Sensational Kids : Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder

by Miller, Lucy Jane; Fuller, Doris A.

• ISBN13: 9780399153372
• ISBN10: 0399153373
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-04-20
• Publisher: Putnam Adult

Summary

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. Comprehensive and compassionate, Sensational Childrenis the book no parent, teacher, or caregiver of children with SPD should be without.

Author Biography

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.

Table of Contents

Foreword	xiii
Carol Stock Kranowitz
Introduction	xix
Part I. The Basics
What Is Sensory Processing Disorder?	3	(16)
Sensory Processing and SPD	4	(2)
The Legacy of Dr. A. Jean Ayres	6	(4)
Behavior and SPD	10	(4)
Context and Sensory Processing Disorder	14	(5)
Symptoms and Warning Signs	19	(23)
Red Flags and Early Warnings	20	(1)
Sensory Modulation Disorder (SMD)	21	(9)
Sensory Over-Responsivity	22	(3)
Sensory Under-Responsivity	25	(2)
Sensory Seeking	27	(3)
Sensory-Based Motor Disorder (SBMD)	30	(6)
Dyspraxia	31	(3)
Postural Disorder	34	(2)
Sensory Discrimination Disorder (SDD)	36	(3)
When Red Flags Go Up	39	(3)
Assessment and Diagnosis	42	(16)
Early Diagnosis	44	(3)
Screening for SPD	47	(2)
The Multidisciplinary Team	49	(2)
The OT Evaluation	51	(4)
Diagnosis	55	(3)
Treatment and Strategies	58	(19)
Family-Centered Care	60	(1)
The Role of Intervention	61	(3)
How Parent Priorities Become Treatment Goals	64	(4)
A Sensational SECRET	68	(3)
Treatment Frequency and Duration	71	(6)
Part II. Living with Sensational Kids
Ryan, a Typically Developing First-Grader	77	(19)
LaTanya, an Over-Responsive Kindergartner	96	(37)
Tam, an Under-Responsive Second-Grader	133	(34)
Ben, a Sensory-Seeking Preschooler	167	(38)
Abby, a Dyspraxic Third-Grader	205	(32)
As Sensational Children Grow Up	237	(14)
Abby and Children with Dyspraxia	240	(2)
Ben and Sensory Seekers	242	(1)
Tam and Children with Under-Responsivity	243	(2)
LaTanya and Children with Over-Responsivity	245	(1)
Planning for the Future	246	(5)
Part III. Beyond the Basics
The Science of SPD	251	(15)
``What's Going on in the Brain of My Child?''	253	(7)
Research Implications	260	(6)
Beyond the Types	266	(17)
The Prevalence of Combination Disorders	267	(6)
Sensory Under-Responsivity with Postural Disorder	270	(1)
Dyspraxia with Postural Disorder	270	(1)
Dyspraxia with Sensory Seeking	271	(1)
Other Combination Patterns	272	(1)
The SPD-ADHD Connection	273	(6)
SPD and Other Disorders	279	(2)
Subjectivity in Diagnosis	281	(2)
Causes and Prevalence	283	(8)
Whose Fault Is It, Anyway?	284	(7)
Heredity	285	(1)
Prenatal Conditions and Birth Trauma	286	(1)
Environmental Factors	287	(4)
Intervention Methods and Treatment Effectiveness	291	(10)
The Role of Play in Therapy	292	(3)
The Parent's Role in Therapy	295	(1)
The Effectiveness of Therapy	296	(5)
CONCLUSION. A Personal Message to Parents	301	(6)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS	307	(34)
APPENDICES
A. Resources for Parents, Teachers, and Therapists	311	(10)
B. ICDL Diagnostic Classifications for SPD	321	(2)
C. The Language of Sensory Processing Disorder	323	(2)
D. Eligibility Requirements for Screening/Evaluation Under IDEA	325	(2)
E. Locating a Multidisciplinary Team	327	(2)
F. What Will a Team Evaluation Cost?	329	(2)
G. Locating and Choosing a Qualified Occupational Therapist	331	(2)
H. Sample Letter for Helping Others Understand Your Sensational Child	333	(4)
I. Roster of Research Collaborators	337	(4)
Index	341