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

~ Lucy Jane Miller (Author), Doris A. Fuller (Contributor) "When Emma Reinhart was born twelve weeks early, weighing barely two pounds, the Reinharts were warned that prematurity might result in some developmental delays..." (more)
Key Phrases: sensational children, sensational kids, sensory seekers, Sensory Processing Disorder, Lucy Jane Miller, Sensory Modulation Disorder (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Warm, well-written and accessible, this should be every parent's "go-to" book for questions about their child's sensory development... -- Kirkus Reports, March 3, 2006

Product Description

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 Kids is the book no parent, teacher, or caregiver of children with SPD should be without.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; 1 edition (April 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399153373
• ISBN-13: 978-0399153372
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #265,799 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All your questions answered here!, July 7, 2006

By	Carol Kranowitz (Bethesda, MD USA) - See all my reviews

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.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I highly recommend Sensational Kids, October 3, 2006

By	Deanna I. Sava (Buffalo Grove, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FINALLY! Someone who understands..., November 3, 2006

By	Kim Adam "tireless reader" (Duncan, SC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.