Sensory-informed interior designer Beatrice Tokayer, founder of BRT Interior Design, explains why: sensory-seekers create clutter looking for stimulation. But clutter carries heavy energy, and that heaviness kills motivation for homework, chores, basically everything.

Does your home feel like it's closing in? Sensory-informed interior designer Beatrice Tokayer, founder of BRT Interior Design, hears this from families all the time — too much stuff, not enough space, and nobody quite sure why everything feels so hard.

OT Kelli Smith, MOTR/L, founder of Abundance Therapies, puts it plainly: when you walk into a room stressed, everyone around you feels it — including your kids. It's not about being perfect. It's about giving yourself five minutes before you re-enter. Use the bathroom. Grab a snack. Take a breath. Swing if you've got one.

Does your child shut down when it's time to move — or can't seem to stop? Occupational therapist Kelli Smith, MOTR/L, founder of Abundance Therapies, breaks down the real difference between sensory-seeking and sensory-avoidant behavior, and what it actually looks like in a therapy session.

In this clip, Kelly Rain Collin, EdM, educational consultant and founder and director of Healthy Minds Consulting, explains how parents and school teams can use Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP) to support children with complex trauma through supports and therapeutic goals.

In this clip, Karen Yingling, parent advocate at Advocacy for Connected Education and parent of children with complex trauma, explains how trauma-informed care practices can be implemented in a child's IEP or 504 accommodations.

In this clip, Dr. Daniel Hoover, PhD, clinical child and adolescent psychologist at the Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress at Kennedy Krieger Institute and associate professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, discusses various therapy options for children with complex trauma and their adaptability for children with disabilities.

In this clip, Kristine Kinniburgh, LCSW, director of the Trauma Services for Justice Resource Institute and co-creator of the ARC framework, describes the origins and utility of trauma-informed care for children.

In this clip, Dr. Margaret Blaustein, PhD, clinical psychologist, founder and director of the Center for Trauma Training, and co-creator of the ARC framework, explains the multi-faceted manifestations of complex developmental trauma and the importance of recognizing them as part of a child's treatment.

In this clip, Dr. Emily J. Aron, MD, child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist, associate professor and medical director for the early childhood clinic at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, and founder of Looped In Parenting, explains how a child with a developmental disability experiences complex trauma, risk factors, and how the two influence the child.

Madelaine Davidson, LMFT, a licensed marriage and family therapist at The Center for Anxiety and OCD, explains why reassurance-seeking is one of the most common — and hardest — compulsions for families dealing with OCD, and how parents can support and validate their child’s anxiety without accidentally feeding the OCD cycle.

Madelaine Davidson, LMFT, a licensed marriage and family therapist at The Center for Anxiety and OCD, explains how OCD often co-occurs with other conditions like ADHD and autism, and why it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between overlapping symptoms.

Madelaine Davidson, LMFT, a licensed marriage and family therapist at The Center for Anxiety and OCD, breaks down what CBT, ERP, and parent-based OCD supports can actually look like for kids and families.

Ogechi “Cynthia” Onyeka, PhD, assistant professor in Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine, explains what Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy for childhood OCD can actually look like, including exposure hierarchies work and the role parents play in reducing family accommodation at home.

Ogechi “Cynthia” Onyeka, PhD, assistant professor in Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine, explains how OCD can affect children at school and in the classroom, and how parents, teachers, and IEP teams can work together to support students with OCD.

Ogechi “Cynthia” Onyeka, PhD, assistant professor in Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine, explains why OCD in children is sometimes mistaken for personality traits, routines, or “just how they are.”

SSI isn't an automatic qualifier for SNAP. The program will consider SSI and any other sources of income.

The documents you must sign will depend on services your child receives and what your county's IHSS office requires for recertification.

We spoke with Kelli Smith, MOTR/L, founder and owner of Abundance Therapies, and Beatrice Tokayer, founder of a sensory-informed BRT Interior Design company and mom of three boys with ADHD, to find out. They’ll guide us through what sensory-friendly really means, what it looks like done well, and how to incorporate sensory-friendly practices at home (and beyond).

The school team should first conduct a functional behavior assessment, create a behavioral plan, and implement it.

True inclusion means creating an environment that actively teaches and supports a classroom where all students can meaningfully participate.

Ask for an independence plan with specific times during the day when the aide might fade support.

If you've already read our article Tips for Creating a Sensory-Friendly Home, you know that building a sensory-supportive space is less about one dedicated room and more about the environment, intention, and people that surround a child every day. The same is true (perhaps even more so) when we step outside the front door and head to school. For many children with sensory sensitivities, the home is the one environment that parents have real control over. However, beyond that, places like school

Try requesting a stay at a nearby Ronald McDonald House or see if hotels near the hospital provide medical discounts for families.