Have you ever watched a parent try to comfort a child who is completely overwhelmed — maybe during bath time, getting dressed, or when a shirt tag suddenly feels unbearable — and you can see the parent trying everything they can think of to help, but nothing seems to work?

Mom or dad might feel rejected, confused, or even a little helpless. But what if what looks like behavior is actually the child’s nervous system responding to sensory input in ways that are deeply connected to emotion and relationship?

What looks like “behavior” is often something much deeper.

In this episode of A Sensory Emotional Lens, host AnnMarie is joined by licensed professional counselor and registered play therapist Laura Baldwin for a powerful conversation on how sensory processing and attachment are deeply intertwined.

Together, they explore how children’s sensory experiences shape emotional regulation, parent-child connection, and everyday routines—and how therapists and caregivers can better understand what’s really happening beneath the surface.

Through a sensory emotional lens, this episode reframes common challenges like meltdowns, avoidance, and sensory seeking as meaningful communication from the nervous system. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of attunement, practical ways to support regulation through play, and a renewed appreciation for the role of relationship in development.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why sensory processing challenges impact the entire family system

• How sensory experiences and emotional regulation are neurologically connected

• The role of attunement in building secure parent-child attachment

• How “behavior” can reflect a child’s overwhelmed or under-responsive nervous system

• Why play is a powerful tool for both regulation and relationship-building

• How to support parents in becoming a “secure base” for their child

• The importance of understanding both the child’s and the parent’s sensory profiles

• Why repair—not perfection—is the foundation of secure attachment

Join our community!

@TheSensoryEmotional_OT on ⁠Instagram⁠

@GreatKidsPlace on ⁠Instagram⁠ & ⁠Facebook⁠

About

AnnMarie Murphy, OTD, OT/L, PNAP

Occupational Therapist, Great Kids Place

Co-Director, Sensory-motor Emotional EngageMent

AnnMarie is an OT and Assistant Professor at FDU, where she teaches mental health, neuroscience, and pediatrics. She holds a doctoral degree in occupational therapy, specializes in the evaluation and treatment of Sensory Processing Disorder, and is a fellow of Michele Parkins.

Laura Baldwin, MA, LPC, ACS, RPT™, NCC, ADHD-CCSPLicensed Professional Counselor, Great Kids Place

Laura is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Registered Play Therapist, and Approved Clinical Supervisor with over 20 years of experience supporting children with sensory, emotional, and developmental needs. She specializes in pediatric mental health, play therapy, and relationship-based interventions that improve the physical, psychological, social, and emotional well-being of children and their families.

A Tribute to Michele Parkins, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E®

Founder, Great Kids Place and the Sensory-motor Emotional EngageMent Frame of Reference

Michele dedicated her life to supporting children and families with sensory processing and social-emotional challenges. As both a professional and a parent of two sensory children, she combined expertise with deep personal understanding.

Passionate about empowering families and mentoring therapists, Michele taught internationally, consulted with schools, and co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the leading textbook in the field. At the time of her passing, she was writing books to help families recognize their Sensory Emotional Personality styles and discover strength and joy within them.

Though gone too soon, Michele’s legacy endures in the lives she touched, the community she built, and the vision she entrusted us to carry forward.

In this special Valentine’s Day episode of A Sensory Emotional Lens, we explore the real first love the brain ever knows: the bond between parent and child.

Before hearts, flowers, and romance, the brain learns love through the senses. This episode dives into how touch, sound, sight, smell, and taste shape attachment, regulate the nervous system, and wire the brain for connection—long before we have words for any of it.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why the brain doesn’t develop in isolation—it develops in relationship

• How touch and oxytocin support co-regulation and emotional safety

• How a caregiver’s voice and tone shape a child’s stress and reward systems

• Why being seen (eye contact and attunement) fuels motivation and connection

• How smell anchors emotional memory and a sense of belonging

• How feeding and taste build trust in both caregivers and the body

• What happens when sensory processing or early experiences are unpredictable

• Why these patterns are not failures of love, but survival strategies

• The hopeful truth: the brain remains plastic—and healing connection is possible at any age

Love isn’t about what you buy—it’s about presence, attunement, and showing up. The small, everyday sensory moments of connection are what shape the brain and build secure attachment over time.

Join our community!

@TheSensoryEmotional_OT on ⁠Instagram⁠

@GreatKidsPlace on ⁠Instagram⁠ & ⁠Facebook⁠

Visit our Learning Center

We know that sensory-motor experiences play a significant role in a child’s daily life and emotional well-being. Using playful interactions, The Sensory Emotional Center of Learning is designed to bring our therapeutic model, the Sensory Emotional EngageMent Frame of Reference, into your home or work.

https://www.sensoryemotionalcenteroflearning.com

Want more resources? Please visit our blog: https://greatkidsplace.com/category/blog/

and https://sensoryemotional.org/

About

AnnMarie Murphy, OTD, OT/L, PNAP

Occupational Therapist, Great Kids Place

Co-Director, Sensory-motor Emotional EngageMent

AnnMarie is an Occupational Therapist and Assistant Professor at FDU, where she teaches mental health, neuroscience, and pediatrics. She holds a doctoral degree in occupational therapy, specializes in the evaluation and treatment of Sensory Processing Disorder, and is a fellow of Michele Parkins, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E.

Her background also includes a degree in Psychology, supporting her focus on social-emotional development, parent stress, and family dynamics.

A Tribute to Michele Parkins, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E®

Founder, Great Kids Place and the Sensory-motor Emotional EngageMent Frame of Reference

Michele Parkins dedicated her life to supporting children and families with sensory processing and social-emotional challenges. As both a professional and a parent of two sensory children, she combined expertise with deep personal understanding.

Passionate about empowering families and mentoring therapists, Michele taught internationally, consulted with schools, and co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the leading textbook in the field. At the time of her passing, she was writing books to help families recognize their Sensory Emotional Personality styles and discover strength and joy within them.

Though gone too soon, Michele’s legacy endures in the lives she touched, the community she built, and the vision she entrusted us to carry forward.

In this episode of A Sensory Emotional Lens, we’re continuing the Neurological Foundations series with a deep dive into how actions and behaviors are shaped by brain development.

AnnMarie is joined by Laura Baldwin, licensed professional counselor and registered play therapist, for a powerful conversation about how behavior is not “misbehavior,” but communication from a developing nervous system.

Together, they explore how the brain builds itself from the bottom up and inside out—and how sensory experiences, relationships, and emotional safety literally wire the brain for regulation, learning, and connection.

From toddlers to teens, this episode reframes challenging behaviors as skills under construction, not character flaws—and offers practical, compassionate ways adults can support children at every stage.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• Why the brain develops in layers—and how early sensory and emotional experiences shape behavior

• How repetition in play helps children process emotions and build neural pathways

• Why “challenging” behaviors in young children are often signs of healthy development

• The real meaning behind boundary-pushing, big feelings, and the powerful toddler “no”

• What “afterschool restraint collapse” is—and why school-aged kids often unravel at home

• How sensory input supports regulation, attention, and emotional control

• What’s really happening in the adolescent brain (hello, another limbic leap!)

• Why regulation comes before reasoning at every age

• The difference between fear-based behavior control and connection-based skill-building

• How to respond with co-regulation, validation, and supportive boundaries instead of punishment

When we understand brain development, we stop seeing behavior as something to eliminate—and start seeing it as communication from a growing nervous system. With connection, play, sensory support, and co-regulation, we help children build the neural pathways they need for lifelong emotional regulation, learning, and resilience.

About

AnnMarie Murphy, OTD, OT/L, PNAP

Occupational Therapist, Great Kids Place

AnnMarie is an Occupational Therapist and Assistant Professor at FDU, where she teaches mental health, neuroscience, and pediatrics. She holds a doctoral degree in occupational therapy, specializes in the evaluation and treatment of Sensory Processing Disorder, and is a fellow of Michele Parkins.

Her background also includes a degree in Psychology, supporting her focus on social-emotional development, parent stress, and family dynamics.

Laura Baldwin, MA, LPC, ACS, RPT™, NCC, ADHD-CCSP Licensed Professional Counselor, Great Kids Place

Laura is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Registered Play Therapist, and Approved Clinical Supervisor with over 20 years of experience supporting children with sensory, emotional, and developmental needs. She specializes in pediatric mental health, play therapy, and relationship-based interventions that improve the physical, psychological, social, and emotional well-being of children and their families.

A Tribute to Michele Parkins, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E®

Founder, Great Kids Place and the Sensory-motor Emotional EngageMent Frame of Reference

Michele Parkins dedicated her life to supporting children and families with sensory processing and social-emotional challenges. As both a professional and a parent of two sensory children, she combined expertise with deep personal understanding.

Passionate about empowering families and mentoring therapists, Michele taught internationally, consulted with schools, and co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the leading textbook in the field. At the time of her passing, she was writing books to help families recognize their Sensory Emotional Personality styles and discover strength and joy within them.

Though gone too soon, Michele’s legacy endures in the lives she touched, the community she built, and the vision she entrusted us to carry forward.