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

I am an occupational therapist and always look for resources for parents and teachers who have children with special needs. This book is written by one of the "gurus" of sensory processing. The information is based on significant research as well as extensive clinical experience of Lucy Jane Miller. It contains the theoretical information which explains sensory processing problems, but it is very user friendly. It is easy to understand and doesn't just explain sensory processing, but provides strategies for helping a child with the problem as well. Full of information that can really make a difference. Highly recommended!

I have just finished this book and it picks up where "The Out of Sync Child" (also an excellent book) left off. This should be required reading for pediatricians and teachers, since there are still many who either don't know or don't believe that SPD exists. Each chapter describes a day in the life of a child. One child is developing normally and the rest each have different types of SPD. The contrast between the "normal" child's day and the experiences of the SPD children is priceless in helping people understand what it feels like to be inside the mind and body of a kid with SPD. Lucy Jane Miller gives multiple strategies for coping with an SPD child's needs at home, at school and in the community and gives parents reassurance that things CAN get better with the proper care. If you know a sensory-challenged child, this book should be in your library.

Have you ever wanted to be a 'little mouse in the corner' to see what life is really like for children with a Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)? You can do that through Lucy Miller's new book, Sensational Kids. This book is truly sensational. I've been recommending it to a lot of the parents and teachers of students I service. Part I includes the basics about Sensory Processing Disorder (background, symptoms and warning signs, assessment and diagnosis, treatment and strategies). Part II - Living with Sensational Kids is our opportunity to read about "a day in the life of" children with a Sensory Processing Disorder. In this section, Lucy introduces 5 case studies (typically developing child and four young children who each have a different Sensory Processing Disorder -- over-responsive, under-responsive, sensory-seeking, and dyspraxia). The section continues with these same children at an older age. Part III goes beyond the basics and includes the science of SPD, combination disorders, causes and prevalence, intervention methods and treatment effectiveness, and a personal message to parents. This book could have been called "Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sensory Processing Disorder but were Afraid to Ask." Not only is it informative, but it's very easy to read. I highly recommend the book.

My 3.5 year-old daughter was diagnosed with SPD (at that time it was called SID) when she was 8 months old, and has been in and out of OT ever since. Lately she has had some significant behavior problems, and we have tried multiple strategies that haven't worked. I'm a counselor and parent coach, and I was beginning to feel very inept because all the strategies that I teach my clients weren't working with my own child. When I started reading this book, I realized (duh!) that the behavior issues were caused by SPD, and, therefore, typical "behavior management" techniques don't work the same way. We have changed our framework in responding to her behavior, and my daughter has become the most cooperative and happy child overnight. Her teachers have even noticed a huge change from just giving her a big tight hug when she begins to "melt down." It's incredible! Our lives have been completely changed in just a few days. Thank you, Lucy, and we hope to see you soon at the STAR Center in Colorado!

Listen . . . Do you want to know A SECRET? I'm in love with this book. It's a true page-turner. If you are a parent or other adult caring for a child with SPD, please do yourself a favor. Read the book to learn about Lucy Jane Miller's creative and flexible technique for helping children with SPD, which is addressing the seven elements of her acronym: A SECRET. The seven elements are Attention, Sensation, Emotion regulation, Culture, Relationships, Environment, and Tasks. Addressing these elements will turn your child's world around, at home and school. How do Lucy Miller and her co-author, Doris Fuller, manage to make this subject so interesting? They do it through vibrant stories of children and their families. As you read, you know these families, you feel for these families, you are these families. You want to learn what will happen next, and the authors oblige. The book includes everything a parent needs: the basics of SPD, as only the world's expert on the subject can explain; examples of what it is like to live with sensational kids and how to provide the most appropriate environments for them at home and school; and further discussions of the science of SPD, the connection of SPD to ADHD, the prevalence of SPD, and intervention methods. The authors are compassionate, articulate, and exceptionally thorough. They answer questions that you may not have thought of asking, even if you are a knowledgeable, experienced parent, teacher, or therapist devoted to a child with SPD. When you finish reading, you will feel completely informed and satisfied -- and totally hopeful about your sensational kid.