
The Sensory Code by The OT Butterfly
Learn how to decode behavior using a nervous system lens and how to incorporate sensory strategies into your daily life by these real life case study examples.
“He’s screaming to cancel out their screaming”
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Let’s waste no time and jump right in to part 2 of Ty’s story.
[Click here to go back and catch up on part 1]
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The behaviors were comin’ in hot
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Ty’s classroom behaviors are getting more intense and frequent by the week. Initially, his behaviors were only showing up in the afternoon, almost ...
by Laura Petix —
Jun 30, 2025
aggressive behavior
auditory
classroom
interoception
Meet Ty: A Cautious Kindergartener with Big Feelings, Auditory Sensitivity, and Major Interoception Dysregulation
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Ty is a thoughtful, cautious, sensory-sensitive kindergartener whose parents sought my help for extreme dysregulated behaviors impacting his participation and overall enjoyment in the classroom. Specifically, Ty’s parents note the following concerns that have been brought up by the teacher:Â
 ...
by Laura Petix —
Jun 23, 2025
aggressive behavior
auditory
classroom
interoception
No fruits or veggies—SOS!
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Thanks for tuning in to the final part of Blake’s story. If you want to catch up with parts 1 through 3, click here to head to the archives. Today we’re taking a little detour to one area we haven’t discussed much in any of our case studies as of yet: selective, or picky eating.Â
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Here’s what...
by Laura Petix —
Jun 16, 2025
feeding therapy
food therapy
picky eating
selective eating
Other kids do this too?
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Let’s jump back into Blake’s story.
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Missed the first few parts? You can click here to catch up, but here’s the TLDR of it all:
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Blake is a 6-year-old, proprioceptive seeking kid
He also has some sensitivities, mostly related to eating (we’ll tackle that next week)
At home, he is const...
by Laura Petix —
Jun 09, 2025
advocacy
body awareness
neurodiversity
proprioception
Will he ever grow out of this?
Welcome to part 2 of Blake’s story.
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Since proprioception is one of the main areas of focus for Blake, we’ll be splitting it up into two parts. Today we’ll talk about how Blake’s parents can support his high need for heavy work at home and how they can think of supporting these needs long—-term...
by Laura Petix —
Jun 02, 2025
heavy work
proprioception
sensory seeking
spd
Meet Blake: An Active, Rough- Housing 6- Year- Old with a Mixed Sensory Threshold
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Blake is an almost 6-year-old boy whose parents reached out to me for support around his mixed-threshold sensory behaviors that were affecting his social interactions at school and his participation at home. Blake was already working with various services and therapies, but his parents were ...
by Laura Petix —
May 26, 2025
heavy work
picky eating
proprioception
sensory seeking
sensory sensitive
“He doesn’t need accommodations… he’s too smart”
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Welcome to the final chapter of Wesley’s story.Â
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As a reminder, these case-studies are inspired by real-life clients I have worked with, with permission from their parents to share. Some aspects of the case are authentic, and other details are added to include more variability for our disc...
by Laura Petix —
May 19, 2025
aggression
behavior
classroom
giftedness
Giftedness 101: What You Should Know
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Welcome back to Wesley’s story. To catch up on parts 1 and 2 of his story, click [here].
Today is a special day because for the first time ever, I have a guest expert writing for us on the Sensory Code, it's a long one- but I promise, so worth your time!
 About the expert
Caitlin Greer Meister...
by Caitlin Greer Meister (guest) —
May 12, 2025
2e
accommodations
classroom
giftedness
"Something's wrong with me"
Welcome to part 2 of Wesley’s story. You can go back to part 1 here, but as a quick reminder, Wesley’s family is seeking support for his dysregulation at school, leading to some peer conflicts and interfering with his participation in other classroom activities.Â
❇️Click here to catch up on othe...
by Laura Petix —
May 05, 2025
aggression
classroom
cozy corner
recess
self regulation
transitions
Wesley: A Bright, Sensitive First Grader Navigating a New School Environment
Meet Wesley
Wesley is a curious, highly intelligent first grader who recently transitioned to a Waldorf school, which was perfect because he thrives in environments rich with movement, creativity, and hands-on learning. Academically, Wesley is ahead of his peers, quickly grasping new concepts an...
by Laura Petix —
Apr 28, 2025
aggression
classroom
giftedness
Decisions, decisions, decisions.
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Welcome to the finale of Chelsea's story. We’re tying it up today as we focus on a challenge that comes up for many anxious, sensory-overwhelmed kids: decision-paralysis or indecisiveness.Â
Click here to catch up on Chelsea's storyÂ
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You know that feeling when you’re so hungry and you get the...
Apr 21, 2025
anxiety
decisions
executive functioning
proactive regulation
transitions
Your child is NOT in control of their meltdowns
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Welcome to part 3 of Chelsea’s story. If you want to catch up, click here to read part 2 and click here to read part 1.
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By now, it's clear that Chelsea is a very insightful kid who feels conflicted by her desire to participate in some things and her anxiety over the dysregulating experience ...
Apr 14, 2025
aggressive
emotional regulation
fight or flight
meltdowns
The Sensory Code by The OT Butterfly
