How My Kid Went From Super Picky Eater to Foodie: My 5 Step Plan
Pediatric OT Alisha Grogan launches a three‑part series sharing a five‑step plan that turned her own son from a gag‑inducing picky eater into a confident foodie. Drawing on her early‑intervention work with over 20 children weekly, she outlines practical, low‑pressure strategies—routine, cause identification, variety expansion, and menu extras—backed by the Mealtime Works program. The approach targets underlying sensory or medical issues often mis‑labeled as typical picky phases, aiming to prevent escalation to disorders like ARFID. Grogan’s personal narrative underscores the urgency for parents to act early rather than wait for children to “grow out” of the problem.
7 Quick Sensory Activities to Habit Stack for Regulating Kids
The article outlines seven quick sensory activities that parents can habit‑stack into daily routines to help children self‑regulate. It covers low‑effort tools such as weighted lap pads, crawling transitions, vibrating devices, fidgets, intentional movement, balance equipment, and strategic water drinking....
ADHD + Nutrition: What the Research Actually Says
The podcast episode breaks down current research on nutrition and ADHD, outlining three tiers of dietary change—from modest fruit‑and‑vegetable boosts to intensive anti‑inflammatory elimination diets. Across multiple studies, intensive diets produce symptom improvement in roughly 50‑60% of children, while the...
The Surprising Reasons Kids Bite and What To Do About It
The Connected and Capable podcast hosted by Alisha Grogan breaks down why children bite, highlighting four primary drivers: seeking reaction, communication, sensory‑proprioceptive needs, and dysregulation. The episode illustrates each motive with real‑world examples, from non‑verbal toddlers to sensory‑seeking boys. It then...
The Truth About Sensory Processing Disorder
The Connected and Capable podcast host Alisha Grogan, a pediatric occupational therapist, explains that sensory processing disorder (SPD) is not an official DSM‑5 diagnosis, which limits insurance reimbursement for treatment. She describes how sensory processing involves eight senses, including three...
How to Help Toe Walkers Walk on Their Whole Foot👣
Toe walking—when a child walks on the tips of their feet—can stem from sensory‑seeking behavior, retained primitive reflexes like the tonic labyrinthine reflex, or anatomical tightness in the calf and hamstrings. Persistent toe walking may lead to joint and muscle...
5 (More) Executive Functioning Skills Uniquely Wired Kids Struggle With
The podcast episode expands on five additional executive‑functioning skills—self‑control, organization, planning and sequencing, time management, and self‑awareness—that neurodivergent and neurotypical children often struggle with. It explains how these skills underpin everyday tasks such as homework, routines, and social interactions, and...