Milestone Support Series

The Challenge

If your child is past the typical toilet training age and still struggling, you're not alone. Toilet training a child with sensory sensitivities, developmental differences, or nervous system dysregulation requires a completely different approach than what the books suggest.

Why Traditional Approaches Often Fail

• Interoception challenges: Difficulty sensing body signals
• Sensory sensitivities: The bathroom environment is overwhelming
• Routine disruption anxiety: Change is hard
• Motor planning difficulties: The physical coordination required
• Communication challenges: Can't express needs clearly

What We'll Cover

• Assessing true readiness (beyond age-based expectations)
• Sensory modifications for the bathroom environment
• Building body awareness and interoception
• Communication strategies for non-verbal or limited-verbal children
• Handling setbacks without shame

The Challenge

Bedtime battles. Night wakings. Early risers. A child who seems like they literally CAN'T fall asleep. Sleep struggles affect the whole family—and they're incredibly common in neurodivergent children.

Why Traditional Approaches Often Fail

• Nervous system dysregulation: Their system isn't ready for sleep
• Sensory needs: The bedroom environment isn't calming
• Anxiety and worry: Racing thoughts keep them awake
• Circadian rhythm differences: Their internal clock works differently
• Fear and insecurity: They need connection, not separation

What We'll Cover

• Nervous system wind-down routines
• Sensory environment optimization
• Addressing bedtime anxiety and fears
• Night waking strategies
• Early rising solutions
• Balancing structure and flexibility

The Challenge

Mealtimes have become a battle. Your child eats only a handful of foods. You worry about nutrition. Family meals feel impossible. And nothing you've tried has expanded their eating.

Why Traditional Approaches Often Fail

• Sensory sensitivities: Textures, smells, and temperatures are overwhelming
• Anxiety around food: New foods feel threatening
• Interoception challenges: Difficulty sensing hunger/fullness
• Need for predictability: Food changes feel unsafe
• Past pressure: Previous mealtime battles created negative associations

What We'll Cover

• Understanding sensory factors in picky eating
• Creating a low-pressure mealtime environment
• Gradual exposure strategies that don't backfire
• Nutrition strategies within limited diets
• Family mealtime modifications

The Challenge

The meltdowns. The intensity. The big feelings that seem to come from nowhere and last forever. Your child struggles to manage emotions, and you struggle to help them through it.

Why Traditional Approaches Often Fail

• Can't "think" through dysregulation: When the nervous system is overwhelmed, reasoning doesn't work
• Punishment escalates: Consequences during meltdowns make it worse
• "Calm down" doesn't work: They would if they could
• Suppression isn't regulation: Teaching kids to hide emotions creates bigger problems

What We'll Cover

• Understanding the neuroscience of meltdowns
• Co-regulation strategies for acute moments
• Building your child's regulation toolkit
• Preventing overwhelm before it starts
• Repair and reconnection after hard moments

The Challenge

They can't sit still. They don't listen. They start tasks and never finish. Homework takes hours. You've heard "if they would just try harder"—but you know it's not that simple.

Why Traditional Approaches Often Fail

• ADHD isn't a choice: Attention challenges are neurological, not motivational
• Reward systems lose effectiveness: The ADHD brain habituates quickly
• Punishment doesn't teach skills: It just creates shame
• One-size-fits-all doesn't work: Every ADHD brain is different

What We'll Cover

• Understanding your child's specific attention patterns
• Environmental modifications that support focus
• Routine and structure strategies
• Homework and school supports
• Building on strengths rather than fighting weaknesses

The Challenge

They cover their ears at sounds others don't notice. They refuse certain clothes. They seek intense movement constantly. They're overwhelmed in busy environments. Sensory processing differences affect every part of daily life.

Why Traditional Approaches Often Fail

• Sensory needs are real: This isn't behavior—it's neurology
• Accommodation isn't spoiling: Meeting sensory needs is essential
• Exposure doesn't always help: Sometimes it causes more sensitization
• Every sensory profile is different: Generic advice doesn't account for individual differences

What We'll Cover

• Mapping your child's sensory profile
• Understanding sensory seeking vs. avoiding
• Environmental modifications for home and school
• Building a sensory diet that works
• Advocating for sensory accommodations