ARK's Blog

Why We Think Sensory = Kids When you hear the term “sensory diet” or even just “sensory,” most people think of kids. And it’s true. Kids often need more direct sensory support because they don’t yet have the ability to recognize and meet their own sensory needs. But here’s what we don’t talk about enough. Those needs don’t go away in adulthood. …

As an Occupational Therapist, I often get the question "What are the best ways to support regulation for my Autistic, ADHD, or [insert neurodivergence here] child?" And I have to be honest. My reply is always "it depends." There is no one right way to support every single child. While there are some universal strategies that generally help, every child has a different brain, a different body, and …

You've already tried everything. Bitter-tasting nail polish. Sitting on your hands. Activities to keep your hands busy. Sheer willpower and a running internal monologue of stop, stop, stop. If you're reading this (whether for yourself or for your child) you've probably tried some combination of the above and it hasn't stuck. Maybe it worked for a few days. Maybe it works until the bitter polish we …

New Year, New Sensory Diet It’s early January, and today was my kids’ first day back at school. As much as I loved the holiday break, I found myself, and my kids, craving routine, though they would never admit it. For the past week or so of break, my 9-year-old had been thumping his sister on the head for no apparent reason, parkouring off the furniture, and begging his dad for nightly …