Sensory Processing Disorder Answer Book : Practical Answers to the Top 250 Questions Parents Ask / by Tara Delaney

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Sensory Processing Disorder Answer Book : Practical Answers to the Top 250 Questions Parents Ask / by Tara Delaney SENSORY P SENSORY Is there medication for sensory processing disorder? How can occupational therapy help? What advice can I give my child’s teacher? THE Q Can you “outgrow” sensory processing disorder? How can we make social situations less of an ordeal? What are some therapeutic activities I can do with my child? SENSORY & It is estimated that more than 10 percent of children deal with some rocessin form of sensory processing disorder (SPD), a neurological disorder A characterized by the misinterpretation of everyday sensory information, PROCESSING such as touch, sound, and movement. For many children, SPD can lead to academic struggles, behavioral problems, difficulties with coordination, and other issues. The Sensory Processing Disorder Answer TM Book G DISORDER is a reassuring, authoritative reference, providing sound advice and immediate answers to your most pressing questions about SPD, DISORDER ANS such as: What is sensory processing? Is SPD a sign of autism? W Does SPD affect social skills? Are there tests for SPD? ANSWERBOOK Can you see sensory processing How do I get a prescription for ER difficulties in an infant? occupational therapy? Practical Answers to the Top 250 BOOK How do I teach my child to ANS What is Sensory Integration Questions Parents Ask Therapy? understand his sensory needs? W Written in an easy-to-read question and answer format, The Sensory Processing Disorder Answer Book helps you fully understand SPD, conquer your fears, and seek help for your child when ER TM What are the signs? necessary. BOOK Is it related to Tara Delaney MS, OTR/L is a pediatric Parenting/Special Needs autism? occupational therapist and founder of BabySteps, a $14.95 U.S./ $15.99 CAN/ £7.99 UK ISBN-13: 978-1-4022-1123-2 pediatric therapy and educational services company ISBN-10: 1-4022-1123-6 TM What are the (www.babystepstherapy.com). She conducts seminars internationally on sensory processing treatment options? EAN issues through the Making Sense-ory™ series. Delaney Can my child receive therapy at school? UPC www.sourcebooks.com TARA DELANEY, MS, OTR/L Susan Ashley, PhD SensoryProcessing.int:Layout 1 5/9/08 4:45 PM Page i THE SENSORYSENSORY PROCESSINGPROCESSING DISORDERDISORDER ANSWERBOOK TM Practical Answers to the Top 250 Questions Parents Ask TARA DELANEY, MS, OTR/L SensoryProcessing.int:Layout 1 5/9/08 2:22 PM Page ii Copyright © 2008 by Tara Delaney Cover and internal design © 2008 by Sourcebooks, Inc. Cover photo © iStockphoto/YazolinoGirl Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.—From a Declaration of Principles Jointly Adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations This book is not intended as a substitute for medical advice from a qualified physician. The intent of this book is to provide accurate general information in regard to the subject matter covered. If medical advice or other expert help is needed, the services of an appropriate medical professional should be sought. All brand names and product names used in this book are trademarks, registered trademarks, or trade names of their respective holders. Sourcebooks, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor in this book. Published by Sourcebooks, Inc. P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567–4410 (630) 961–3900 Fax: (630) 961–2168 www.sourcebooks.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Delaney, Tara. The sensory processing disorder answer book : practical answers to the top 250 questions parents ask / By Tara Delaney. ISBN: 978-1-4022-1933-7 Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Sensory integration dysfunction in children. 2. Sensory integration dysfunction. I. Title. RJ496.S44D45 2008 618.92'8—dc22 2008012929 Printed and bound in the United States of America. BG 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 SensoryProcessing.int:Layout 1 5/9/08 2:22 PM Page iii Contents Acknowledgments . .v Introduction . .vii Chapter 1: What Is Sensory Processing Disorder? . .1 Chapter 2: Understanding Sensory Integration . .17 Chapter 3: Recognizing SPD . .33 Chapter 4: Other Signs and Symptoms . .47 Chapter 5: Getting a Diagnosis . .55 Chapter 6: Treatment . .71 Chapter 7: Your Child at Home . .85 Chapter 8: Sensory Integration Strategies . .97 Chapter 9: School-Based Therapy . .107 Chapter 10: Strategies for School Success . .121 Chapter 11: Social Situations . .133 Chapter 12: Touchy Topics . .145 Chapter 13: The Adult Years . .153 Chapter 14: SPD and Other Disorders . .163 Chapter 15: Special Populations . .173 Chapter 16: Therapeutic Activities . .183 Chapter 17: Resources . .197 Appendix A: Sample Sensory Diet . .203 Appendix B: Behavior Flowchart . .205 Bibliography . .207 Index . .215 About the Author . .231 SensoryProcessing.int:Layout 1 5/9/08 2:22 PM Page iv SensoryProcessing.int:Layout 1 5/9/08 2:22 PM Page v Acknowledgments I owe a deep thanks to June Clark of Fine Print Literary Agency for her dedication to her writers and her openness to ideas, as well as her intellectual insight. Your spirit and passion for life are infectious! Thanks to Sara Appino, my editor at Sourcebooks, for offering valu- able advice and truly “welcoming” all the answers on Sensory Processing Disorder. To all my colleagues and friends in the therapy and research world who I learn from every day, I am in constant awe of your skill, commitment and ability to inspire and help kids. To the faculties at the University of Texas Health Science Center and the University of Wisconsin Occupational Therapy schools: I owe a debt of gratitude to you for equip- ping me with knowledge as well as inspiring me to seek answers. To the team at BabySteps, your professionalism and commitment to children touch me. Thanks to Mary Hamrick, Director of Speech Therapy, for all the brainstorming sessions and your desire to make life better for the kids we serve. Thanks to the Donaghy, Delaney, McPhillips and McCaghey clans for encouraging creativity and seeing possibilities. I am truly grateful to my three sisters, Heather, Megan, and Megan, for thinking I can do anything! To my parents, Julie and Denis McCaghey, thanks for your unceasing love. Mom, you believe everything I write is important, and of course the world will want to read it! Dad, you taught me that failure only comes when you quit, so keep going. Thanks to Maggie and Liam, my children, for teaching me that ques- tions and answers are lived and learned. My greatest gratitude goes to my husband Bill for making my passion his and devoting many late hours to reading and reworking ideas. You are a gift. SensoryProcessing.int:Layout 1 5/9/08 2:22 PM Page vi SensoryProcessing.int:Layout 1 5/9/08 2:22 PM Page vii Introduction It’s interesting how life is… I have been a pediatric occupational thera- pist for fifteen years. I specialize in Sensory Processing Disorder, as well as autism spectrum disorders, in my private practice, BabySteps, a pediatric therapy and educational services company. Because I teach sensory processing courses to fellow therapists, educators, and parents, I am asked a broad range of questions that I record and incorporate into my practice and courses. As life would have it, those questions and answers are more pertinent to my life than I could have imagined. In 2004 I adopted a little girl from China. All those questions I was asked as an occupational therapist were now mine as a parent, because I now had a child with sensory “issues.” Questions such as: Why doesn’t she like to be cuddled? We’re supposed to bond! Why does she arch away from me—doesn’t she like me? Why does she scream when she gets near water? Babies are supposed to love water! How can I parent a child who is afraid of everyday sensations? Even as the questions flooded my brain, the answers, my answers, were sitting right there. Seeing my child struggle with everyday sensory information drove me to organize the wide body of knowledge floating around about Sensory Processing Disorder into a coherent and useful answer book. This book systematically endeavors to answer some of the most common, as well as unusual, questions about Sensory Processing Disorder and how it impacts our children’s lives. I attempt to answer all the pertinent questions about what sensory processing is, how to tell when it is not functioning properly (Sensory Processing Disorder), and what you, as a parent, can do about it. SensoryProcessing.int:Layout 1 5/9/08 2:22 PM Page viii SensoryProcessing.int:Layout 1 5/9/08 2:22 PM Page 1 Chapter 1 WHAT IS SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER? ■ What is sensory processing? ■ What is Sensory Processing Disorder? ■ What causes SPD? ■ What are some of the general signs of Sensory Processing Disorder? ■ Who “discovered” SPD? ■ What percentage of the population has Sensory Processing Disorder? ■ I’ve heard it called Sensory Integration Dysfunction and Sensory Processing Disorder. Which is it? ■ What are the three categories of Sensory Processing Disorder? ■ What is Sensory Over-Responsivity? ■ What is Sensory Under-Responsivity? ■ What does sensory seeking or craving mean? ■ What are the Sensory Based Motor Disorders? ■ What is Postural Disorder? ■ What is Dyspraxia? ■ Don’t we all have some sensory “issues”? ■ Is Sensory Processing Disorder a real diagnosis? ■ Can a child have SPD without having another diagnosis? ■ Can a child have SPD in addition to another diagnosis? ■ Do more boys suffer from sensory processing difficulties than girls? ■ It seems like Sensory Processing Disorder is on the rise.
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