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

What happens when your child has sensory processing issues and struggles with organizational issues at schools? Are you afraid he will lose school-issued equipment or paperwork (such as worksheets and permission slips)? Does she hate reading physical books, or have difficulty listening to audiobooks? Welcome to the world of parenting a child with sensory issues whose organizational, visual, and auditory demands at school can frustrate everyone. Fortunately, I have some tips.

When a child's sensory processing is atypical, her brain is not wired like everyone else's. Kids with SPD process information from the senses differently, think differently, and respond differently to everyday sensations. They're often struggling to fit into systems created by people whose brains operate a more neurotypically, which can make organizing time, tasks, and possessions very challenging. As a sensory smart parent, your job is to honor your child's differently wired

Having sensory processing disorder does not mean a child automatically has a learning disability, or autism for that matter, but it does mean that child's brain processes sensory information differently. Since we learn through our senses, sensory processing challenges can affect learning. This is particularly true when we try to teach kids through sensory channels that are unreliable for them and don't offer options for them to use their strongest sensory processing channels

October is SPD Awareness Month and to celebrate, the STAR Institute is offering an Online Conference for Parents and Caregivers. Join me and many other experts on sensory processing disorder each day to receive a video offering tips and strategies that can help make your job as a parent or caretaker easier and assist you in becoming a sensory smart parent. Along with me, Nancy Peske, the Sensory Smart Parent, you'll hear from Lindsey Biel, Lucy Jane Miller, Carol Kranowitz, K

Kids with sensory issues can quickly become overwhelmed at school, which is a very stimulating place where many demands are placed on them. In a new environment—new school or new classroom—they can struggle to manage their fears and discomfort and take more time to acclimate than you would hope. Their anxiety might soar as they think about all the things that could make them uncomfortable in the classroom, the lunchroom, the playground, and so on. Here are seven ways to help

How can you help a child with sensory issues that cause her difficulties at school? The best thing you can do as a parent is be a strong advocate and the team leader, coordinating the help your child receives from her teachers and any therapists or aides at school. In an ideal world, your child would get OT for sensory issues through a school-based occupational therapist, even if only on a consultation basis. Depending on the severity of your child's issues, he may or may not

Concerned about how your child with sensory processing disorder will function at school this year? Why not consider a letter to your child’s teacher or teachers to ensure that they know of your son or daughter’s sensory issues and how best to support your sensory child at school? Even if your child has a IEP, these documents only provide a quick snapshot of the kinds of issues sensory kids deal with in classrooms, on the playground, in the gym or art or music rooms, in the ca

Many kids have already started the new school year; others are gearing up to do so. I know many of you are nervous about the changes this year. Be sure to pull that copy of RAISING A SENSORY SMART CHILD off your shelf (and pick up a copy for yourself–even for your child’s teacher!) and do take a look at our chapters on advocating for your child at school, organizational issues, and practical solutions for everyday problems. The book is chock full of practical strategies that