Hello everyone and welcome to my sensational kid gear website! I look forward to helping you discover the best tools, toys, gear, and strategies to help your unique and wonderful children become their best selves.
MY STORY
I have been passionate about helping kids grow and learn, develop confidence and love for themselves, for as long as I can remember.
As a pediatric occupational therapist and developmental specialist since 2000, I have had the honor of helping thousands of children, parents, siblings, and teachers with an incredibly wide range of challenges, and I have likely learned as much from my clients as they have from me.
I became certified to administer the sensory integration and praxis test in 2002, which involved much study and exploration of sensory integration, which I have only built upon in the ensuing years (I no longer can separate what one does from what one senses). I have much experience in early intervention and home-based therapy, working with medically fragile infants (including specializing in feeding, from breastfeeding through using utensils to eat a wide variety of foods) and continuing with clinic-based therapies (including setting up sensory integration-based environments) and school-based therapies (helping parents and teachers understand and assist children in their care, particularly with sensory regulation challenges). Experience in mental health and geriatrics helps flesh out my understanding of the “big picture”.
As an adjunct, I have studied much education, educational and trauma psychology and relational studies, including the use of Marshall Rosenberg’s Non-Violent Communication techniques.
As I work with children, it has been fascinating to see how parents learn more about themselves in the process, and I welcome assisting them in that journey as well.
WHY AM I DOING THIS?
While I have loved helping children, families, and teachers on a local, in-person basis, I have wanted to reach a much larger audience to help spread understanding and improve the lives of more people struggling with sensory differences, particularly in underserved areas.
With a nationwide shortage of occupational therapists, particularly therapists trained in sensory integration, I hope this will start to fill that need.
The best outcomes arise from understanding a child’s needs, observing the child’s areas of desired growth (and how it fits with their culture), and finding the “just-right” tools, toys, gear and strategies to let the child “grow” themselves. Together, we can accomplish that.
MY GOAL
My objective here is to present, and hopefully explain, some of the most confusing and least understood challenges facing growing numbers of children: sensory challenges. On the journey of this evolving website, I will describe what I have done and recommended so that you can use these tools and strategies to help your loved ones and perhaps yourself.
If you ever have any questions, feel free to reach out to me and I will be more than happy to assist.
All the best,
Kalyra Goodrich
sensationalkidgear.com