The Sensory Spot

The Sensory Spot Occupational Therapy assessments and intervention for children with developmental and sensory proces

11/05/2026

Sleep, systems, sensory needs, advocacy exhaustion… and somehow still showing up every day.

Which TWO are you picking? 👀

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When behaviour feels out of character, look back before looking forward. Small changes, extra demands, sensory overwhelm...
10/05/2026

When behaviour feels out of character, look back before looking forward. Small changes, extra demands, sensory overwhelm — even the smallest shift can become the final straw for a child already coping with so much internally.

Dysregulation is communication. Listen to the people who know the child best. 💛

09/05/2026

The “turtle theory” reminds us that regulation, confidence, connection, and participation happen in their own time, especially for neurodivergent children.

Not every child is meant to move at the same pace, in the same way, or toward the same expectations.

Progress can look quiet.
Slow can still be safe.
Different can still be thriving.

08/05/2026

At The Sensory Spot, our approach is shaped not only by experience, but also by advanced postgraduate training in attachment and developmental trauma, alongside specialist training in sensory integration and neurodevelopment.

What this means in practice is that we don’t view behaviour, regulation, sensory processing, emotional responses, relationships or participation in isolation. We understand that these areas are deeply connected.

Our work integrates:
✨ sensory integration
✨ attachment and relationship-based approaches
✨ nervous system and regulation supports
✨ play-based intervention
✨ co-regulation and connection
✨ neurodevelopmental understanding
✨ family-centred practice

This integrated lens allows us to look beyond behaviours and consider the “why” underneath them — supporting children in ways that feel safe, attuned, meaningful and developmentally appropriate.

For us, therapy is not about “fixing” children. It is about understanding them, building connection, supporting regulation, and creating the foundations that allow them to participate more fully in everyday life. 🌱

Sometimes it’s not “won’t” — it’s can’t.For many neurodivergent children, capacity changes moment to moment. When we rec...
05/05/2026

Sometimes it’s not “won’t” — it’s can’t.
For many neurodivergent children, capacity changes moment to moment. When we recognise that, everything shifts.

01/05/2026

Happy Friday


29/04/2026

We are going to be more direct here, because this matters.

We are too quick to label behaviour in young children… and too slow to ask why it’s happening.

If a child is struggling, and our first response is a behaviour chart, consequences, or “strategies to manage it,” we have to ask ourselves, are we supporting the child, or just trying to make the behaviour more convenient for the adults?

Children’s brains are not fully developed. Not even close.
So why are we expecting regulation, organisation, and compliance that their nervous systems simply aren’t ready for?

Behaviour of any kind is communication.
Not sometimes. Not when it suits us. Always.

When a child refuses, avoids, lashes out, or shuts down, that is not a sign they need tighter control. It’s a sign we need deeper understanding.

Because underneath that behaviour, there is always something driving it:
✨ A task that feels too complex to plan or start
✨ A body that isn’t regulated enough to engage
✨ Sensory overwhelm in the environment
✨ Expectations that don’t match their developmental stage

And yet, so often, the focus stays on stopping the behaviour, instead of supporting the child.

We cannot keep asking children to meet demands without asking if those demands are actually accessible to them.

Think about what we’re asking, every single day:
– Sit still
– Listen the first time
– Follow multiple steps
– Transition quickly
– Keep up with everyone else

That’s a heavy load for any young child , especially one who is neurodivergent.

If we ignore the triggers, the sensory load, the planning demands, and the regulation piece… then the “behaviour” will keep showing up. Because the need underneath it hasn’t been met.

This isn’t about excusing behaviour.
It’s about understanding it well enough to actually support change.

As adults, it is our responsibility to zoom out.
To look beyond what’s visible.
To ask better questions.

Because when we only try to control behaviour, we teach children that their communication will be ignored.

But when we get curious, really curious , we give them something far more powerful:

Support that actually meets them w

22/04/2026

Autism has been beautifully described in Māori as being “in their own space and time.” And what a powerful way to reframe how we understand growth.

In a world that often measures progress by speed, milestones, and comparison, this perspective invites us to slow down and truly see each child for who they are.
Not every child is meant to follow the same path or move at the same pace, and they don’t need to.

Some growth is quiet, steady, and deeply personal. It shows up in small shifts, in moments of connection, in confidence that builds over time.
There is something incredibly special about children who grow in their own way, at their own rhythm.

That difference isn’t something to change or rush it’s something to honour, support, and celebrate. Because when we allow children the space to be exactly who they are, in their own time, we get to witness something truly beautiful.

And in those moments, we’re reminded that there is something to be learned from each and every child we meet, if we’re willing to slow down and listen. 💛


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Neurodivergence doesn’t present one way.Support needs don’t have to be obvious to be valid.And coping is not the same as...
21/04/2026

Neurodivergence doesn’t present one way.
Support needs don’t have to be obvious to be valid.
And coping is not the same as thriving.

18/04/2026

Strong partnerships create stronger outcomes 💬

We see every day how powerful open, respectful communication between school and home can be. Teachers and SNAs—you are a huge part of a child’s world, and parents are the experts on their child. When we listen, share, and collaborate, we build consistency, trust, and real progress for the child.

It’s not about having all the answers—it’s about working together to find them 🤝

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“Inclusive” shouldn’t be a label — it should be the standard.When we listen to autistic voices, we create supports that ...
17/04/2026

“Inclusive” shouldn’t be a label — it should be the standard.
When we listen to autistic voices, we create supports that actually work.

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Oaktree Business Park
Trim
C15RW10

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