Episode 104: Supporting Parents of Neurodiverse Children with Laura Petix of The OT Butterfly

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Welcome to the show notes for Episode 104 of the OT Schoolhouse Podcast.

As OTPs in the schools, we all work with children with Sensory Processing Disorders. But our guest today has gone a step further in how she supports the families of neurodiverse children. Laura Petix, MS, OTR/L, dives into her passion for helping parents gain the tools they need to understand information and strategies to help their children. She has even used these tools in her personal life with her daughter Liliana.

Tune in to learn the following objectives:

  • Listeners will learn about multiple resources for children with SPD

  • Listeners will learn what social stories are, and how they benefit many children with anxiety and SPD

  • Listeners will learn about the “Just right Challenge” for common sensory triggers

Guest Bio

Laura Petix, MS, OTR/L,

Laura is a pediatric Occupational Therapist in Southern California. She is a wife and mom to a neurodivergent 4-year-old with Sensory Processing Disorder and anxiety. Laura's passion is educating parents about how sensory processing directly impacts learning and behavior. She does this via her social media (@TheOTButterfly), podcast, blog, 1:1 parent consults, online courses, and programs for parents of kids with sensory challenges.

Notable Quotes

“I truly feel that if I won the lottery, I would still be doing this because it’s so meaningful to me, it's so impactful.” - Laura

“My husband is always like, how does she go from zero to 100; And I'm like, she's not at zero. She's at like 75, like, constantly, you just don't see it.” - Laura

“I teach parents how sensory processing impacts learning and behavior in their children. And I do that mostly through, one on one parent coaching, or my online Parent Program.” - Laura

“I will always 110% advocate for you to have your child be seen in person; I can't see your child. This is all education-based.” - Laura

“So I very quickly was starting to put together this Disneyland for parents of SPD kids. This resource where I was rating all of the rides on a scale of like one to five for vestibular sound, tactile, smell.” - Laura

Resources

1:1 Parent Consultation with Laura

OT Butterfly Website

Sensory W.I.S.E. Solution Podcast

OT Butterfly Instagram

Social Story Creator App (IOS)

Social Stories App (Android)

The Whole-Brain Child Book By Dr. Siegel

Mr. Chazz Leadership, Parenting and Teaching Podcast (IOS)

Mr. Chazz Leadership, Parenting, and Teaching Podcast (Spotify)

AT Parenting Survival Podcast -Natasha Daniels

Good Inside Podcast- Dr. Becky

Youtube- Art for Kids Hub

Procreate Drawing App

OT 4 Lyfe Podcast

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