“She needs to make better choices if she’s going to remain on the team.” “He chose not to cooperate in school today.” Do the adults in your child’s life make assumptions about your child’s ability to make conscious choices about his or her behavior? And are you sometimes too quick to assume that your child is being willful when what’s really going on is that your child is not able to meet the expectations being placed on them? Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, the author of Raising Your

Too loose, too tight, wrong fit—kids with sensory issues can be very resistant to clothing that doesn’t feel right on their body. When a child's tactile system (their sense of touch) doesn’t function typically, a tactile sensation that’s no big deal to a neurotypical kid might be a huge deal and very anxiety-provoking. While some prefer the loose feel of an oversized t-shirt, loose cotton shorts or skirts, or Crocs clogs, some kids with sensory issues crave tighter clothing.

The smell of new markers, the feel of new back-to-school clothes, the sight of new kids and adults bustling about in the school building—all are a part of the back-to-school experience. For a student with sensory issues, everyday sensations such as these can register in the brain much more intensely than they do for other kids, and it can be anxiety-provoking to sort out all the sensory input. It's common for kids with sensory issues to really struggle with self-regulation at

Kids with sensory issues can be quirky, frustrating, and even delightful—and for sure, their behaviors can sometimes confuse us parents. By opening up conversations that are characterized by curiosity and a genuine desire to connect with our kids, we can better understand the "why" behind behaviors and come up with alternative ways for our kids to meet their sensory needs. In fact, many quirky behaviors can be helpful for self-regulation, making it easier for them to focus an

Kids need discipline, but what exactly does "discipline" mean? The word comes from a Latin root meaning "to teach," so "discipline" does NOT mean punishment. It means teaching. What do we need to teach our kids with sensory processing disorder? First and foremost, we have to teach self-regulation skills. We also want to teach social skills—along with what are the natural consequences for behavior. We need to teach social rules which, as we all know, can be very complicated. H

It’s developmentally appropriate for very young children to have meltdowns when frustrated. It’s also developmentally appropriate for older children with developmental delays and other issues. That’s because these children haven’t yet developed strong self-regulation skills. When they’re frustrated or upset or overstimulated, their emotions overwhelm them. They crumple into a ball on the floor, wailing and even lashing out with their fists if someone takes their arm and tries

Award-winning. Best-selling. Loved by parents all around the world. Five-star reviews galore. Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Processing Issues has just been updated and revised, with an entirely new chapter on Technology and Kids with Sensory Issues. This new edition of RAISING A SENSORY SMART CHILD is comprehensive and contains the very latest information. In this “bible” of sensory processing, readers will learn:

Kids with sensory processing disorder often are anxious because of their sensory processing differences—and their SPD can worsen any anxiety they already have. That’s because they are constantly working to make sense of the signals they’re getting from their environment (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations) and from inside their bodies (vestibular, proprioceptive, and interoceptive senses of movement, body awareness of muscles and body parts, body awareness of

Whatever our personal qualities are, whether we see them as positive, negative, or neutral, they can lead us to our passions and purpose. As a parent of a child who is clearly different from the rest, how can you support him or her in feeling good about those differences? My "different" and quirky son once said to me, "Mom, everyone's different and everyone's the same. It just depends on how you want to look at it." Why not choose to see the positives and the strengths instea

Need a quick technique to help your child ease her anxiety? Teach her these simple breathing techniques and practice them together. Then, when she’s starting to get upset or anxious, you can cue her to do a “balloon breath” or “Darth Vader breathing (you may need to take a calming breath, too!). Balloon breath. Open your mouth and draw in as big a breath as possible, filling your lungs. Close your mouth and hold the breath for a count of five seconds. Exhale all at once and r

Years ago, when I was first thinking about writing a practical guide for parents of kids with sensory processing disorder, I knew I wanted to cover teenagers and their sensory challenges. I knew of teens with SPD and I recognized that there was nothing out there in books or on the internet to help parents. I’m very proud to say that the award-winning Raising a Sensory Smart Child was the first book to discuss sensory issues in teens--in fact, it has an entire chapter on the t

Being different can be hard but it can also be wonderful. Everyone is unique, and whatever our unique qualities are, they can lead us to our passions and purpose. As a parent of a child who is clearly different from the rest, how can you support him or her in feeling good about those differences? My "different" and quirky son once said to me, "Mom, everyone's different and everyone's the same. It just depends on how you want to look at it." Why not choose to see the positives