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Where They’re Planted is a podcast for parents and care providers of unique children to gain skills, understanding and support. Listeners learn how to help children with developmental, emotional or behavioral challenges, neurodiverse brains, or difficult early life experiences bloom where they’re planted. Host Jen Bluske, occupational therapist and parent coach, offers rich insights using brain science, nervous system tools, collaborative strategy sessions and a deep understanding of the dev ...
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32: Kids and Electronics - Part Two: Strategies for Families with Meredith Wodrich
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Jen Bluske is joined again by Meredith Wodrich for Part Two of an important conversation about screens and children. Jen and Meredith offer valuable strategies and places to start to begin to change a parent’s relationship with their child around electronics. They discuss further the use of electronics effect on development and the nervous system a…
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31: Kids and Electronics - Part One: Unpacking What We Know with Meredith Wodrich
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Jen Bluske is joined again by Meredith Wodrich for the first part of a conversation about the use of electronics and kids. Jen and Meredith discuss what is known about how using screens affects the brain, child development and relationships and touch on how video games and social media keep kids online. **Submit questions for Jen to answer on the p…
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30: Glimmers: Regulating the Nervous System through Shared Joy
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Jen Bluske describes the concept of glimmers and how parents of neurodiverse kids can lean into finding and savoring these small moments of shared joy to improve their relationships with their kids and their experience as parents. **Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK. Host: Jen Bluske Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske…
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29: Meeting Our Neurodivergent Kids Right Where They Are with Emily Laird
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Jen Bluske is joined by colleague Emily Laird to discuss neurodivergent-affirming care as they both support their clients in their work as occupational therapists and how OT can support the autistic experience. **Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK. Host: Jen Bluske Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske Contact Jen Bluske …
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28: Neuroaffirming Mental Health Care with Sharon Hammer
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Jen Bluske is joined by Sharon Hammer, licensed professional counselor and educational consultant who provides psychotherapy and psychoeducation to neurodiverse clients. Jen and Sharon discuss mental health treatment through a neuroaffirming lens, how to choose a neuroaffirming provider and how parents can support their autistic child's mental hea…
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Jen Bluske is joined by Nate, the dad of an autistic daughter who shares about parenting while also learning about his own neurodivergence. **Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK. Host: Jen Bluske Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske Contact Jen Bluske: Clinic Website Thriving Parents Collective Website Where They’re Plant…
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26: The Autistic Teen Perspective with Blythe
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Jen Bluske is joined by Blythe, a freshman in high school, who shares about her experiences with her family, in school and her dreams for the future. **Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK. Host: Jen Bluske Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske Contact Jen Bluske: Clinic Website Thriving Parents Collective Website Where The…
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25: Parenting Values and Intentions for the New Year
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As the New Year begins, Jen Bluske offers listeners an invitation to assess their values as a parent and set intentions for ourselves to set 2025 up for a success. **Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK. Host: Jen Bluske Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske Contact Jen Bluske: Clinic Website Thriving Parents Collective Web…
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24: Q & A: My Child Won’t Listen to ‘Stop’ and Handling After School Meltdowns
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In this episode, host Jen Bluske answers two listeners’ questions about how to best support their kids. Jen shares how to work with a young child that doesn’t listen to ‘stop’ and how to support a school age child who is melting down after school. **Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK. Host: Jen Bluske Producers: Jamie Ga…
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23: Supporting Sensitive Nervous Systems: PDA from an OT Lens
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Jen Bluske is joined by colleague and fellow Occupational Therapist, Shannon Stuckey for this conversation about children with sensitive nervous systems, the flight, fight, freeze and fawn responses we may see when a child is overwhelmed, and how this can show up in a child with a PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) Profile. Jen and Shannon offer p…
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22: A Deeper Look into PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance): What Is It and Where to Start? with Bryenne Alesch
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Jen Bluske is joined by Bryenne Alesch, director of operations at Elite Cognition, a mental health agency in Madison, WI. Bryenne and Jen offer listeners ways to understand and support individuals with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) profile of Autism. They discuss how PDA may present and where families should start with resources if they belie…
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21: Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) through a Parent’s Eyes
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In this episode, Jen Blusky and her guest discuss the diagnosis of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) through the lens of the experience of a parent of a child with this profile. Jen is joined by Mel, a mom of a young child with a PDA profile to discuss what has worked for her family, what hasn't and how meeting a child with PDA changes every aspe…
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20: Motor Planning: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?
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Jen Bluske explains what is meant in the occupational therapy world by the phrase motor planning, or praxis, and why this concept is so important to children's development. Jen discusses what motor planning is, what we see in children who are struggling with motor planning concerns and what occupational therapists and parents can do to support grow…
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19: The Power of Parents in their Child’s OT with Shannon Stuckey
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In this episode, Jen Bluske is joined by colleague and fellow Occupational Therapist, Shannon Stuckey to discuss the value that parents have when participating in their child’s OT treatment. Jen and Shannon explain how their clinic approaches involving parents in the activities and therapies in session so that parents can best support kids at home.…
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In this episode, Jen Bluske explains ways to notice anxiousness in your child and practical steps to take to support them through the lens of occupational therapy. As kids go back to school and navigate new classes and activities, parents can use Jen’s strategies to support their kids and move them through their anxiousness. **Submit questions for …
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17: Back to School: Support and Strategies that Work with Sarah Dimick
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In this episode, Jen Bluske is joined by licensed school psychologist Sarah Dimick to give listeners strategies and suggestions for school year preparation. Sarah and Jen discuss why taking some time before the school year begins to get the family ready is important and what small steps to take to best support kids, especially unique kids, in the t…
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16: Q & A: Bumping Shoulders, Sibling Empathy and a Preschooler Testing Limits with Meredith Woodrich
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In this episode, Jen Bluske and Meredith Woodrich answer listener questions. They respond to three questions that have been sent in, offering expertise from their occupational therapy and parent coaching lenses. **Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK. Host: Jen Bluske Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske Contact Jen Bluske…
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15: The Power of Anger and Healthy Aggression
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In this episode, Jen Bluske discusses the topic of anger and healthy aggression. Jen explores societal beliefs around anger, its expression, and the common misconceptions that can affect parenting. She gives listeners practical advice and strategies for recognizing and handling times when children or parents are experiencing anger. **Submit questio…
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14: The Parent-Child Regulation Balance: A Mom-Daughter Dialogue
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In this special episode, Jen Bluske is joined by her 16-year-old daughter Anna to discuss how to support children in their emotional regulation and development from the child’s perspective. Jen and Anna delve into personal experiences, highlighting the challenges and strategies for co-regulation, understanding different nervous system needs, and ma…
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In this episode, Jen Bluske focuses on how parents can understand their own states of regulation and gives concrete steps for a parent to become effective in supporting their child's nervous system development. Jen explains the polyvagal theory and offers listeners the ANCHOR tool and explains how to practically apply this strategy in difficult mom…
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12: Regulating through Rupture and Creating Repair
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In this episode, host Jen Bluske discusses into the concept of rupture and repair in the parent-child relationship. She discusses how meltdowns and challenging moments with children can be opportunities for growth and connection and offers concrete strategies for parents to use in these difficult moments. Host: Jen Bluske Producers: Jamie Gale and …
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11: Integration Strategies for Mental Health Challenges with Sarah Dimick
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In this episode, Jen Bluske is joined by Sarah Dimick, licensed school psychologist and parent coach. Jen and Sarah discuss the interplay between regulation and relationship in fostering emotional skills in children and the importance of forming strong attachments, modeling coping strategies, and addressing emotional challenges in order to best sup…
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10: Bringing Play into Parenting with Laura Hewitt
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In this episode, Jen Bluske is joined by fellow occupational therapist, Laura Hewitt, to explore why play is important for kids’ development, what is meant by the concept, and how parents can incorporate play into their family in practical ways. Laura and Jen discuss how play fosters connection and safety and supports developmental goals like regul…
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09: Creating a Sense of Safety for Our Kids with Shannon Stuckey
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In this episode. Jen Bluske is joined by Shannon Stuckey to discuss the concept of creating a felt sense of safety, both internally and within relationships. They describe how adults can tune into their own needs to better support their child's felt sense of safety to create a secure environment. Host: Jen Bluske Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Blusk…
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08: Navigating Meltdowns: A Guide for Parents
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In this episode of host Jen Bluske gives listeners a step by step guide to navigating their child’s meltdowns. Jen helps listeners understand meltdowns as a nervous system response and highlights the critical role of the parent's regulation state throughout them to best support the child and the relationship, and explains how to practically approac…
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07: Caring for the Caregiver with Marcy Waelti
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This epsiode focuses on supporting parents and caregivers, especially those raising kids with special needs. Host Jen Bluske talks with Marcy Waelti, an equine gestalt coach with extensive experience in horsemanship and early childhood education, to explore how parents can refill their own emotional tanks while advocating effectively for their chil…
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In this solo episode, Jen Bluske describes the common challenges parents face with their children's intense emotional responses and meltdowns. Using real life examples, Jen explains strategies for seeing and soothing your child’s emotions without needing to fix them. Jen explains how the concepts of attunement and emotional intelligence are the key…
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05: Attachment: Patterns in Parenting with Meredith Woodrich
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In this episode, host Jen Bluske is joined by Meredith Woodrich to talk through different attachment styles and describe how they show up in the parent-child relationships. Meredith and Jen define the different types and give listeners strategies for tuning into their own internal experiences so they can best support their children. Host: Jen Blusk…
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In this episode, host Jen Bluske discusses the way our nervous systems develop and the way the different senses impact how kids function and interact with their daily lives. She explains the different sensory systems and uses real-life examples to demonstrate the impact of each one. Jen encourages parents and caregivers to consider their own nervou…
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03: Foundations of Regulation with Shannon Stuckey
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In this episode, host Jen Bluske and guest Shannon Stuckey talk about the concept of co-regulation between parent and child. They explain the basis of what co-regulation is, what can stand in the way of it and begin the conversation of what can help parents work toward this and why. Host: Jen Bluske Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske Contact Jen …
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02: What We Want For Our Kids - A Solo Episode
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In this solo episode, host Jen Bluske shares how her own journey as a parent and her extensive experience as an occupational therapist has led her to this point of supporting parents as they help their children develop resilient nervous systems. Jen shares examples from her life and also explans that the podcast will focus on supporting our kids as…
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01: Welcome to Where They're Planted Podcast
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Podcast Trailer Episode: Where They’re Planted is a podcast for parents and care providers of unique children to gain skills, understanding and support. Listeners will learn how to help children with developmental, emotional or behavioral challenges, neurodiverse brains, or difficult early life experiences bloom where they’re planted. In each episo…
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