This is a great book for parents who have no idea how to deal with their child's issues. We were clueless and frustrated and now we can actually enjoy family time and day to day activities. It also helped relieve a lot of guilt knowing we are not at fault but there are many things we can to to help our son cope. I would definitely recommend this book to parents and teachers.

With my son's recent diagnosis of sensory problems, I have really been accumulating a library of books on the subject. This books is BY FAR my favorite... I am only half-way through it and have already dog-eared half of the pages I have read. It is packed with practical suggestions/solutions on how to help your sensory child cope with everyday life. If you are only going to buy one book, this should be it.

I'm a mental health therapist as well as a parent of a child with SPD. This is my favorite book both for myself and the parents of my SPD clients. This book is great for family members of kids with SPD, without additional disorders.

Generally, the book that is most recommended is The Out of Sync Child, which is a wonderful book. However, the Out of Sync Child is geared more toward SPD kids with more severe disorders (autism, Asperger's Disorders, etc). Raising a Sensory Smart Child is a perfect reference for children with SPD without accompanying disorders. It provides answers and guidance for for families who have been wondering "what's wrong" for a long time. I'd recommend this book not only for parents, but for teachers, therapists, as well as grandparents, daycare providers and anyone dealing with SPD kids. Truly an educational read.

I'm a mental health therapist as well as a parent of a child with SPD. This is my favorite book both for myself and the parents of my SPD clients. This book is great for family members of kids with SPD, without additional disorders.

Generally, the book that is most recommended is The Out of Sync Child, which is a wonderful book. However, the Out of Sync Child is geared more toward SPD kids with more severe disorders (autism, Asperger's Disorders, etc). Raising a Sensory Smart Child is a perfect reference for children with SPD without accompanying disorders. It provides answers and guidance for for families who have been wondering "what's wrong" for a long time. I'd recommend this book not only for parents, but for teachers, therapists, as well as grandparents, daycare providers and anyone dealing with SPD kids. Truly an educational read.

Everyone should read this book! I cannot think of a person out there that would not benefit from the wealth of knowledge contained in its' pages. If you have a child or even know of a child that might have sensory issues but are unsure, this book will help you decide through many easy behavior checklists as well as more detailed narratives and descriptions of what to look out for. If you know your child does suffer from sensory integration dysfunction, then this is truly the ultimate resource. It includes endless lists of appropriate toys, activities, therapies, further reading, organizations to contact all geared towards helping you help your child navigate the world more joyfully, with significant less stress and discomfort, and more awareness. It explains the condition so thoroughly, in such simple language, with such clear examples, you will feel you really understand what is going on with your child and hundreds of ways you can help. Even if you known about your child's sensory issues for years and have been having regular therapy, I still think the book offers insights and advice that go way beyond the standard information and activities suggested. It goes into great detail, for example, of what to expect in an occupational therapist, what not to settle for, how to handle communication with therapist, your own role in therapy and many other valuable topics that even in a very aware parent could miss or learn from. I would even think parents or those involved with kids who don't necessarily have problematic sensory issues could benefit from reading the book; I know I read the book because my second daughter suffers from sensory integration dysfunction but found as I was reading that my first child really had touches of it earlier on that still come up at times today. Though they were not disrupting her life in any glaring way, I wasn't always compassionate about some of her seemingly exaggerated requests or complaints that after reading the book I could see where actually quite valid for someone who is even slightly more sensory sensitive. This book will make you a better, more aware, more effective parent or child care giver. I can't recommend it highly enough!

I like the detailed listing of all the different kinds of conditions, which puts things in perspective. It has also helped me weed through so much of the hype found on various quack web sites. I shared the book with my mother-in-law and she has found it useful too. This book is informative.

I've been researching this subject for some time and fighting for almost 3 years to get my child tested for and receive SI Therapy....this is a great book from people who REALLY get it!

Don't listen to the reviewer who only gave this book one star. It is full of knowledgable insight and tons of helpful information. This book is a good one for parents who are just learning about SPD. Sensory Processing Disorders are real and he needs to educate himself about them. I am the parent of a child who overcame her sensory integration dysfunction. Early intervention is key. There are many therapies available to help. Finding therapists who are knowledable of it is very important. This book leads you in the right direction. If I would have listened to naysayers like this, my daughter would not be the happy, healthy, and outgoing young lady she is today! Meghan's World: The Story of One Girl's Triumph over Sensory Processing Disorder

This book empowers parents to support their children in positive ways on an on-going basis. Every therapist who treats children with sensory processing disorders owes it to the parents to recommend this book as a "must" for daily survival. glenda fuge, MS, OTR/L

Most books tell you what's wrong with your child. Well, most parents can write their own book in regards to that. This gives you tons of ideas of how to introduce tons of therapy to your child that's practical and fun. It's the best book for SI problems and solutions.

My simple recommendation as a teacher of special education and parent of a special needs kid with ASD is BUY BUY BUY.

Quite simply if you have or teach any child with Special Needs, not just SI, buy this book.
The book is comprehensive with in depth theoretical knowledge plus plenty of strategies that are practical and easily implemented at home and / or school. Well referenced and researched contains chapters dealing with alternative therapies ...be warned these authors say some of them don't come up to scratch, based on research and I agree. This is the only book you will need in regards to OT and SI and you might save a lot of money designing your own programme.

If your child has been diagnosed with SID or you are a teacher this book is a must have. It is well written and easy to read for parents and professionals. It gives excellent recommendations for a disorder that is very broad. As a former special education teacher I wish I would have read this information while I was still in the classroom. It is absolutely invaluable both in and out of the classroom!

This book has a TON of information about Sensory Integration Dysfunction. There are tons of fun activities that are very easy to do and are fun for kids of all ages and abilities. There is also an excellent guide in the back of the book which gives websites for additional information and sensory equipment.

This book has a TON of information about Sensory Integration Dysfunction. There are tons of fun activities that are very easy to do and are fun for kids of all ages and abilities. There is also an excellent guide in the back of the book which gives websites for additional information and sensory equipment.

This book is packed with useful, applicable tips for helping a child with DSI or Sensory Processing issues cope with the world around them. Even the most knowledgable parent or professional can benefit from the wealth of suggestions and techniques to help a child adapt with an uncomfortable world.

This book is packed with useful, applicable tips for helping a child with DSI or Sensory Processing issues cope with the world around them. Even the most knowledgable parent or professional can benefit from the wealth of suggestions and techniques to help a child adapt with an uncomfortable world.

I thought this was a great book. It was well organized, detailed and very informative. I would highly recommend it for anyone who would like to better understand sensory issues.

I highly recommend this comprehensive and detailed guide to helping children with sensory issues. With authorship shared by an occupational therapist and the mother of son with sensory issues, it is chock full of helpful insights and tips from both a therapeutic and a parental perspective.

This book goes into more detail than most, is very up to date, and includes numerous resources for appropriate toys, products, and additional websites.

This is a very useful book for parents of any child who has been formally diagnosed with sensory issues or sensory integration disorder, but also for those parents who simply notice that their children are sometimes overwhelmed by their internal states or environmental stimuli.

Chapters include descriptions of the seven senses, how to tune in to your child, working with occupational therapists, handling developmental delays, improving speech, picky eating, learning and getting organized, nutrition, sleep, stress, discipline, tantrums and more!

There are also great sections on advocating for your child at school and helping your teenager with sensory issues.

This is the book you need if you are trying to get your sensory sensitive child services through your board of education, and guides you through it. Even if your child has an IEP, it helps you to learn how and where to advocate for your child to ensure the IEP is working for your child.I can not recommend this book highly enough, it is amazing! The language is geared towards facilitating parental understanding of the Central Nervous System and how an improperly functioning one manifests itself in the many faces of Sensory Processing Disorder. I now understand the basic underlying reasons why my child reacts to certain situations the way that she does, and have gained tremmendous patience with this new understanding and have taught others to understand her triggers and needs better. It has made for better family dinners and play dates overall. We still have a way to go, but we are making progress.

Author of
THE TRUTH
ABOUT CAFFEINE

This is the book you need if you are trying to get your sensory sensitive child services through your board of education, and guides you through it. Even if your child has an IEP, it helps you to learn how and where to advocate for your child to ensure the IEP is working for your child.I can not recommend this book highly enough, it is amazing! The language is geared towards facilitating parental understanding of the Central Nervous System and how an improperly functioning one manifests itself in the many faces of Sensory Processing Disorder. I now understand the basic underlying reasons why my child reacts to certain situations the way that she does, and have gained tremmendous patience with this new understanding and have taught others to understand her triggers and needs better. It has made for better family dinners and play dates overall. We still have a way to go, but we are making progress.


Marina Kushner
Author
The Truth About Caffeine: How Companies That Promote It Deceive Us and What We Can Do about It

I really have enjoyed this book and keep it close by to refer to often. It is written very clear and gave me an even better understanding of where my daughter is coming from with her sensory intake and needs.
Thanks so much to the authors of this book!

I am also an Occupational Therapist. I bought this book and now recommend it to all of my parents who come to me for help with thier children's sensory problems. It is a wonderful resource for parents and people who want to know what sensory processing is, what to do about it and what to do about all of the other problems the kids have because of their sensory issues. It is a must buy.

'Raising A Sensory Smart Child' is a 'must have' reference for anyone involved with a child experiencing sensory integration issues. The author de-mystifies a difficult subject and helps the reader feel comfortable with both understanding and being able to competently deal with these very involved issues. It is a refreshingly pragmatic and therefore highly useful review of the various aspects of S.I. leaving the parent, educator &/or provider feeling unusually enpowered in this poorly understood and often controversial area.
My best friend bought me this book and another book called The Truth About Caffeine : How Companies That Promote it Deceive Us and What We Can Do About It. Since he knows I quit black tea recently, he's been really wonderful helping me in cope with my mood swings. This book is a labor of love I loved the book and don't miss coffee one bit. Buy it here or visit CaffeineAwareness.org for more info.

After reading multiple books on SPD, I found this one the most helpful in everyday life. Out of Sync Child was great for an explanation, as is this book, but Raising.... takes the explanation and provides everyday senarios for coping. I don't recommend it's use for diagnosis -- obviously seek professional guidance -- but for those of us with kids and the diagnosis of SPD, this book provides empathy, understanding, as well as the much needed coping strategies for helping parents feel "normal" in their "amazingly unpredictable" lives.

I've never left a review before, but wanted to do so after reading another review that basically called sensory integration disorder a made-up quack diagnosis. I have taken my 4 year old to a pediatric neurologist, a pediatric neuropsychologist, and 2 occupational therapists. ALL of them diagnosed him with sensory integation disorder. This is a real condition, and needs to be addressed and treated. After 5 months in OT, we are seeing huge improvements. Experts do diagnose SID, and OT does work. There is little out there in terms of reading resources, and I'm happy to have any information. After 3 years of thinking my son was a bit quirky, it's a blessing to read that he is not alone.

This is a great resource, written in parent friendly terms by a parent and an OT! Lots of great ideas for treatment and everyday living with a child with sensory issues. This is much better than the Out of Sync Child especially since it is written by a mom and an OT together- the best to talk about the subject. I have referred it to many of my clients and friends and it has been helpful to all!!

"Raising A Sensory Smart Child" is a 'must have' reference for anyone involved with a child experiencing sensory integration issues. The author effectively de-mystifies a difficult subject and helps the reader feel comfortable with both understanding and being able to competently deal with these very involved issues. It is a refreshingly pragmatic and therefore highly useful review of the various aspects of S.I. leaving the parent, educator &/or provider feeling enpowered in this poorly understood and sometimes controversial area.

Even if you have read one or two other books on sensory integration you will find this book helpful. It delves into topics that parents care about like self-care (such as dressing, tooth brushing, and eating) and socializing (such as parties, crowds, noise), providing suggestions for making these situations easier. Many other important aspects of parenting a child with sensory integration are addressed, such as coping with tantrums, rigidity, and overload. As the parent of a child with SI (Childrensdisabilities.info) I would recommend this book to any parent who has a child with any level of sensory integration problems, but especially to those whose children are struggling in their daily lives.

The plethora of "experts" in child pathology is troublesome; seems like everyone's trying to make a buck from desperate parents. Parents need to consider how expert the "expert" really is. They also need to consider that there is no evidence of "sensory integration disorder." Slapping pop OT labels on problems doesn't aid our understanding; rather, it detracts from it.

My recommendation for parents is to have your child assessed by a real expert: a pediatric neuropsychologist. These doctors are the real deal, and can give you an eval of all the systems (not just one) and how they are integrated and affect each other. Don't spin your wheels on theories and popular ideas: Get yourself to a real expert.

This book is a great tool for understanding your child if they have SID.

Authors Lindsey Biel and Nancy Peske have done a bang-up job in explaining to the 'everyday man' the vast and far-reaching effects of sensory challenges. As our world gets faster, louder, more crowded and stress-laden, it's not just kids with disabilities who experience sensory issues. It's all kids, to some extent or another. Take that one step further: all people. Yet many know little about sensory dysfunction and how much it can compromise learning and functioning on a daily basis.

As a writer/editor in the field of autism/Asperger's, I've read many a book about sensory integration. What makes this one stand out is the clear, conversational tone coupled with page after page of practical, helpful information. The authors explain sensory integration (yes, the SEVEN senses!), describe how to recognize it in your child (or yourself!), tell you about the professionals in the field, then go on to detail tons of everyday solutions that can make a difference in the life of your child or student. The all-important topics of nutrition, stress, sleep, and behavior issues are given their due; there's even resources for toys and equipment included.

Destined to become your 'bible' of sensory integration!

The title may be intimidating to some of you. But this book is highly recommended for EVERY parent. Every kid is a little "goofy" at times, sometimes amazingly so. This book explains how and why kids act "goofy".

What does sensory integration (SI) dysfunction feel like? Authors Lindsey Biel, MA, OTR/L, and Nancy Peske, parent of a child with SI dysfunction, ask the reader to imagine how an adult with SI dysfunction might feel while preparing a spaghetti dinner in her own kitchen.

"The fluorescent light gives you a headache, and you can't find the tomato sauce in your crowded pantry. The lettuce in your hands feels slimy and repulsive. The smell of garlic makes you queasy. You don't hear the boiling water on the stove, and it bubbles over, flooding your pilot light so the stove won't relight. You bump your head on a cabinet, trip over the cat, and spill the salad. By the time dinner is on the table, you're a nervous wreck and you've yelled at everyone. All you want to do is crawl into bed and sleep. What if you were to experience this disastrous dinner scenario every night, and nobody seemed to understand? After all, everyone else is able to see the can on the shelf and the cat on the floor, so why can't you? Strong smells don't upset them and flickering, harsh lights don't give them headaches." (p.15)

Through vivid illustrations like this, Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Integration Issues continually reminds readers that children with SI dysfunction do not experience the world as we do. They need their parents' help to learn how to self-regulate, adapt and overcome. The evaluation and treatment of Peske's son, as seen through the eyes of parent and therapist, demonstrate key points and provide continuity throughout the book.

Biel and Peske explain the sophisticated reasoning of occupational therapists - what may look like "play" to a parent is actually a well-planned response to minute-by-minute observations performed by a skilled practitioner.

Sensory Smart's most helpful aspect is teaching parents how to be better observers and analyzers of behavior. The book abounds with checklists-from signs of sensory overload to self-help, cognitive and self-regulation benchmarks.

Chapter seven, "Practical Solutions for Everyday Sensory Problems," offers effective suggestions for problematic activities familiar to pediatric therapists-hair washing, bathing, mealtimes, parties and more. Websites and toll-free numbers are included in the text for immediate use and are repeated in an appendix for handy reference.

After reading this book, parents will be able to take advantage of everyday opportunities to address specific SI challenges. The authors are constantly optimistic and encouraging about potential - the potential of parents and children to develop sensory smarts, and the potential of children to become happy, productive adults. At the same time, Biel and Peske are realistic about human nature. Parents won't be discouraged if they can't provide the optimum environment 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

What could the authors have done better? There are few charts, illustrations and photos, making this a very text-heavy read. A greater variety of font sizes and types, and more bullets, charts and photos would break things up visually, especially important for busy parents. I would also recommend repeating all the checklists in a single appendix.

One last point: Biel and Peske offer sound advice for choosing a therapist (p. 104), counsel that serves as a wonderful reminder and pick-me-up to pediatric therapists: "Good technique and good intentions are crucial, but they are inadequate in and of themselves. Find someone who is very skilled and who will also love your child and create a safe, warm environment in which your child can express himself and flourish. Because only a therapist - or any caregiver for that matter - with an open, loving heart and a good eye and ear for spoken and unspoken needs will really be able to help."


Laura Knight is a pediatric physical therapist with Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System in Spartanburg, SC.

As an OT with a child having sensory integration issues, I though this book was excellent for reading and giving practical solutions. I have started to refer this book to parents instead of the "OUT OF SYNC CHILD" because I found it to be easier to understand, not as technical, and gives very practical solutions for everyday dilemmas. Although I use "The Out of Sync Child" for my own reference, parents give me feedback that it was too scary for them and that all of it did not apply to them. Education is the best way to deal with Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID) and this book helps to educate a parent!

I just finished reading this book and found it to be wonderful. I have been an occupational therapist for 21 years working with children with these type of issues. I also have a child myself that has sensory defensiveness. I found this book to be a great resource--I would recommend it for therapists and parents!

I'm on my second time through this book. It has a very balanced approach to sensory integration disorder. There are personal stories, clinical (yet easy to understand) explanations, helpful resources and products, activity ideas, and even what to say to "well-meaning" friends, relatives and strangers. I'm getting tremendous insight into our daughters' problems.

I am a mother of a sensory child. This book changed my life, and it is an essential resource for anyone who wants to learn or help a child with sensory integration. It is my "Bible".

Unlike most books on sensory integration, it was written by a mother Nancy Peske, and an OT, Lindsey Biel, who understand what it is like to have and raise and treat a sensory child. It is easy to read and understand and begins by telling a story of Nancy Peske's own personal experiences with her own child to explain what it is like to have a sensory child, and to accept that you have a sensory child and how to help your sensory child.

This wonderful book provides practical solutions for everyday living. This book truly helps you to understand what sensory issues are, and what the technical language means (in easy to understand explanations and examples).

This book is the best I have ever read with respect to providing specific techniques you can use to help your sensory child to eat, play, sleep and learn efficiently, to focus, to pay attention, to organize, to self-regulate and so much more.

This book also tells you what you can do as a parent to help advocate for your child. It provides the steps for evaluation, and the types of therapies which are available at home and what to expect when you work with an OT. The book also contains information on how to set up an IEP or a 504 plan for your child and how to get the services you need to help your child.

This book is extremely practical and what I like the best about it, is that is written like a handbook, so that if you already are familiar with sensory integration, you can read any chapter without having to read the entire book to find the resources that you need. The book provides plenty of links to current research and valuable sources of information in books, videos, DVDs and online, which have made such a huge difference in my life and my son's life!

I have read all the books and research on the internet out there on sensory integration and this book is definitely the best. I recommend it to any parent, teacher, caregiver, OT or friend who wants to help understand and/or successfully treat a child with sensory integration.

I highly recommend that you also read the Out of Sync Child, and the Out of Sync Child Has Fun, by Carol Stock Kranowitz which are also essential resources on sensory integration.

I am an occupational therapist and this book by far is the best resource for strategies to help all aspects of daily life impacted by difficulties with sensory processing. It has been an excellent source of knowledge for myself as well as for the families I work with. I have recommended it to many of my families.

An excellent, practical resource, in addition to "The Out of Sync Child Has Fun". More practical information for the parent, more ideas to try for your particular child's needs and situations. The type of things you would ask and receive answers from another mom who has "been through it" with their child with sensory integration issues.