Leah Hiller's guest appearances

Leah Hiller

The OT Schoolhouse Podcast for School-Based OT Practitioners

The Reflective Teacher Podcast

Diverse Thinking Different Learning

Ellen Galinsky

Heather Jackson

John Pagano

Kristin Martinez

Dan Hodgins

Sarah Putt

Erika Del Pozo

Sally Haughey

Meg Proctor

Amy Laurent

Tricia Gomez

Anna Hartman

Stephanie Foster

Sarah Collins

Cara Koscinski

OwlTail

We’ve talked about occupational therapy on the podcast before, but we’ve never dug into a struggle for some children and families that occupational therapy can help. The topic of picky eating comes up for many families, for both neurodiverse and neurotypical children. And parents of picky eaters know that it impacts so many aspects of their lives, not just mealtime.  While picky eating is a common behavior in early childhood, it’s not always something a child will simply “grow out of”. And today’s guests explain how unique everyone’s experience is with food. Dr. Ellie Bendetson is an expert in picky eating and in supporting families of picky eaters. She joins the conversation today with Leah Hiller, who returns as a guest from Episode 9, where we introduced what occupational therapy is. Many conversations about occupational therapy tend to be broad, so let’s dig into one area of impact it can have on picky eaters and their families.   Show Notes: [2:12] - Many conversations about occupational therapy are very broad and generalized. But picky eating is Dr. Bendetson’s area of expertise. [3:21] - Picky eating is very common and there is no universal definition of what it means. [4:36] - Food and mealtime are complicated. There are so many things that could cause picky eating and can shift day to day. [6:07] - There are a lot of cultural aspects to this as well. [7:30] - For some children there are really only a few foods they will eat. Ellie works with many families like this and starts where they are. Picky eating is isolating. [9:11] - Early experiences play a key role. What are some factors that impact picky eating? [10:27] - Body awareness plays a role as well and for children with sensory processing issues, this is even more of a challenge. [12:30] - During an assessment, feeding is broken down into every little step. [14:30] - It’s shown that supporting the parents and families around picky eaters is so crucial. [16:41] - There’s an emotional connection and cultural importance put on food. [17:38] - Dr. Ellie describes her program Making Mealtimes Matter. [19:20] - Parents being able to help each other is so empowering. [20:52] - The goal isn’t to be able to eat everything. It is to be healthy and have a healthy relationship with food. [22:20] - Starting out by playing with food is a great place to start. This allows a child to understand the food. [24:03] - What can parents model? [26:17] - Getting a child involved in cooking and preparing foods is a great way to get kids excited about food. [28:49] - Parent groups with Hiller Therapy are virtual. Other programs are in-person.   About Our Guests: Dr. Ellie Bendetson Dr. Ellie Bendetson, OTD, OTR/L is a pediatric occupational therapist in Los Angeles. Ellie attended the University of Southern California, graduating with her bachelors in OT in 2019, her masters in 2020, and her doctorate in 2021. She completed her doctoral residency at Hiller Therapy | Outdoor OT, specializing in parent education and picky eating. She also holds certifications in sensory integration and the sequential-oral-sensory (SOS) approach to feeding. She is passionate about working with families to better their mealtime experience and working with children of all ages and abilities in supporting their growth at home, at school, and at play. When she's not working, Ellie enjoys hiking, baking, and playing with her dogs.   Leah Hiller Leah Hiller is a pediatric occupational therapist, an educational consultant, and a former Jewish day school teacher. Leah provides teachers and parents with the strategies, support, and evidence-based resources to help children thrive at home, school, and play. In addition to providing individualized OT services in her private practice, Leah offers workshops for parents and educators, and she teaches graduate courses in special education. Leah lives here in Los Angeles with her family, and her OT therapy studio is located in a natural setting - her backyard.   Connect with Our Guests:   Hiller Therapy Website   Email Dr. Ellie Bendetson: ellie@hillertherapy.com    Email Leah Hiller: leah@hillertherapy.com      Links and Related Resources:    Episode 9: How Occupational Therapy Helps Kids with Leah Hiller    Helping the Picky Eater Handle Back to School    ALPS Children: A Steep Climb But Well Worth It     Trying to figure out next steps in supporting your child?  Book a 1:1 consultation with Dr. Karen Wilson - https://www.childnexus.com/consultation    Join our email list so that you can receive information about upcoming webinars - ChildNEXUS.com The Diverse Thinking Different Learning podcast is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or legal advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Additionally, the views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are not considered treatment and do not necessarily reflect those of ChildNEXUS, Inc or the host, Dr. Karen Wilson.

We’ve talked about occupational therapy on the podcast before, but we’ve never dug into a struggle for some children and families that occupational therapy can help. The topic of picky eating comes up for many families, for both neurodiverse and neurotypical children. And parents of picky eaters know that it impacts so many aspects of their lives, not just mealtime.  While picky eating is a common behavior in early childhood, it’s not always something a child will simply “grow out of”. And today’s guests explain how unique everyone’s experience is with food. Dr. Ellie Bendetson is an expert in picky eating and in supporting families of picky eaters. She joins the conversation today with Leah Hiller, who returns as a guest from Episode 9, where we introduced what occupational therapy is. Many conversations about occupational therapy tend to be broad, so let’s dig into one area of impact it can have on picky eaters and their families.   Show Notes: [2:12] - Many conversations about occupational therapy are very broad and generalized. But picky eating is Dr. Bendetson’s area of expertise. [3:21] - Picky eating is very common and there is no universal definition of what it means. [4:36] - Food and mealtime are complicated. There are so many things that could cause picky eating and can shift day to day. [6:07] - There are a lot of cultural aspects to this as well. [7:30] - For some children there are really only a few foods they will eat. Ellie works with many families like this and starts where they are. Picky eating is isolating. [9:11] - Early experiences play a key role. What are some factors that impact picky eating? [10:27] - Body awareness plays a role as well and for children with sensory processing issues, this is even more of a challenge. [12:30] - During an assessment, feeding is broken down into every little step. [14:30] - It’s shown that supporting the parents and families around picky eaters is so crucial. [16:41] - There’s an emotional connection and cultural importance put on food. [17:38] - Dr. Ellie describes her program Making Mealtimes Matter. [19:20] - Parents being able to help each other is so empowering. [20:52] - The goal isn’t to be able to eat everything. It is to be healthy and have a healthy relationship with food. [22:20] - Starting out by playing with food is a great place to start. This allows a child to understand the food. [24:03] - What can parents model? [26:17] - Getting a child involved in cooking and preparing foods is a great way to get kids excited about food. [28:49] - Parent groups with Hiller Therapy are virtual. Other programs are in-person.   About Our Guests: Dr. Ellie Bendetson Dr. Ellie Bendetson, OTD, OTR/L is a pediatric occupational therapist in Los Angeles. Ellie attended the University of Southern California, graduating with her bachelors in OT in 2019, her masters in 2020, and her doctorate in 2021. She completed her doctoral residency at Hiller Therapy | Outdoor OT, specializing in parent education and picky eating. She also holds certifications in sensory integration and the sequential-oral-sensory (SOS) approach to feeding. She is passionate about working with families to better their mealtime experience and working with children of all ages and abilities in supporting their growth at home, at school, and at play. When she's not working, Ellie enjoys hiking, baking, and playing with her dogs. Leah Hiller Leah Hiller is a pediatric occupational therapist, an educational consultant, and a former Jewish day school teacher. Leah provides teachers and parents with the strategies, support, and evidence-based resources to help children thrive at home, school, and play. In addition to providing individualized OT services in her private practice, Leah offers workshops for parents and educators, and she teaches graduate courses in special education. Leah lives here in Los Angeles with her family, and her OT therapy studio is located in a natural setting - her backyard.   Connect with Our Guests: <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.hillertherapy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hiller Therapy Website</a> </li> <li> Email Dr. Ellie Bendetson: <a href="mailto:ellie@hillertherapy.com">ellie@hillertherapy.com</a> </li> <li> Email Leah Hiller: <a href="mailto:leah@hillertherapy.com">leah@hillertherapy.com</a> </li> </ul>   Links and Related Resources: <ul> <li> <a href="https://childnexuspodcast.com/how-occupational-therapy-helps-kids-with-leah-hiller/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Episode 9: How Occupational Therapy Helps Kids with Leah Hiller</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.childnexus.com/blog/article/helping-the-picky-eater-handle-back-to-school" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Helping the Picky Eater Handle Back to School</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.childnexus.com/blog/article/alps-children-a-steep-climb-but-well-worth-it" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> ALPS Children: A Steep Climb But Well Worth It</a> </li> </ul> Trying to figure out next steps in supporting your child?  Book a 1:1 consultation with Dr. Karen Wilson - <a href="https://www.childnexus.com/consultation" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.childnexus.com/consultation</a> Join our email list so that you can receive information about upcoming webinars - <a href="http://childnexus.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ChildNEXUS.com</a> The Diverse Thinking Different Learning podcast is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or legal advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Additionally, the views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are not considered treatment and do not necessarily reflect those of ChildNEXUS, Inc or the host, Dr. Karen Wilson.

Ep. 133: How Occupational Therapy Can Help Address Picky Eating with Dr. Ellie Bendetson and Leah Hiller

Check out our sponsors:  Playground AJU Show Notes: To learn more about Leah and her work, visit Hiller Therapy and follow her on Instagram for tips you can do at school (or home) and upcoming workshops! Teacher Takeaways:  What does Occupational Therapy cover exactly? Think: How do kids spend their time? (So basically everything ;) Categories OT looks at Fine motor, gross motor, sensory processing, visual motor skills, executive functioning to name a few… The purpose of OT is FUNCTION. We want children to function in all spaces of life. The goal isn’t just to get a child to ‘typical’ but rather to change that child’s trajectory.  A big piece of OT is also the environment. If three or more of your students are struggling, check the environment and change things, if needed.  All opportunities they (children) can try to or do on their own will help them to grow. (Motto: Don’t open the _____ (snack bag, jar, door, etc…) for them! ;) Teachers should just observe carefully. Don’t label or assume, observe and narrate what you observe and how it’s affecting the child’s ability to function in the classroom. Use objective language. Ask parents if they notice the same thing at home.  Resources Hiller Therapy Groups Workshops for Teachers Check out our sponsors:  Playground AJU

Check out our sponsors:  <a href="https://www.tryplayground.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Playground</a> <a href="https://www.aju.edu/school-jewish-education-and-leadership" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AJU</a> Show Notes: To learn more about Leah and her work, visit <a href="https://www.hillertherapy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hiller Therapy</a> and follow her on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hillertherapy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram </a>for tips you can do at school (or home) and upcoming workshops! Teacher Takeaways: What does Occupational Therapy cover exactly? Think: How do kids spend their time? (So basically everything ;) Categories OT looks at Fine motor, gross motor, sensory processing, visual motor skills, executive functioning to name a few… The purpose of OT is FUNCTION. We want children to function in all spaces of life. The goal isn’t just to get a child to ‘typical’ but rather to change that child’s trajectory. A big piece of OT is also the environment. If three or more of your students are struggling, check the environment and change things, if needed. All opportunities they (children) can try to or do on their own will help them to grow. (Motto: Don’t open the _____ (snack bag, jar, door, etc…) for them! ;) Teachers should just observe carefully. Don’t label or assume, observe and narrate what you observe and how it’s affecting the child’s ability to function in the classroom. Use objective language. Ask parents if they notice the same thing at home. Resources <a href="https://www.hillertherapy.com/groups-camps" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hiller Therapy Groups</a> <a href="https://www.hillertherapy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Workshops for Teachers</a> Check out our sponsors:  <a href="https://www.tryplayground.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Playground</a> <a href="https://www.aju.edu/school-jewish-education-and-leadership" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AJU</a>

Occupational Therapy in EC ft. Leah Hiller

In this episode, guest Leah Hiller, OTR/L, and Jayson dive into Response to Intervention (RTI) a bit and discuss several ways occupational therapists can have an impact on students without ever completing an evaluation. RTI is a growing model in schools and as OTs, it opens the door for us helping more students in less time. It also provides opportunities for OTs to provide in-services for teachers and recommend curriculums that will benefit the social and motor aspects of student roles. Earn Professional development for OT School House Podcast episodes you've already listened to at www.OTSchoolHouse.com/pd Contact Leah Hiller, OTR/L at Hillertherapy.com Learning Without Tears (LWTears.com): Formally known as Handwriting Without Tears, LWT is a leader in developing handwriting and keyboarding curriculums. Want to hear from them on the podcast? Shoot them an email and let them know about us.  We Thinkers! from SocialThinking.com: This program uses music and play to teach early learners how to manage every day social situations.  Personal Space Camp by Julia Cook (Affiliate link) Use this Amazon affiliate link to check out the book used by Leah to help her young students understand personal space in school.  AOTA's FAQ On Response To Intervention (RTI) Use this link to view AOTA's description and understanding of what RTI is and how OT/COTA can use RTI in schools.  Thank you for listening.  Be sure to hit subscribe on your app so that you never miss an episode!     Ready to learn from six amazing OTPs and earn some AOTA-approved CEUs? Click here to join me this August at the Back to School Conference! Thanks for tuning in! Thanks for tuning into the OT Schoolhouse Podcast brought to you by the OT Schoolhouse Collaborative Community for school-based OTPs. In OTS Collab, we use community-powered professional development to learn together and implement strategies together. Don't forget to subscribe to the show and check out the show notes for every episode at OTSchoolhouse.comSee you in the next episode! 

In this episode, guest Leah Hiller, OTR/L, and Jayson dive into Response to Intervention (RTI) a bit and discuss several ways occupational therapists can have an impact on students without ever completing an evaluation. RTI is a growing model in schools and as OTs, it opens the door for us helping more students in less time. It also provides opportunities for OTs to provide in-services for teachers and recommend curriculums that will benefit the social and motor aspects of student roles. Earn Professional development for OT School House Podcast episodes you've already listened to at <a href="https://www.otschoolhouse.com/pd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.OTSchoolHouse.com/pd</a> Contact Leah Hiller, OTR/L at <a href="https://www.hillertherapy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hillertherapy.com</a> <a href="https://www.lwtears.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Learning Without Tears (LWTears.com):</a> Formally known as Handwriting Without Tears, LWT is a leader in developing handwriting and keyboarding curriculums. Want to hear from them on the podcast? Shoot them an <a>email</a> and let them know about us. <a href="https://www.socialthinking.com/Research/How-You-Can-Help/WeThinkers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> We Thinkers! from SocialThinking.com:</a> This program uses music and play to teach early learners how to manage every day social situations.  <a href="https://amzn.to/2J1RRpk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Personal Space Camp by Julia Cook (Affiliate link)</a> Use this Amazon affiliate link to check out the book used by Leah to help her young students understand personal space in school. <a href="https://www.aota.org/~/media/corporate/files/secure/practice/children/faq-school-based-revised-09-2014.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> AOTA's FAQ On Response To Intervention (RTI)</a> Use this link to view AOTA's description and understanding of what RTI is and how OT/COTA can use RTI in schools.  Thank you for listening.  Be sure to hit subscribe on your app so that you never miss an episode! Ready to learn from six amazing OTPs and earn some AOTA-approved CEUs? <a href="https://www.otschoolhouse.com/conference" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click here to join me this August at the Back to School Conference! </a> Thanks for tuning in! Thanks for tuning into the OT Schoolhouse Podcast brought to you by the <a href="https://www.otschoolhouse.com/collab" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">OT Schoolhouse Collaborative Community</a> for school-based OTPs. In OTS Collab, we use community-powered professional development to learn together and implement strategies together. Don't forget to subscribe to the show and check out the show notes for every episode at <a href="https://www.otschoolhouse.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">OTSchoolhouse.com</a> See you in the next episode!

OTSH 009: Diving Into RTI With a School-Based OT Consultant: An Interview With Leah Hiller, OTR/L