Learn to Have Fun with Your Senses

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When parents are dealing with a child with special needs, the things a parent must do or feels compelled to do seem never ending. So how wonderful to have a book aimed at children, with the goal of educating them and putting them more in charge of some of the tools and techniques to make their lives more tolerable.

I am talking about John Taylor’s new book called Learn to Have Fun with Your Senses!: The Sensory Avoider’s Survival Guide, geared towards children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), approximately 9 to 12 (or even older) years of age. Material is presented in what feels like child-friendly fonts with a few drawn pictures and stars that highlight main points. There’s not a white page in the entire book and color is used to enhance the appeal to children.

A child with SPD may underrespond to, seek, and/or  avoid sensory input. A child does not typically fit neatly into one  of these categories, but rather, her reaction may vary depending upon the sensory stimulation. John Taylor, Ph.D., addresses the avoidance of sensory input in this new book. The goal of desensitizing a child to specific sensory input is addressed through participation in fun activities often recommended by an occupational therapist (OT).

John  is a recognized authority on ADHD and the sensory challenges that can accompany this disorder. He has examined SPD and addressed it in the home and at school.  He has also authored The Survival Guide for Kids With ADD Or ADHD and The Early Childhood Express.

The first chapter of this book explains our senses in relationship to our brain and what it means to overreact to them. Chapter 2 presents three steps to the child to teach them how to stop overreacting to sensory input.

• Step 1 tells the child that it is important to do activities every day and explains the types of activities he will find in the book.
• Step 2 encourages the child to tell his parents or OT how he feels after doing the activities over time.
• Step 3 reinforces that nutrition, sleep, and avoidance from outside/inside chemicals is important.

Chapter 3 focuses on touch, Chapter 4 examines movement, Chapter 5 presents hearing, Chapter 6 looks at vision, and Chapter 7 surrounds taste and smells. Each chapter begins with a brief quiz that helps the child identify if this particular sense is an issue of concern. The chapters move onto presenting ways the child can take charge of their avoidance of that particular sensory input. The final section of each chapter presents many activities for the child to undertake to begin the process of adjusting to her sensory issues.

Chapters 8, 9, and 10 address nutrition,sleep, and taking care of yourself.  Children are educated on the five nutrients and why they are important to the brain. Foods within each nutrient group are also presented. Next, sleep time and ways to structure a child’s sleep time is presented. Finally, stress is explained and ways to reduce stress is presented. The back of the book contains a nice glossary, along with an informational section on resources containing references under each topic presented in the book’s chapters.

In summary, I love this book! It puts a lot of information and control into the hands of the child. Parents can take a bit of a break and let their child work through the quizzes and activities. Be available to answer questions and to take part in discussions, but until then, sit back, have a cup of coffee, and relax. You are finally not being asked to do something!

Note: Future Horizons provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for being featured on Help! S-O-S for Parents.  The opinions expressed in this post are mine and have not been influenced in any way.