Emotional Personality™ style and ways to find strength and joy within them.
In today’s episode, we’re focusing on the Confused Yet Full of Wonder Sensory Emotional Personality map. We'll explore the specific sensory and emotional behaviors—essentially the landmarks—that you can expect to encounter on this SEP map. By recognizing these key traits, you’ll be better equipped to understand and navigate your child's world with connection, empathy and insight.
Just as a map offers guidance through unfamiliar landscapes, understanding your child's Sensory Emotional Personality (SEP) can provide clear guidance through your child’s behaviors and interactions. Each SEP serves as a guide, revealing how children process sensations and navigate their emotional world, and unveiling their unique characteristics and behavioral tendencies, shedding light on why they act the way they do. As caregivers, this understanding empowers us to anticipate and respond to their needs more effectively.
In this episode, you'll discover:
The expected social behaviors of the Confused Yet Full of Wonder Personality
The expected emotional expressions of the Confused Yet Full of Wonder Personality
How to know if your child doesn’t have the just right sensory information or sensory data to use in order to match their actions/behaviors to what is expected of them
The connection between perceiving sensations in the just right way and emotion regulation
How difficulty with perception of sensation in the just right way shows up in social interactions, such as over talking, over touching, difficulty with personal space
Why you may need to constantly redirect your child and repeat yourself when asking them to do things in daily life
How provision of time and space and having the expectation that it will take your child more time, move moving and more experimenting to do things can support regulation and participation
Ways to respond to your Confused Yet Full of Wonder child to both address and prevent dysregulation through validation of their experience and provision of Sensory Emotional supports
Join our community!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesensoryemotional_ot/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatkidsplace/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatKidsPlace/
Visit our Learning Center
We know that sensory-motor experiences play a significant role in a child’s daily life and emotional well-being. Using playful interactions, The Sensory Emotional Center of Learning is designed to bring our therapeutic model, the Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™, into your home or work.
https://www.sensoryemotionalcenteroflearning.com
Want more resources? Please visit our blog: https://greatkidsplace.com/category/blog/
and https://sensoryemotional.org/
About
Michele Parkins MS, OTR/L IMH-E®
Founder & Director, Great Kids Place
Founder, Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™
Michele is an Occupational Therapist endorsed as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. She specializes in working with children and families with Sensory Processing and Integration Disorders and challenges in social-emotional development. She is also a parent of two sensory kids. Michele is passionate about working with families and other therapists and continues to do so as a clinician and educator. She educates therapists from all over the country and world and continues to provide consultation to schools on treatment for sensory processing disorder. Michele has co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the textbook for sensory evaluation and treatment, alongside world-renowned pioneers in the field, and is currently writing a parenting book and children’s books. She hopes to help everyone - children and adults- understand their Sensory Emotional Personality™ style and ways to find strength and joy within them.
In today’s bonus episode, we invite you to join our Take Time to PLAY campaign and experience the transformative power of play!
At Great Kids Place (and beyond), we’re encouraging families to engage in Sensory Emotional PLAY for just 15 minutes a day. Whether through creative games, hands-on activities, or sensory motor experiences, play has the power to strengthen emotional connections and boost overall well-being.
Why play?
When we observe the play of children, we are invited into their world of experiences. Play provides a place for exploration—with the body and the mind. Play offers a place of safety and connection. Play allows for opportunities to practice regulation of emotion and regulation of action and behavior.
Here’s how you can get involved:
Log Your Playtime: Track your daily 15-minute sessions of play on a fun chart.
Print Fun Reminders: Print the Take Time to Play logo and display it to help you remember to play every day!
Access Play Ideas: Follow our social media for tips, inspiration, and ideas on how to incorporate Sensory Emotional Engagement into your playtime. Plus, explore our Sensory Emotional Center of Learning for more creative activities and resources.
Promote Play: Snap a picture of your sticker, magnet, no phone play zone sign, or your play activity and share it on social media using #TakeTimeToPlay, and tag @GreatKidsPlace and @TheSensoryEmotional_OT!
Discover more about PLAY, tune into episodes:
Download visual reminders:
Join our community!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesensoryemotional_ot/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatkidsplace/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatKidsPlace/
Visit our Learning Center
We know that sensory-motor experiences play a significant role in a child’s daily life and emotional well-being. Using playful interactions, The Sensory Emotional Center of Learning is designed to bring our therapeutic model, the Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™, into your home or work. Throughout, you'll discover practical strategies and resources designed to enhance your understanding of sensory and emotional regulation in your children (and yourself). By understanding Sensory Emotional Personality Styles™, you'll better understand a child's strengths and weaknesses in sensory-motor and social-emotional development and, most importantly, ways to interact with them in both tricky and great times.
https://www.sensoryemotionalcenteroflearning.com
Want more resources? Please visit our blog: https://greatkidsplace.com/category/blog/
andhttps://sensoryemotional.org/
About
Michele Parkins MS, OTR/L IMH-E®
Founder & Director, Great Kids Place
Founder, Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™
Michele is an Occupational Therapist endorsed as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. She specializes in working with children and families with Sensory Processing and Integration Disorders and challenges in social-emotional development. She is also a parent of two sensory kids. Michele is passionate about working with families and other therapists and continues to do so as a clinician and educator. She educates therapists from all over the country and world and continues to provide consultation to schools on treatment for sensory processing disorder. Michele has co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the textbook for sensory evaluation and treatment, alongside world-renowned pioneers in the field, and is currently writing a parenting book and children’s books. She hopes to help everyone - children and adults- understand their Sensory Emotional Personality™ style and ways to find strength and joy within them.
In today’s episode, we’re focusing on theScattered Yet Intentional and PassionateSensory Emotional Personality map. We'll explore the specific sensory and emotional behaviors—essentially thelandmarks—that you can expect to encounter on this SEP map. By recognizing these key traits, you’ll be better equipped to understand and navigate your child's world with connection, empathy, and insight.
Just as a map offers guidance through unfamiliar landscapes, understanding your child's Sensory Emotional Personality (SEP) can provide clear guidance through your child’s behaviors and interactions. Each SEP serves as a guide, revealing how children process sensations and navigate their emotional world, and unveiling their unique characteristics and behavioral tendencies, shedding light on why they act the way they do. As caregivers, this understanding empowers us to anticipate and respond to their needs more effectively.
In this episode, you'll discover:
The expected social behaviors of the Scattered Yet Intentional and Passionate Personality
The expected emotional expressions of the Scattered Yet Intentional and Passionate Personality
Why having difficulty making and executing plans leads to difficulty with changes in routines/plans, following directions, transitions, and peer interactions.
Ways to understand rigidity, excessive question asking, bossiness, and emotion dysregulation, including aggression and sensory seeking in your Scattered Yet Intentional and Passionate child
How having difficulty making and executing plans, being Scattered Yet Intentional and Passionate, leads to low confidence and persistence, or refusal to participate in activities, particularly “non-preferred activities”.
Ways to respond to your Scattered Yet Intentional and Passionate child to both address and prevent dysregulation through validation of their experience and provision of Sensory Emotional supports
Join our community!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesensoryemotional_ot/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatkidsplace/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatKidsPlace/
Visit our Learning Center
Using playful interactions,The Sensory Emotional Center of Learning is designed to bring our therapeutic model, the Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™, into your home or work. Throughout, you'll discover practical strategies and resources designed to enhance your understanding of sensory and emotional regulation in your children (and yourself). By understanding Sensory Emotional Personality Styles™, you'll better understand a child's strengths and weaknesses in sensory-motor and social-emotional development and, most importantly, ways to interact with them in both tricky and great times.
https://www.sensoryemotionalcenteroflearning.com
Want more resources? Please visit our blog: https://greatkidsplace.com/category/blog/
and https://sensoryemotional.org/
About
Michele Parkins MS, OTR/L IMH-E®
Founder & Director, Great Kids Place
Founder, Sensory Emotional Engagement Model™
Michele is an Occupational Therapist endorsed as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. She specializes in working with children and families with Sensory Processing and Integration Disorders and challenges in social-emotional development. She is also a parent of two sensory kids. Michele is passionate about working with families and other therapists and continues to do so as a clinician and educator. She educates therapists from all over the country and world and continues to provide consultation to schools on treatment for sensory processing disorder. Michele has co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the textbook for sensory evaluation and treatment, alongside world-renowned pioneers in the field, and is currently writing a parenting book and children’s books. She hopes to help everyone understand their Sensory Emotional Personality™ style and ways to find strength and joy within them.
