Rachel Harrington, COTA/L, CPRCS is a passionate pediatric therapy practitioner who answers 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, where our…
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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,…
If you're an occupational therapist who loves evidence-based practice, this episode is for you. In this episode, I'm sharing some of my favorite research articles that I think every pediatric OT should have bookmarked. These are the studies I come back to again and again, whether I'm teaching, creating content, working with clients, or answering questions from other therapists. I’ll cover research…
Starting your first school-based OT job can feel overwhelming. Between IEP meetings, evaluations, accommodations, and the endless acronyms, it can be hard to know where to start. In this episode, we break down the basics of school-based occupational therapy. Amanda shares what she wishes every new school-based OT knew before walking into their first IEP meeting, explains the differences between…
Have you ever worked with a child who seems extremely cautious, shuts down when something feels hard, or gives up before they even get started? There may be more going on than meets the eye. In this episode, we take a closer look at the Fear Paralysis Reflex (FPR), one of the lesser-known primitive reflexes that can have a significant impact on a child's development. We explain what the reflex is,…
Here's a hot take: sometimes the most dysregulating part of occupational therapy is the clinic itself. In this episode, we take a closer look at how the therapy environment can impact a child's nervous system and why the space around us is just as important as the intervention itself. From fluorescent lighting and visual clutter to noisy waiting rooms, strong fragrances, and harsh cleaning…
I know this might be a controversial opinion, but I don't think screens belong in preschool classrooms. In this solo episode, I share what I've observed as a school-based occupational therapist and why I believe we've become too reliant on technology in early education. This isn't about being anti-screen or anti-teacher. It's about asking whether screens are replacing the hands-on, movement-rich…
If you're writing goals for primitive reflex integration, this episode is for you. In this episode, we break down one of the biggest mistakes therapists make when writing goals for primitive reflex integration and explain how to connect reflex work to meaningful, functional outcomes that matter to families, IEP teams, and insurance providers. We discuss why reflex integration itself should never…
If you asked 100 occupational therapists whether they've experienced burnout, how many do you think would say yes? In this episode, we have an honest conversation about burnout in the OT profession. We share our own experiences working in clinics, schools, and early intervention, and talk about the realities that many therapists face every day: overwhelming caseloads, endless documentation,…
If your child was born between 2018 and 2022, should they have their primitive reflexes screened? In this episode, we explore how the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted child development and why Rachel believes primitive reflex screenings should become a routine part of early childhood care. From pregnancy stress and delayed services to increased screen time, fewer social opportunities, and less…
Feeding a baby can feel overwhelming, especially when things don't go as planned. In this episode, I sit down with Kristin and Maureen from Wild Milk Co., two International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs), for a conversation about infant feeding, lactation support, oral ties, and what families really need to know during those early months. We talk about common feeding challenges…
