Articles

Published May 31, on Boston Parents’ Paper

At recess, Emma, 9, refuses to participate in jump-rope or four-square games. Emma is over-responsive to movement sensations, which terrify her. She tells her friends, “I’m no good at that.”

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Published May 24, on Mother.ly

Envision two unique babies.  Benjy has been on the go since Day 1. Constantly active, frequently fretful, easily startled, and a fitful sleeper, he sure keeps his parents on their toes. Speaking of toes, he skipped crawling and walked on tiptoes at nine months! Mom and Dad are exhausted—but that’s just how it is with an infant, they guess.

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Published March 31 in The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

During Carol Kranowitz’s 25 years as a preschool teacher, she realized there were certain children in her classes that seemed “out-of-sync.”

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A slideshow, published June 7 on ADDitudemag.com

Sensory Processing Disorder is not just about itchy tags. It is a complex and multi-faceted condition that is often mistaken for ADHD, anxiety, and other conditions.

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Published June 8 on Parents.com

Kids who are “out-of-sync” with the world due to Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) struggle with a variety of sensory and motor challenges, but we can help them through simple routines and consistent activities.

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Published June 5, on Pittsburgh Parent

Erik, a loose-and-floppy 14-year-old, is not a self-starter, a joiner, a player, or a conversationalist. He’s smart but doesn’t seem tuned in to other people or his surroundings. He seems interested only in his cell phone. His parents are concerned about Erik’s “can’t-do spirit.”

Marlene, 19, is a brilliant, very thin college student, perpetually hunched over, gripping her elbows, and frequently tripping on air. Family, friends, and faculty consider her shy, nervous, awkward, and quirky.

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Published in September on the Lemon Lime Adventures website. If you’re wondering why your child can’t sit still, and you have tried everything and nothing works, Dayna Abraham writes that…

Published in Sensory Focus, Summer issue

An advertisement from an electric power company dropped through my mail slot today, shouting, BLACKOUT: Could It Happen Again? It got me thinking about survival skills. When an outage occurs and we can’t switch on the electric power, we must switch to our own power to get from place to place, prepare meals, communicate with others, and entertain ourselves.

Will we be prepared? Especially those among us with SPD and other physical challenges?

Alas, so much is done for us these days that we all are becoming “do-ees” instead of “do-ers.” Learned helplessness is everybody’s problem.

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Published January 7 in The Washington Post.

Children have long regarded recess as a highlight of the school day. Last week, unstructured play breaks got an endorsement from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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