Hi, I’m Alisha!
Alisha Grogan MOT, OTR/L
Pediatric occupational therapist, founder of Your Kid’s Table, creator of The Connection Hive, and mom of three boys.
I help parents of neurodivergent kids (ADHD, autism, sensory processing differences, or no diagnosis at all) calm the meltdowns and build lasting regulation by getting to what’s underneath: sensory needs, executive functioning skills, and retained primitive reflexes.
If you’re here, my guess is you’ve got a kid who has big emotions, big reactions, nonstop movement, or is distracted and all over the place.
And you’ve
probably heard it all…
“He’ll grow out of it.”
“She just needs more discipline.”
“Have you tried a sticker chart?”
Maybe you’ve been on a months-long OT waitlist. Maybe there’s no specialized OT where you live. Maybe insurance only covered a handful of sessions, or you got a home program with no one to help you make it work.
Or maybe your kid sees a therapist once a week, and you’re left on your own for all the hard moments in between. You need more help.
I want you to know something right away:
Your kid isn’t giving you a hard time. They’re having a hard time.
And you aren’t failing. You just haven’t been given the support and tools you need…
Yet.
How it All Started
It’s always been about YOU!
I founded Your Kid’s Table in 2012, because parents kept asking me the same questions about picky eating and sensory needs, and the advice they were getting was either way too complicated or way too simple.
So I started writing. Simple, doable strategies that actually work at home on the blog, Your Kid’s Table.
Over the years, families kept coming back with more than mealtime struggles: meltdowns, focus, transitions, bedtime, sensory overload, demand avoidance.
And honestly, my own home was teaching me the same lessons.
I’m a mom of uniquely wired kids too. ADHD, anxiety, sensory needs and big emotions all live under our roof.
I know what it’s like to feel overwhelmed, worried about the future, and unsure what to do next. And, how to try and manage your own dysregulation.
That’s why I created The Connection Hive: so parents have a clear plan and an OT in their corner, every day, not just one hour a week.
What I Believe
- Parents aren’t the problem. They’re the key to progress. OT is one hour a week. You’re there for the other 167.
- Behavior is the tip of the iceberg. Underneath, there’s usually something more going on: sensory needs, executive functioning skills, or retained reflexes. When you understand what’s really driving it, everything starts to make sense.
- Regulation comes first. A dysregulated brain can’t learn, focus or follow directions. Calm comes before skills.
- Your kid’s brain can change. A diagnosis or a hard season is not a life sentence. Skills can be built, little by little.
How I Help
Everything I teach follows three simple steps:
- Connect: simple ways for YOU as the parent or therapist to stay steady in the hard moments, because your calm helps your kid find theirs.
- Calm: the right tool for your kid in the moment, based on how their dysregulation shows up.
- Grow: small, doable activities woven into everyday life that build focus, self-control and regulation for the long haul.
It’s all broken into small steps, in everyday language, so you know why you’re using a tool and what to do when new challenges pop up.
And yes, picky eating is still close to my heart. It’s where this all began, and you’ll still find plenty of help for it here.
Where to Start
The Connected + Capable Podcast
Honest, practical conversations from a pediatric about meltdowns, sensory needs, ADHD, autism and everything in between, so you understand what’s going on with your kid and know what to try next.
5 Calming Tools for Big Emotions + Dysregulation Printable
Find out what’s really going on underneath a meltdown, plus 5 calming tools to start with and a printable chart to practice with your kid.
Therapist Resource Center
Are you an OT, SLP, PT, teacher or other professional working with kids? We’ve got you covered with tools and freebies to support your practice.
More About
Alisha Grogan
- Master’s in Occupational Therapy, Duquesne University. (20024) Licensed in Pennsylvania; NBCOT certified.
- 20+ years as a pediatric OT across early intervention, schools, in-home therapy and private practice, with kids from birth to 21.
- Founder of Your Kid’s Table and creator of The Connection Hive for parents and the Therapist All Access Membership for fellow therapists.
- Creator of AOTA-approved courses taken by thousands of parents and professionals around the world, including RISE with Sensory, Mealtime Works and Unlocking ADHD.
- Host of the Connected and Capable podcast.
I’m supported by a small, wonderful team of fellow pediatric OTs.
Speaking
I’ve trained thousands of OTs, SLPs, teachers and parents, including Your County Nebraska Early Intervention, the Mountain State Disability Conference at West Virginia University, the Minnesota School Based OT-PT Conference (featured speaker), the Early Learning Connections Conference in Nebraska, the Talk Tools Conference, and a full-day training for 200 OTs and SLPs in a Baltimore school district.
I’ve also been a guest lecturer at Duquesne University’s School of Occupational Therapy, a guest expert on CBS Pittsburgh, and a guest on podcasts like The Nourished Child and Anxious Toddlers to Teens.
Featured or cited in: AOTA’s OT Practice, Parents, The Huffington Post, Healthline and the Fun & Function catalog.
Connect with Alisha in the Connection Hive
For parents, The Connection Hive offers a clear path to support your child’s sensory needs, emotions, retained reflexes, and focus through simple activities and expert guidance.
