Parenting a Child with Sensory Processing Disorder: A Family Guide to Understanding and Supporting Your Sensory-Sensitive Child

In raising children with or without special needs, nothing is more important than the family unit. This book will enable you to enhance your child’s sensory development. Additionally, it will help you ensure that your child and all family members not only survive, but, indeed, THRIVE! When your whole family thrives, you can best ensure your child’s optimum development over the short and long range of life.

Auer and Blumberg have lent their insight, passion, and compassion to this workbook. In so doing they have also provided a guidebook—and a preamble of advocacy for children and their families.

It has been said that a family of five is akin to five people lying side-by-side on a waterbed: whenever one person moves, everyone feels the ripple. A child with sensory processing disorder can have a devastating impact upon the day-to-day functioning of a family. There are several books available that provide data and information on the nature of this puzzling disorder, but Auer and Blumberg have written a valuable book that finally provides parents with specific strategies and practical solutions to the daily challenges faced by these special children and their families. While other books define the problem, Auer and Blumberg offer techniques to minimize the effect of the disorder on the child's daily life. I strongly recommend this book to any adult who is parenting a child with a sensory processing problem—and to the professionals who are assisting moms and dads on this challenging journey.

Finally a book that treats SPD in the full context that it deserves: not as a co-condition or as another obstacle but as a full fledged challenge to the complete inclusion of individuals with unique learning styles. The collaborative integration of the senses accounts for your picking up this book, examining it and deciding on whether to make it part of your library. Auer and Blumberg walk you through how that process is both derailed and rekindled.

Read this with a highlighter in hand, because you will want to refer many times to the wise and wonderful ideas in this splendid how-to book. The authors are not only sensitive and resourceful parents of kids with SPD, but also articulate, honest, and sensible writers.

More Info: Sensory Processing Disorder: A Family Guide to Understanding & Supporting Your Sensory-Sensitive Child

Helping the Child with Special Needs through Spring's Rebirth

Now that winter is officially over, I can look back with some relief that I drive a four wheel drive. It seemed as though every weekend it snowed. Not just a little, a lot! While my children loved to play in the mounds of snow at first, eventually cabin fever set in, especially for my son who is diagnosed with ADHD and sensory processing disorder.

Now that we've had weather befitting the start of spring, I have come to appreciate the importance of nature for children in general, but especially for children with special needs, including children with ADHD, cognitive delays, autism and any of the other myriad of disorders. I'm amazed at how calm children are when they've had a chance to go on a hike, or play outside in the yard for a few hours. It's the best free medicine I know.

I've also come to appreciate the gift of animals. My wife and I have been talking about getting a horse for several years. Many of her relatives either own a ranch, or work on a ranch. Last weekend, we went to a Horse Expo to 'look', though secretly hoping that the other would make the first move towards ownership.

As we walked the stalls, we came across a quarter-horse by the name of Jeffrey. To make a long story short, we rode him, wrote a hot check, frantically searched for a place to put Jeffrey (hotels don't leave their light on for horses), found a place, deposited 'funny money' to cover the check, realized that we didn't have a saddle or any means of riding, and finally asked for help from someone who knew about horses.

I'm proud to say that we've been to the barn every night since acquiring our new family member. I now understand how useful animals can be for therapy. My wife is certified to do hippo therapy (occupational therapy on a horse), and has worked with our children on Jeffrey. Even in only a week, the results are impressive. All of my children, especially my child with special needs, are better able to focus, follow directions, more patient, and just better able to cope with life. I'm not sure how much of this is due to being outside all evening, or actually riding Jeffrey.

Regardless, it's clear to me how deprived many of our children are from natural living. While it may seem that television is calming for our children, the best therapy is probably in your own backyard, or at the park. It's being outside, enjoying the sounds, sights and smells of our planet and the company of other living creatures.

This spring, I hope that you and your family spend many, many lazy hours enjoying our amazing planet and renewing your spirit. There is so much to look forward to in the months ahead. I can't wait to barbeque corn on the cob, and anything else that will work on a barbeque - especially since it cuts down on the amount of dishes I need to wash.

Look for Chris' New Book -

Parenting a Child with Sensory Processing Disorder: A Family Guide to Understanding and Supporting Your Sensory-Sensitive Child

Sign up for our free newsletter !! www.spdresources.com

More Special Need Children Articles

Back To School

Diagnoses - What's the Point? - Special Need Children

The Nobel Prize for Parents and Families with Special Needs Children

Gifts, Toys, Educational Toys and Crafts for Special Need Children

Five Tips for Keeping Families with Special Needs Children Strong and Healthy

Communicating about your special needs child - How to avoid the two most common traps

Special Needs Children: Children At-Promise

Making Sense of Special Education

Ten Ways to Help Make School Great This Year for Your ADHD Child

About the Author