What Is Sensory Processing?

Most of us have heard the term – “sensory processing” – but do you really know what it means?In this episode, we are joined by Christie Kiley, a pediatric occupational therapist (OT and creator of the blog MamaOt.Our discussion focuses on Christie’s background as both an OT and a mother of two, as well as some really helpful definitions and tips about sensory processing (also known as sensory integration).This episode and our focus on sensory development is applicable for families and educators of all children, including those with sensory processing difficulties.Christie is a mama to two precious kiddos and a pediatric occupational therapist (OT) to many. Her mission with Mama OT is to encourage, educate, and empower those who care for children by sharing helpful insights and fun activities. You can learn more about Christie and the story of how she became an OT on her blog.>>Don’t Miss Our Corresponding Blog Post!<<Additional Resources:STAR Institute: https://www.spdstar.org/UCSF 1st study investigating biological basis for SPD (2013): https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2013/07/107316/breakthrough-study-reveals-biological-basis-sensory-processing-disorders-kidsiUCSF 2nd study on SPD (2016): https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2016/01/401461/brains-wiring-connected-sensory-processing-disorderUCSF sensory research website: http://anp.ucsf.edu/overview/spdConnect With Us:Ayelet: Facebook / Instagram / PinterestChristie: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest Text transcript for this episodeToday, I have a very special guest, Christie Kiley, pediatric occupational therapist and creator of MamaOT, or www.mamaot.com, one of my own go-to blogs for activities and information about infant and toddler development. Christie, I’m so happy to have you on Learn With Less, welcome! Christie: Thank you! Thank you for having me.Ayelet: Why don’t you give us just a little bit of background about what your focus has been as an occupational therapist… and, I think you bring sort of a unique perspective because you started practicing in your field right around when you became a mother.Christie: Yeah, sure. So I graduated from OT school, took the boards, I was 7 ½ or 8 months pregnant when I took my board exams, had my first little baby a couple of weeks after that, did kind of a traditional maternity leave for three months, and then started my first job as an OT when he was 3 months and 1-day old. So… I was very sleep-deprived and I was a new therapist, I was a new mom, I would not recommend starting both those things at the same time! Yeah… I tend to do things kind of non-traditional ways, so it works for me! So I started out in my first job working in pediatrics (I became an OT because I wanted to be in pediatrics,