As a music, movement, and drama teacher for 25 years, Carol observed many out-of-sync preschoolers. To help them become more competent in their work and play, she began to study sensory processing and sensory integration (“SI”) theory. She learned to help identify her young students’ needs and to steer them into early intervention. In her writings and workshops, she explains to parents, educators, and other early childhood professionals how sensory issues play out – and provides enjoyable sensory-motor techniques for addressing them at home and school. Carol is best-known for her first book in the “Sync” series, The Out-of-Sync Child.

Over 800 sponsors have brought Carol to their communities for presentations, both in the United States and abroad — including Australia, Canada, England, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Singapore, and Switzerland. Click EVENTS to learn about her presentations.

Carol is a graduate of Barnard College, which gave her its Distinguished Alumna Award in 2017. She has an M.A. in Education and Human Development from The George Washington University. She is a board member of STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder, in Denver. She lives in Bethesda, Maryland, and has two wonderful sons and daughters-in-law and five sensational grandchildren. For fun, she plays the cello and, because of a high movement quota, gets at least an hour of exercise every day.

To help families, teachers, and professionals understand SPD in children and adolescents, she has written several books, manuals, and other publications, some of which are listed below. Click HERE to learn more about books and translations, manuals, DVDs and CDs.

BOOKS AND MANUALS

The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder (Perigee, revised 2005; updated 2012). This is the groundbreaking book that explains SPD and presents a drug-free approach that offers help and hope for parents. The book has sold 1,000,000 copies since publication in 1998 and has been translated into 11 languages.

The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun: Activities for Kids with Sensory Processing Disorder  (Perigee, revised 2006) is chock full of fun and functional activities to improve children’s sensory systems (touch, movement and balance, body position, vision, hearing, smelling and tasting) and their sensory-related skills (oral-motor skills, motor planning, fine-motor skills, bilateral coordination and crossing the midline).

The Out-of-Sync Child Grows Up: Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder in the Adolescent and Young Adult Years (Tarcher/Perigee 2016) is the newest addition to the “Sync” series. This book offers essential information for tweens, teens, and young men and women in their early 20s who have SPD — and for their parents and friends, too. Insightful and poignant contributions from more than 50 young people who have grown up with SPD help readers navigate the adolescent years.

Growing an In-Sync Child: Simple, Fun Activities to Help Every Child Develop, Learn, and Grow (Perigee, 2010), co-authored with Joye Newman, is a fresh approach to understanding the profound impact of motor development on children of all ages and stages. The book includes 60 beginner, intermediate, and advanced activities to help all children — with and without disabilities — to develop and enhance their sensory-motor, perceptual-motor, and visual-motor skills.

The In-Sync Activity Card Book: 50 Simple Activities to Help Children Develop, Learn, and Grow! (Sensory World, 2015), co-authored with Joye Newman, is a sequel to Growing an In-Sync Child. It includes 50 more activities.

The Goodenoughs Get in Sync: 5 Family Members Overcome Their Special Sensory Issues (Sensory World, revised 2010) is an illustrated book for 8-12 year-olds. In the Creative Toy Awards category, it received the Preferred Choice Award (2010) from Creative Child Magazine.

Answers to Questions Teachers Ask About Sensory Integration (Including Sensory Processing Disorder) 3rd edition (Sensory World, 2014), co-authored with Jane Koomar, PhD, Stacey Szklut, Lynn Balzer-Martin, PhD, Elizabeth Haber, and Deanna Iris Sava, includes forms, checklists, and practical tools for teachers and parents. This manual received the Teachers’ Choice Award from Learning Magazine in 2004.

Preschool Sensory Scan for Educators, or “Preschool SENSE” (Sensory Resources, 2005) is a screening tool to help occupational therapists and early childhood teachers collaborate and quickly identify children who may have SPD and may benefit from occupational therapy using sensory integration techniques.

101 Activities for Kids in Tight Spaces (St. Martin’s, 1995) is an activity book for children of all abilities.

CHAPTERS

“Sensory processing disorder,” in Early Childhood Education: An International Encyclopedia (2007). Eds., R. New & M. Cochran. Westport, CT: Greenwood.

“Kids gotta move: Adapting movement experiences for children with differing abilities” and “Music and movement bring together children of differing abilities,” in Curriculum: Art, Music, Movement, Drama – A Beginnings Workshop Book (2006). Ed., B. Neugebauer. Redmond, WA: Exchange Press.

“Sensory integration dysfunction,” in The Educator’s Guide to Medical Issues in the Classroom (2001). Co-author: L. A. Balzer-Martin. Eds., F.M. Kline, L.B. Silver, & S.C. Russell. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.

“The outstanding, but out-of-sync, student,” in Uniquely Gifted: Identifying and Meeting the Needs of the Twice-Exceptional Student (2000). Ed., K. Kay. Gilsum, NH: Avocus.

“Promoting outdoor play: The obstacle course,” in Beginnings and Beyond: Foundations in Early Childhood Education, 3rd ed. (1993). Eds., A. Gordon & K.W. Browne. Albany, NY: Delmar.

“Obstacle courses are for every body,” in Alike and Different: Exploring Our Humanity with Young Children, rev. ed. (1992). Ed., B. Neugebauer. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

FOREWORDS

Building Bridges Through Sensory Integration, 3rd ed. (2015) by P. Aquilla, E.Yack, and S. Sutton. Arlington, TX: Sensory World.

The Ultimate Guide to SPD (2009), by R. Ostovar, PhD. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons.

No More Meltdowns! (2008), by Jed Baker, PhD. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons.

Toilet Training for Individuals with Autism or other Developmental Issues (2007), by Maria Wheeler. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons.

Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children with SPD (2006), by Lucy Jane Miller, PhD, OTR. New York: Putnam.

The Ultimate Guide to SPD (2009), by R. Ostovar, PhD. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons.