Readings

Sensory Processing Disorder

Books For Parents

Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder by Lucy Jane Miller, PhD, OTR/L, Doris A. Fuller Read More

From the Publisher
Imagine, for a moment, that you are a parent of a child with no visible disability, but whose experiences of everyday life present constant challenges. What may be typical activities for most people-eating, dressing, making friends, taking a spelling test, responding to a hug-are a struggle, often resulting in social, emotional, and academic problems.
This is the bewildering and largely uncharted world of Sensory Processing Disorder-a complex brain disorder affecting one in twenty children. These children experience sensations- taste, touch, sound, sight, smell, movement and body awareness-vastly differently from other children their ages. They may feel attacked by the slightest touch, fail to register bumps and bruises, or be unable to figure out where they are in space without constantly touching others. While SPD is more widely recognized than it once was, parents of these sensational children have been searching for ways to help their children navigate in the world. Dr. Lucy Miller, the best-known SPD researcher in the world, is that voice: warm, clear, and upbeat, Dr. Miller identifies the disorder and its four major subtypes, provides insight into assessment and diagnosis, and suggests treatment options and strategies, including the importance of occupational therapy and parental involvement. Portraits of five children illustrate the different ways in which SPD may manifest itself as well as how families cope, while offering hope and advice to parents on how to be the best possible advocates for their children.
Author Description
Lucy Jane Miller, Ph.D., OTR, is the founder of the only nationwide comprehensive SPD research program and the sole researcher to be awarded an NIH grant to study the disorder. The founder and director of KID Foundation, the only full-time SPD research program in the world, she is also an associate professor at the University Of Colorado Medical School.

The Out of Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz Read More

From the Publisher
NEWLY REVISED AND UPDATED
The Out-of-Sync Child broke new ground by identifying Sensory Processing Disorder, a common but frequently misdiagnosed problem in which the central nervous system misinterprets messages from the senses. This newly revised edition features additional information from recent research on vision and hearing deficits, motor skill problems, nutrition and picky eaters, ADHA, autism, and other related disorders.
Author Description
Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A., has been a preschool teacher for more than 25 years. She has developed an innovative program to screen young children for Sensory Processing Disorder, and writes and speaks regularly about the subject. She has an M.A. in Education and Human Development.

The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun: Activities for Kids with Sensory Processing Disorder by Carol Stock Stock Kranowitz Read More

From the Publisher
The revised and updated edition of a groundbreaking special-needs activity guide This revised edition of the companion volume to The Out-of-Sync Child includes new activities that parents of kids with Sensory Processing Disorder can do at home with their child, along with updated information on which activities are most appropriate for children with coexisting conditions such as Asperger's, autism, and more.

Parenting a Child with SPD:A Family Guide to Understanding & Supporting Your Sensory-Sensitive Child by Christopher R. Auer, Susan L. Blumberg Read More

From the Publisher
The author, a professional working with children with special needs and father of a child with sensory processing disorder, offers the first book to help parents integrate care for a child with sensory processing disorder with the needs of the family as a whole.
Kids with sensory processing disorder SPD may seem unduly sensitive to physical sensations, light, and sound, and they may react strongly to sensory events that adult and other children take in stride or totally ignore. SPD can make it hard for kids to do well in school, participate in social events, and live peaceably with other family members. Until now there have been only limited resources for parents of kids with this condition, but in this book a child advocate and child psychologist offer this comprehensive guide to parenting a child with SPD and integrating his or her care with the needs of the whole family.
The book introduces SPD and offers an overview of what it means to advocate for a child with the condition. It describes a range of activities that help strengthen family relationships, improve communication about the disorder, and deal with problem situations and conditions a child with SPD may encounter. Throughout, the book stresses the importance of whole-family involvement in the care of a child with SPD, especially the roles fathers play in care-giving. Many of the book's ideas are illustrated with case stories that demonstrate how the book's ideas can play out in daily life.
Author Description
Christopher R. Auer, MA, is employed in the Mayor's Office for Education and Children as the disabilities and mental health administrator for the Denver, CO, Great Kids Head Start. He is a board member of the Foundation for Knowledge in Development (KID) Foundation and serves on the Colorado Interagency Coordinating Council, overseeing disability services to children throughout the state.
Susan L. Blumberg, Ph.D., is a psychologist and coauthor of six books, including Fighting for Your Marriage and Twelve Hours to a Great Marriage.

Raising a Sensory Smart Child by Lindsey Biel, Nancy Peske with introduction by Temple Grandin Read More

From the Publisher
For children with sensory integration issues-those who have difficulty processing everyday sensations and exhibit unusual behaviors such as avoiding or seeking out touch, movement, sounds, and sights-this groundbreaking book is an invaluable resource. Long thought to affect only autistic children, or mistaken for ADHD, SI dysfunction is finally being recognized as a separate condition. Coauthored by a pediatric occupational therapist and a parent of a child with SI dysfunction, Raising a Sensory Smart Child is as warm and accessible as it is authoritative and detailed and is an indispensable guide for parents, therapists, and teachers who will turn to it again and again.
For more information please visit their website at http://www.sensorysmarts.com.
Author Description
Lindsey Biel, M.A., OTR/L, is an occupational therapist specializing in pediatrics. Nancy Peske is the coauthor of the Cinematherapy series. She lives in New York City with her husband and son, who was diagnosed with SI when he was two.
Temple Grandin is a gifted animal scientist who also lectures widely on autism because she is autistic. She has written extensively on the condition.

Sensory Integration and Self Regulation in Infants and Toddlers: Helping Very Young Children Interact With Their Environment by G. Gordon Williamson, Marie E. Anzalone Read More

Every child has a unique pattern of taking in and responding to information from the senses. Most young children learn to build on their own individual capacities and accept help from others as they learn to cope with their environment. But some children need help in overcoming difficulties in responding to information from their senses in order to achieve the levels of self-regulation they need to interact with and explore the world around them. This book is written for a multidisciplinary audience of practitioners who support the development of infants and young children in a broad array of settings—including child care, Head Start and Early Head Start, early intervention, neonatal intensive care follow-up, developmental clinics, infant mental health centers, and child life programs. The authors integrate and synthesize knowledge from the fields of occupational therapy, neuroscience, child development, psychology, psychiatry, education, and the movement sciences to help readers:

• Understand the sensory development of infants and young children
• Learn about assessment and intervention approaches designed to promote very young children’s self-regulation and adaptive behavior
• Become aware of new directions and outstanding questions in basic and applied research in the field.

Author DescriptionG. Gordon Williamson, PhD, OTR, is the Director of Project BEAM at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey, and he is Associate Clinical Professor in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University.

Sensory Integration & the Child: 25th Anniversary Edition by Jean Ayres, PhD, OTR/L Read More

No info

The Everything 'Parents Guide to sensory Integration Disorder by Terri Mauro, OTR/L Read More

From the Publisher
Ten percent of the U.S. population has Sensory Integration Disorder-also known as Sensory Processing Disorder-which is characterized by the inability of the brain to accurately process information coming from the senses. For kids living with Sensory Integration Disorder, the world can be a scary place, full of potentially stressful experiences. Kids with Sensory Integration Disorder can howl in discomfort over the feel of a shirt tag or a sock seam on bare skin. They may find the sound of a whisper to be as loud and frightening as a siren, and may perceive the caring touch of a parent or jostling in the school lunch line as equivalent to an assault.

The Everything Parent's Guide to Sensory Integration Disorder:
• Provides an in-depth definition of Sensory Integration Disorder and explains its effects
• Highlights occupational therapy treatments and explains techniques you can use outside of the therapist's office to calm your child
• Includes helpful advice for parents teaching their children how to deal with this disorder at school, home, and play, from childhood through adulthood

In The Everything Parent's Guide to Sensory Integration Disorder, you'll find the answers you need as you search for ways to help your child. This reassuring handbook examines various forms of treatment and therapy, and provides professional advice for helping children with SID succeed in school, at home, and with friends.

Author Description
Terri Mauro is the About.com guide to Parenting Special Needs Children and is a member of Sensory Integration International. She edits Mothers With Attitude, a site for adoptive and special-needs parents that has been named a USA Today Hot Site and a Good Housekeeping Site of the Day. Terri lives in Clifton, NJ.
Sharon A. Cermak, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is widely published and internationally known for her work in sensory integration, dyspraxia, and in development and sensory processing with children from orphanages in Eastern Europe. Dr. Cermak is a charter member of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation's Academy of Research, a recipient of the AOTF A. Jean Ayres Award, and a Fulbright Scholar. She is the coauthor of a multidisciplinary book, Developmental Coordination Disorder: Theory and Practice. Sharon lives in Boston, MA.

The Sensory-Sensitive Child: Practical Solutions for Out-of-Bounds Behavior by Karen A. Smith Karen R. Gouze Read More

From the Publisher
In a book likely to transform how parents manage many of their child's daily struggles, Drs. Smith and Gouze explain the central and frequently unrecognized role that sensory processing problems play in a child's emotional and behavioral difficulties. Practicing child psychologists, and themselves parents of children with sensory integration problems, their message is innovative, practical, and, above all, full of hope.
A child with sensory processing problems overreacts or under reacts to sensory experiences most of us take in stride. A busy classroom, new clothes, food smells, sports activities, even hugs can send such a child spinning out of control. The result can be heartbreaking: battles over dressing, bathing, schoolwork, social functions, holidays, and countless other events. In addition, the authors say, many childhood psychiatric disorders may have an unidentified sensory component.
Readers Will Learn:
• The latest scientific knowledge about sensory integration
• How to recognize sensory processing problems in children and evaluate the options for treatment
• How to prevent conflicts by viewing the child's world through a "sensory lens"
• Strategies for handling sensory integration challenges at home, at school, and in twenty-first century kid culture
The result: a happier childhood, a more harmonious family, and a more cooperative classroom. This thoroughly researched, useful, and compassionate guide will help families start on a new path of empowerment and success.
Author Description
Karen A. Smith, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, has worked exclusively with children and their families for the past sixteen years. A school counselor in Athens, Georgia, she has consulted to Head Start and Early Intervention programs for young children and is an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Georgia. She and her family live in Athens, Georgia.

Starting Sensory Integration Therapy: Fun Activities That Won't Destroy Your Home by Bonnie Arnwine Read More

From the Publisher
Winner of a 2006 iParenting Media Award! This book is a great resource for busy parents whose children are starting therapy. Bonnie Arnwine, the parent of a child with sensory processing disorder (also called dysfunction in sensory integration) has packed this book with fun activities, timesaving tips, and quick cleanup techniques. This is a must-have for every family starting sensory-based therapy. You and your child will have days of fun with the activities in Starting Sensory Integration Therapy. Spend quality time on school vacations, weekends, or just a few minutes at the end of a busy day.

Including SI for Parents: Sensory Integration Strategies at Home and School by Jeanne Sangirardi Ganz Read More

Book Description
Does your child scream at the mere mention of a haircut? Does he need all the tags cut out of his shirt, or only wear very specific textures? Is she a picky eater? Does he have poor handwriting and seem to be more clumsy than the average child?
Maybe your child has difficulty in sensory integration. Sensory integration is the ability to use the senses to make "sense" of the world around us. Sensory integration problems can create these and other problems.
This book is packed with practical ideas and tips to help a child who faces challenges with sensory integration dysfunction. It also helps to explain and define sensory integration. It is a book of ideas, strategies, and hints to help your child be successful despite the challenges of DSI. The book presents a brief overview of sensory integration dysfunction and its varied presentations. It then proceeds to offer strategies that may be helpful to accomplish everyday tasks.
Author Description
Jeanne Sangirardi Ganz, OTR/L, BCP has been a pediatric Occupational Therapist working with children with sensory processing dysfunction for over 25 years and is board certified in pediatrics. She is also certified in sensory integration testing and neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT). Jeanne has studied auditory interventions and is a certified provider for The Listening Program. She is the author of the book, "Including SI: A guide to Using Sensory Integration Strategies in School," written for therapists. Ms. Ganz has lectured extensively to parents and professionals and maintains a private practice.

Helping Hyperactive Kids - a Sensory Integration Approach: Techniques and Tips for Parents and Professionals by Lynn J. Horowitz, Cecile Rost

From the Publisher

Sensory integration has provided help to children with behavior, learning, and motor skills problems for over 40 years. A treatment based on play, it helps children absorb, process, and respond to information in an appropriate manner. This book provides a complete overview and explanation of the therapy, as well as practical sensory integration-based techniques that can be used by teachers and parents to help the hyperactive child. This non-medical approach can be used in conjunction with, or as a substitute for, traditional drug treatments.

Books for Kids

The Goodenoughs Get in Sync: A Story for Kids about the Tough Day When Filibuster Grabbed Darwin's Rabbit's Foot and the Whole Family Ended Up in the Doghouse--An Introduction to Sensory Processing Disorder by Carol Stock Kranowitz and T.J. Wylie Read More

Editorial Reviews
Advance Magazine for Occupational Therapists, February 21, 2005: Finally a book written in "kid language" to help children with sensory processing disorders understand their senses!
Washington Parent, Spring/Summer: What truly makes this book so different is this is a book for your child to read on his own.

Meghan's World: The Story of One Girl's Triumph over Sensory Processing Disorder by Diane M. Renna and Regina Stark Read More

From the Publisher

Meghan's World is a true story about one girl's triumph over Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). The story validates children's feelings and offers parents and teachers a look into the world of a child suffering from SPD. This book was inspired by Megan's first school show and her behaviors before, during, and after the event. The story briefly explains the therapies Meghan did to help her overcome SPD and lists resources for reference. Meghan's World ends with an "About Me" page so parents can start a dialogue with their child - leading to insight about their own child's needs and wants.

Meghan's World is a great book for children with diagnoses on the autism spectrum. It helps to promote understanding and social growth. Parents and teachers can help their children/students grow into their own accomplishments by learning how Meghan has dealt with the following issues:

• Sensory Modulation
• Sound Sensitivity
• Social Insecurity
• Hypo/Hyper-Responsiveness
• Tactile Defensiveness
• Visual Perception
• Sensory Processing
• Allergies/Food Intolerance

Author Description
Diane M. Renna resides in Long Island, NY with her husband, Lorenzo and their children, Meghan, Michael, and Gavin. In 1998, she left work in NYC to become a stay-at-home mom. Diane, Meghan, and Michael are all affected in some way with sensory integration dysfunction. However, Meghan's sensory issues were more severe and affected her daily life tremendously. Diane read and learned all she could about SPD. She never complained or gave up hope. She investigated and tried alternative therapies with the vision of helping her children. She understood and wanted to make their world a safe and comfortable place. Diane has dedicated her time to helping children with SPD. She wants to reach as many families as possible. Presently, the family is happy, healthy, and enjoys doing the things they weren't able to do in the past. SPD is no longer a jail-keeper to their lives. The Renna family hopes Meghan's story will inspire and heal other families dealing with SPD.

Anxiety

Books For Parents

Freeing Your Child from Anxiety: Powerful, Practical Solutions to Overcome Your Child's Fears, Worries, and Phobias by Tamar Chansky Read More

From the PublisherAnxiety is the number one mental health problem facing young people today. Childhood should be a happy and carefree time, yet more and more children today are exhibiting symptoms of anxiety, from bedwetting and clinginess to frequent stomach aches, nightmares, and even refusing to go to school. Parents everywhere want to know: All children have fears, but how much is normal? How can you know when a stress has crossed over into a full-blown anxiety disorder? Most parents don't know how to recognize when there is a real problem and how to deal with it when there is.In Freeing Your Child From Anxiety, a childhood anxiety disorder specialist examines all manifestations of childhood fears, including social anxiety, Tourette's Syndrome, hair-pulling, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and guides you through a proven program to help your child back to emotional safety. No child is immune from the effects of stress in today's media-saturated society. Fortunately, anxiety disorders are treatable. By following these simple solutions, parents can prevent their children from needlessly suffering today - and tomorrow.

Help for Worried Kids: How Your Child Can Conquer Anxiety and Fear by Cynthia G. Last Read More

From the Publisher

Most childhood fears are nothing to worry about. But panic attacks, phobias, and persistent anxiety can darken a child's horizons and lead to disrupted sleep, lower grades, and missed opportunities to make friends and explore the world. Dr. Cynthia G. Last helps parents determine when a child's apprehension is cause for concern. Drawing on 25 years of clinical practice and research, she vividly illustrates the different forms that childhood anxiety can take and offers practical solutions specific to each. For example, Dr. Last shows how to schedule "worry time" to ease generalized anxiety, and explains why reassurance is often counterproductive for kids with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The book emphasizes strategies for preventing episodes before they begin, demonstrates how to intervene when one is in progress, and offers tips on how to keep anxiety from worsening as a child matures. Readers will learn to be consistent and encouraging as their child develops the confidence needed to face--and conquer--worries of every kind.

Helping Your Anxious Child by Ron Rapee, Sue Spence, Vanessa Cobham, Ann Wignall Read More

From the Publisher

All kids get scared, but some fears can escalate into paranoias with long-term ramifications. This step-by-step guide tackles the why, how, and what now of anxiety disorders. Written in everyday language, it describes in detail strategies and techniques parents can combine into a comprehensive self-help program for managing a child's worry while building confidence and self-control.

The Anxiety Cure for Kids: A Guide for Parents by Elizabeth DuPont Spencer, Robert L. DuPont, Caroline M. DuPont, Robert L. DuPont, Caroline M. DuPont Read More

From the Publisher

A comforting, practical guide to helping your child deal with anxiety. Fear, worry, stomach pains, self-doubt— these are all classic symptoms of anxiety in children and teenagers. Anxiety affects both boys and girls, regardless of age, size, intelligence, or family specifics. And the only way your family can be free of anxiety is to confront it every time it appears. This book will show you how.

The bestselling authors of The Anxiety Cure present a reassuring guide to help adults and children understand the way anxiety works. Using characters such as the Dragon and the Wizard, The Anxiety Cure for Kids explains how to overcome the negative impacts of anxiety and turn anxiety into a positive opportunity for the whole family. It outlines specific action steps to regain full control of your anxious child’s life. You’ll learn how to communicate effectively with your child, help him or her confront fear, and boost your child’s feelings of accomplishment and self-esteem. The book also includes helpful advice for anyone who works with anxious children, such as teachers, coaches, therapists, and school nurses. The plentiful exercises and tips reveal how to:

• Recognize the symptoms of anxiety in your child
• Evaluate your child’s need for medication and/or therapy
• Utilize a journal to gain a clear perspective
• Assess the role of your family in anxiety disorders
• Set goals for the future— including what to do if anxiety returns

Overcoming anxiety in children takes time and persistence— but it can be done. By making changes little by little, your child can get well and stay well. The lessons in The Anxiety Cure for Kids have helped many children break free from anxiety and, with your family’s help, your child will too.

Author Biography
Elizabeth DuPont Spencer, M.S.W., is a mother and social worker who deals primarily with anxiety disorders in her private practice and research. Robert L. DuPont, M.D., has practiced psychiatry for thirty-three years. He was the founding president of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America as well as the first director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dr. DuPont has had extensive media experience. Caroline M. DuPont, M.D., is a psychiatrist and the president of DuPont Clinical Research. She is also on the faculty of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Elizabeth and Caroline are Robert’s daughters; all three are authors of The Anxiety Cure.

The Worried Child: Recognizing Anxiety in Children and Helping Them Heal by Paul Foxman Read More

From the Publisher

Anxiety in children decreases their intellectual, emotional, and social development, as well as physical health. Author Paul Foxman believes there are three interacting ingredients that contribute to anxiety in children - biological sensitivity, personality, and stress overload. The Worried Child shows that anxiety is preventable - or can be minimized - by raising children's self-confidence, increasing social and self-control skills, and teaching them how to play, relax, and communicate their feelings and needs. Written for parents and teachers and anyone dealing with children, the guide covers the importance of adequate rest, sleep, and exercise and provides detailed lists, charts, skill exercises, sample dialogues, and case studies. It also presents extensive information on the various types and symptoms of anxiety disorders. Advice for educators, health care professionals, childcare workers, and psychotherapists is included along with a chapter and tutorial written specifically for children.

Worried No More: Help and Hope for Anxious Children by Aureen Pinto Wagner, Ph. D. Wagner Read More

From the Publisher

About 13% or over 6.5 million children and adolescents in the US suffer from serious anxiety, making it the most common emotional problem in youngsters. Anxious children may suffer serious problems in their school, social and family lives. Help is now available for these anxious children. Success rates with the right treatment are excellent. The sooner children are treated, the sooner they can get back to the business of growing up, learning and being happy.

In an age where children witness unspeakable horrors and violence that ignites tremendous anxiety, Dr. Aureen Wagner brings hope and effective strategies for parents, schools and health care professionals who care for children. Worried No More is packed with effective practical guidance, specific how-to steps and ready-to-use forms and tools for parents, educators and healthcare professionals to help children overcome anxiety. Worried No More focuses on helping children cope with disasters and tragedies, panic, phobias, worry, school refusal, separation anxiety, excessive shyness, obsessions and compulsions.

Author Description
Dr. Aureen Pinto Wagner is a Clinical Child Psychologist and Director of The OCD and Anxiety Consultancy in Rochester, NY. She is also the author of the critically acclaimed books What to do when your Child has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Strategies and Solutions and Up and Down the Worry Hill. Dr. Wagner provides training workshops and consultation for clinicians and school personnel in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for OCD and anxiety. She frequently presents seminars and leads discussion groups on anxiety for parents and families, and contributes to radio, television and newspapers as an expert on anxiety-related topics. Dr. Wagner lives in Rochester, NY with her family.

Your Anxious Child: How Parents and Teachers Can Relieve Anxiety in Children by John S. Dacey, Lisa B. Fiore Read More

From the Publisher

Your Anxious Child empowers you to teach your child essential coping skills for dealing with anxiety in engaging, creative ways. Through dozens of activities you can start using right now, your child will learn how to alleviate stress, build courage and trust, and become an innovative problem solver. Your Anxious Child is based on the acclaimed "COPE" program, which has been used successfully with children throughout the United States for more than fifteen years. The program offers physical, mental, and spiritual strategies for Calming the nervous system; activities designed to help your child Originate a creative plan to relieve anxiety; approaches to help your child Persist in the face of obstacles and failures; and effective ways for you and your child to Evaluate and refine your plan.

101 Creative Strategies for Helping Children with High Stress Levels by Donna Forrest, Brandie Rogers Read More

Editorial Reviews
Highly stressed children eventually experience increased school failure, behavior difficulties, social/emotional problems, and/or health difficulties.
This book provides a collection of strategies (including reproducible student worksheets) specifically designed for you to use to help highly stressed children to:
• Learn about what are normal anxious feelings
• Explore how to cope with the stressors that lead to these feelings
• Identify and express specific current and past fears
• Learn and practice appropriate coping skills

An At-A-Glance Chart is included to help you quickly locate suggested strategies according to the type of activity and where it will be used (i.e., individual student, small group, or classroom). It will also give you strategies you can share with parents and other professionals who are working with these children.

About the Author
Brandie Rodgers lives in Ward, South Carolina with her husband, Lang. She holds a Master's Degree in Elementary Education with a focus on reading and literacy from Walden University and is a National Board Certified Teacher. She has been an elementary school teacher for eight years at Merriwether Elementary School in Edgefield County where she teaches third grade.

Donna Forrest lives in North Augusta, South Carolina with her children, Derek and April. She holds an Educational Specialist Degree in Counselor Education from the University of South Carolina. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and National Board Certified Counselor. She has taught and been a school counselor at Merriwether Elementary School for 16 years and a therapist with the Center for Care and Counseling for 6 years.

Books for Kids

What to Do when You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety by Dawn Huebner and Bonnie Matthews Read More

From the Publisher

What to Do When You Worry Too Much is an interactive self-help book designed to guide 6-12 year olds and their parents through the techniques most often used in the treatment of generalized anxiety. Metaphors and humorous illustrations make difficult concepts easy to understand, while prompts to draw and write help children to master new skills related to reducing anxiety. Engaging, encouraging, and easy to follow, this book educates, motivates, and empowers children to work towards change. Includes a note to parents by psychologist and author Dawn Huebner, Ph.D.

The Goodnight Caterpillar: Muscular Relaxation and Meditation Bedtime Story for Children, Improve Sleep, Manage Stress and Anxiety by Lori Lite Read More

Editorial Reviews
Maggie Sky, M.A., Coordinator of Relaxation for Young People: "In her imaginative way Lori creates captivating characters who engage the reader in a journey of relaxation and self-awareness"
Blair Tate PhD., School Psychologist: "A great way for children to slow down in our fast-paced world. A peaceful way to end long days”.
When My Worries Get Too Big: A Relaxation Book for Children Who Live with Anxiety by Kari Dunn Buron

From the Publisher
More than any other issue, “losing control” can cause major problems for children with ASD. Through the irresistible character of Nicholas, this book, formerly published as When My Autism Gets Too Big, gives young children an opportunity to explore with parents or teachers their own feelings as they react to events in their daily lives. Through reading this story, children will learn invaluable relaxation techniques. Children who use the simple strategies presented in this charming book, brightly illustrated by the author, will find themselves relaxed and ready to work or play.

Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, Ruth E. Harper, Publishers Weekly Read More

In her foreword to Penn's sugary tale about Chester, a young raccoon who would rather stay at home than go to school, Jean Kennedy Smith notes that the story is ``for any child who confronts a difficult situation, and for the child within each of us who sometimes needs reassurance.'' Its obvious message is delivered by Mrs. Raccoon, who tells her son that ``I know a wonderful secret that will make your nights at school seem as warm and cozy as your days at home.'' She then kisses his palm, and Chester feels the kiss ``rush from his hand, up his arm, and into his heart.'' Whenever he gets lonely, she advises, he is to press his hand to his cheek and ``that very kiss will jump to your face and fill you with toasty warm thoughts.'' As it may for youngsters in comparable situations, this ``secret'' works for Chester, who in turn kisses his mother's palm so that she, too, will be reassured. Sprinkled with hearts and flowers, Harper and Leak's paintings of the raccoons and their woodland habitat are pleasant if sentimental. Ages 3-8.

David and the Worry Beast: Helping Children Cope with Anxiety (Let's Talk Series) by Anne Marie Guanci and Caroline Attia Read More

From the Publisher

Learning to deal with anxiety is an important step in a child's healthy emotional growth. Conquering fears, and not avoiding them, is the lesson imparted in this story. David could not stop thinking about the basket he had missed at the end of the big game. He was worried that he might do it again. He was worried that his team mates would be angry with him. He was worried that his parents would not be proud of him. He was also worried about an upcoming math test. In fact, David was worried a lot. "Should I quit the team?" he asked himself. "Should I be sick tomorrow and miss the math test?" Luckily, David finally confided in his parents and school nurse, both of whom gave him support and techniques for controlling the "worry beast" within him. Delightfully illustrated, it focuses on a very real and essential topic.

DIR/Floortime

Books for Parents

Building Healthy Minds: The Six Experiences That Create Intelligence and Emotional Growth in Babies and Young Children by Stanley Greenspan, M.D. with Nancy Breslau Lewis Read More

Every parent wants to raise a bright, happy, and moral child, but until Stanley Greenspan investigated the building blocks of cognitive, social, emotional, and moral development, no one could show parents how and when these qualities begin. In this book Dr. Greenspan, the internationally admired child psychiatrist, identifies the six key experiences that enable children to reach their full potential. In Building Healthy Minds, he draws upon discoveries made in his research and practice as he describes the many ways in which games, fantasy play, and conversations with and without words encourage this development. No one has looked so deeply into the very earliest stages of human development, and no other book makes such vital and effective information available to every parent.

Great Kids: Helping Your Baby and Child Develop the 10 Essential Qualities for a Healthy, Happy Life by Stanley Greenspan, MD Read More

Parents all over the world have certain universal aspirations. They want their children to contribute meaningfully to society and to pursue their own dreams. But we appear to be missing the essentials. In this inspiring book, based on 30 years of research and practice, Dr. Stanley Greenspan redefines the qualities of an emotionally and intellectually healthy child and identifies the ways that parents can help their children develop each quality. The qualities that make us call a child a “great kid,” such as empathy, curiosity, and logical thinking, are fundamental and underlie all the academic, athletic, and social talents that a child might develop. We are not born with these traits, Greenspan demonstrates, they come from experience, which suggests that each and every parent can encourage them and that each and every child can strive to acquire them.

Parenting From the Inside Out by Daniel Siegel, MD and Mary Hartzell, MEd Read More

How many parents have found themselves thinking: I can't believe I just said to my child the very thing my parents used to say to me! Am I just destined to repeat the mistakes of my parents? In Parenting from the Inside Out, child psychiatrist Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., and early childhood expert Mary Hartzell, M.Ed., explore the extent to which our childhood experiences actually do shape the way we parent. Drawing upon stunning new findings in neurobiology and attachment research, they explain how interpersonal relationships directly impact the development of the brain, and offer parents a step-by-step approach to forming a deeper understanding of their own life stories, which will help them raise compassionate and resilient children.

Born out of a series of parents' workshops that combined Siegel's cutting-edge research on how communication impacts brain development with Hartzell's thirty years of experience as a child-development specialist and parent educator, Parenting from the Inside Out guides parents through creating the necessary foundations for loving and secure relationships with their children.

Drama Free Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind by Daniel Siegel

Autism Spectrum Disorders

Engaging Autism by Stanley Greenspan, MD and Serena Wieder, PhD Read More

The inspiring success of Dr. Stanley Greenspan's unique approach to autism and ASD (autistic spectrum disorders) is known to grateful parents and to professionals throughout the world. Now at last his highly effective and influential program is presented in one clear and accessible volume. A number of innovative, exciting features distinguish Greenspan's approach to autism:First, his program has demonstrated that children with signs of autism or autistic spectrum disorders do not have a fixed, limited potential, but in many cases can join their peers and lead full, healthy lives, emotionally and intellectually. Secondly, his approach can be applied at a very early stage, when signs of autism first appear. Thus, the hope of preventing the full onset of autism becomes a real possibility. Third, the approach empowers the entire family to promote their child's development throughout each day. Also, the DIR Floortime approach guides the efforts of speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and educators to work with the family and builds on the latest research on the development of the mind and brain. As cases of autism continue to rise worldwide, Dr. Greenspan's extremely successful Floortime approach is producing very promising results that could one day stem the tide against this dread disorder. No one involved in the care of children with autism, parent or professional, can afford to be without this landmark work.

Toilet Training for Individuals with Autism or Other Developmental Issues by Maria Wheeler, MEd Read More

Individuals with autism are reportedly one of the most difficult populations to toilet train. This second edition offers effective strategies that take the child's physical and emotional sensitivities into account instead of trying to force traditional methods. Easy-to-read bulleted lists offer more than 200 do's and don'ts, along with over 50 real-life examples, to help make the process more of a lesson and less of a battle for all involved. The young trainee will learn to overcome fear of the bathroom, properly use toilet paper, flush once, wash hands, and more. The toilet trainer will learn how to overcome challenges caused by communication needs, sensory sensitivities, motor challenges, anxiety levels, etc.

Tacos Anyone? An Autism Story by Marvie Ellis Read More

Michael is a four year old boy with autism. His older brother, Thomas, doesn't understand why Michael behaves the way he does. The therapist teaches Thomas how to play with Michael, making sibling time fun again. This fully color illustrated, bilingual (English and Spanish) children's book is written for young readers, parents, siblings, family members, and professionals who work with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Recipient of the 2005 Barbara Jordan Media Award.

Thinking in Pictures: My life with Autism by Temple Grandin, PhD Read More

Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is a gifted animal scientist who has designed one third of all the livestock-handling facilities in the United States. She also lectures widely on autism—because Temple Grandin is autistic, a woman who thinks, feels, and experiences the world in ways that are incomprehensible to the rest of us.

In this unprecedented book, Grandin delivers a report from the country of autism. Writing from the dual perspectives of a scientist and an autistic person, she tells us how that country is experienced by its inhabitants and how she managed to breach its boundaries to function in the outside world. What emerges in Thinking in Pictures is the document of an extraordinary human being, one who, in gracefully and lucidly bridging the gulf between her condition and our own, sheds light on the riddle of our common identity.

The Child With Special Needs by Stanley Greenspan, MD and Serena Wieder, PhD Read More

Stanley Greenspan, internationally known for his work with infants, young children, and their families, and his colleague, nationally recognized child psychologist Serena Wieder, have for the first time integrated their award-winning research and clinical experience into a definitive guide to raising children with special needs. In this essential work they lay out a complete, step-by-step approach for parents, educators, and others who work with developmental problems. Covering all kinds of disabilities—including autism, PPD, language and speech problems, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and ADD—the authors offer a new understanding of the nature of these challenges and also specific ways of helping children extend their intellectual and emotional potential.The authors first show how to move beyond labels to observe the unique profile—strengths and problems—of the individual child. Next, they demonstrate the techniques necessary to help the child not only reach key milestones but also develop new emotional and intellectual capacities. Greenspan’s well-known ”floortime” approach enables parents, as well as clinicians, to use seemingly playful interactions that help children actually move up the development ladder and often master creative and abstract thinking formerly thought beyond their reach. Including vivid case histories, the book also offers deep and compassionate understanding of the stresses and rewards involved in raising a child with special needs.whose amazing work with autistic and other special needs children is nationally known, and his colleague, child psychologist Serena Wieder, have integrated a lifetime of research and clinical practice into a single, comprehensive guide for parents. Covering all kinds of disabilities—including cerebral palsy, autism, retardation, ADD, PDD, and language problems—the book offers specific ways of helping all children reach their full intellectual and emotional potential.First the authors show how to move beyond the label and observe the strengths and problems of the particular child and the key milestones that must be reached. Next, they move step by step through the techniques necessary to help the child reach these milestones and show how to tailor these to each child. Finally, with a deep and compassionate understanding they outline the marital, educational, and social stresses and rewards in raising a special needs child.

Feeding Issues

Feeding Difficulties and Related Matters:

Child of Mine: By Ellyn Satter Read More

Widely considered the leading book involving nutrition and feeding infants and children, this revised edition offers practical advice that takes into account the most recent research into such topics as: emotional, cultural, and genetic aspects of eating; proper diet during pregnancy; breast-feeding versus; bottle-feeding; introducing solid food to an infant's diet; feeding the preschooler; and avoiding mealtime battles. An appendix looks at a wide range of disorders including allergies, asthma, and hyperactivity, and how to teach a child who is reluctant to eat. The author also discusses the benefits and drawbacks of giving young children vitamins.

How to Get Your Kids to Eat, But Not Too Much By Ellyn Satter Read More

Answering a multitude of questions—such as What should a parent do with a child who wants to snack continuously? How should parents deal with a young teen who has declared herself a vegetarian and refuses to eat any type of meat? Or What can parents do with a child who claims he doesn't like what's been prepared, only to turn around and eat it at his friend's house?—this guide explores the relationship between parents, children, and food in a warm, friendly, and supportive way.

What to Do When Your Child Won't Eat or Eats Too Much by Irene Chatoor Read More

Approximately 25 percent of otherwise normally developing young children experience feeding difficulties. These may not only be disruptive to the child's physical and emotional development, they also may affect the whole family. In When Your Child Won't Eat or Eats Too Much, author Dr. Irene Chatoor teaches parents how to navigate the challenges of early feeding development and help their children establish healthy eating habits. Based on clinical experiences and research studies, Chatoor helps you understand your child's specific feeding problems-whether your child has difficulty feeling hunger, has difficulty determining fullness, refuses to eat certain foods, or is just plain scared to eat. When Your Child Won't Eat or Eats Too Much presents specific suggestions and practical tips on how to understand and manage each of these feeding problems while promoting a healthy eating environment for the whole family. It also describes how feeding difficulties can be prevented and how discipline can be established without resorting to coercive measures. Chatoor, a pediatric psychiatrist who has made fundamental contributions in her field, helps parents better understand and deal with the challenges of early feeding development and the special feeding issues of their children.

It’s Not About the Broccoli by Dina Rose, Ph.D

Children with Allergies and Parents of Children with Allergies

Food Allergies and Me by Juniper Skinner Read More

Food Allergies and Me is a children's book that provides an engaging and relatable experience for children who are beginning to learn about and cope with food allergies. Explore the life of a food allergic child as you follow Jack through a day of school, an allergist appointment, and the playground. Young children will begin to understand the importance of identifying allergens, asking for help when unsure, and alerting an adult immediately should they experience symptoms of an allergic reaction. Jack's confidence demonstrates to the reader that having a food allergy is not a stigma or shame. Rather, it is a safety issue made simple with the ability to self advocate. Whether a child has allergies or has a friend who does, they will benefit from social lessons such as not sharing food, washing hands, and embracing one another's differences. This book equips children with social and safety knowledge, as well as the tools needed to confidently navigate life with food allergies.

The Peanut Pickle: A Story about Peanut Allergy By Jessica Jacobs Read More

Living with a peanut allergy is hard, and peanuts are everywhere! Ben ate peanut butter when he was young and he had a bad allergic reaction. At first he was too scared to speak up about his allergy and tell people that he couldn't be around peanuts. Now at six years old, he knows that speaking up is very important, since he encounters food with peanuts at school, at T-ball practice, at birthday parties, and during the holidays. Because Ben's friends and family care about him, they are always understanding of his condition and are happy to put away dangerous foods if Ben asks them to.

The Peanut Pickle will help children learn how to tell others about a food allergy and explain that they need a safe environment. It will teach them how to deal with difficult and awkward situations that inevitably arise when a child has a life-threatening food allergy. It also includes a guide for parents to help their children with food allergies.

24 color illustrations

The Bugabees: Friends With Food Allergies by Amy Recob Read More

A whimsical tale of eight friends with food allergies. Food allergies are never fun, but best friends always are! This light-hearted story explores the daily routines of eight best buggy friends such as Beetle, Cricket and Butterfly, as they face their respective food allergies with positivity and poise.

At home and at school, at the park, or on the beach, BugaBees find ways to stay safe, have fun, and remember that the joy of friendship is far sweeter than any food they can, or in some cases, can't have.

With captivating illustrations and clever rhyming verse, this fun and fanciful tale teaches children to be happy and healthy in spite of a food allergy diagnosis. While a child could be allergic to any food, BugaBee characters are based on the eight foods that account for 90 percent of all allergic reactions: peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, milk, soy, eggs and wheat.

The BugaBees: Friends with Food Allergies brings fresh optimism and fun to children dealing with the everyday challenges of managing a food allergy. Additional activities and talking points in the back of the book inspire further learning and teaching opportunities for young children and their caregivers.

Speech-Language Delays and Disorders

It Takes Two to Talk by Jan Pepper Read More

This updated edition of The Hanen Center's classic guidebook is a must-have for parents, speech-language pathologists and others who work with or care for young children with language delays. It Takes Two to Talk is written in simple language and is full of beautiful, color illustrations. It shows parents how to help their child communicate and learn language during everyday activities like mealtime, bath time, playtime and book reading. This book is invaluable for parents of children ranging from those who are still at the very earliest stages of communication to those who have begun to talk in short sentences. This edition of It Takes Two to Talk is supported by the most current research. It includes easy-to-use checklists, practical guidelines for choosing communication goals, and a new section on building the foundations for literacy. This book shows parents how to have fun with their children, while turning every interaction into an opportunity for language learning. Parents and professionals will find the new It Takes Two to Talk to be a unique and invaluable resource to promote the communicative development of children with language delays. Rarely do we see a guide that provides information so thoroughly grounded in current research yet so well organized and accessible. Supported by creative illustrations, readers easily find their way from principles to applications in everyday family activities. The Hanen Center's deep knowledge of the field and of families is apparent in every chapter.-Michael J. Guralnick, PhD, Director, Center on Human Development and Disability, Professor of Psychology and Pediatrics University of Washington

The Late Talker: What to Do If Your Child Isn't Talking Yet by Marilyn C. Agin Read More

Every parent eagerly awaits the day his or her child will speak for the first time. For millions of mothers and fathers, however, anticipation turns to anxiety when those initial, all- important words are a long time coming. Many worried parents are reassured that their child is "just a late talker," but unfortunately, that is not always the case. Balanced with a mother's perspective and an acclaimed doctor's experience, this book gives parents advice on:

• Finding the right therapy and therapist
• Negotiating with school boards, teachers, and language specialists
• Speech exercises to do at home with a child

The Late Talker is the first book of its kind, providing effective, practical answers to the questions every concerned parent asks.

The Parent's Guide to Speech and Language Problems by Debra Feit Read More

When a child has communication problems --diagnosed or not-- parents are first looking for a place to go for help. The Parent's Guide to Speech and Language Problems is a one-stop resource, offering not just the most up-to-date medical information but also advice and encouragement from a mom who's been there.

Author Debbie Feit has two children with speech problems and knows what it takes to survive and thrive day-to-day as a family. No other book on the market can match this one for its combination of clinical research and real-world, hands-on parenting solutions.