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"A WINNER!"
Published in Exceptional Parent Magazine (May 1998)
The Out-of-Sync Child is a winner!! It is written for and can be easily understood by parents and non-professionals. The author, Carol Stock Kranowitz, gives a clear and concise picture of sensory [processing disorder]. This book is a model for taking a little known, and often missed, disability and making it accessible to the people most in need of this information.
Sensory [processing] is the process the brain uses in organizing and interpreting information received through the senses. Sensory experiences include touch, movement, body awareness, sight, sound, and the pull of gravity.
When the process is dysfunctional, a number of problems in learning, development, and behavior may become evident. A child with sensory [processing disorder] might display any number of actions that parents, teachers, and other professionals interpret as behavior problems or bad parenting.
Of course, not all children with learning, development, or behavioral problems have an underlying sensory [processing disorder]. Scientists are not sure what causes sensory [processing disorders].
At our first Exceptional Parent Family Forum in Reno, Nevada, held in conjunction with the Epilepsy Foundation of America Parent Network Training Program, the participants identified sensory [dysfunction] as a frequently missed cause of their children's unique behaviors.
Kranowitz gives excellent examples of indicators that can signal a parent (or grandparent or caregiver) that a sensory dysfunction may be present. A few of the examples of symptoms in children include oversensitivity to touch, movement, sights, or sounds; an activity level that is unusually high or unusually low; coordination problems; delays in speech, language, motor skills, or academic achievement; poor organization of behavior; and poor self concept. The Out-of-Sync Child also recognizes that [SPD] may co-exist with, or mimic, symptoms of better-known disabilities such as ADD/ADHD, learning disabilities, allergies, or problems with sleep regulation, eating, speech, hearing or vision.
Kranowitz gives the reader concrete information and detailed checklists to help evaluate whether a child might have [SPD]. The checklists allow both parents and teachers to observe specific activities of the child that might justify further professional evaluation. The author does not rest with helping to identify symptoms of possible [SPD]. She gives the reader the who and how of evaluating the disorder. The book discusses the screening and evaluation process, as well as which therapeutic professionals and tools are best suited to help parents confirm and handle their child's [SPD]. Also included are activities that parents can do with their children to promote healthy sensory integration development at home.
The Out-of-Sync Child can be ordered from the Exceptional Parent Library. The book contains an excellent glossary, a comprehensive resource list, and an up-to-date sensory [processing] bibliography. This is a great book and a must read for any parents who think their child might have unusual behavior difficulties. Kranowitz avoids hyper-technical language and explanations. Instead, her treatment of sensory integration issues relies on common sense and clear examples.
The book is so well written that readers will be tempted to use Kranowitz's analytical approach when they read about other behavioral or learning disabilities. Its calming tone and no-nonsense approach give parents the power to positively address their child's sensory [processing disorder]. |
