Ten Top Sensory Processing Books
10 Top Sensory Processing Books
Does your child have a sensory processing disorder and do you or your child’s teacher want to better understand how to help them?
Occupational Therapy Helping Children’s Director, Lisa Hughes, has shared the best books for parents of kids with sensory processing issues. Read Lisa’s quick guide to help you navigate your way through the literature.
1. Sensory Processing 101
by Dayna Abraham, Claire Heffron, Pamela Braley, Lauren Drobnjak
This is the most up to date book on sensory processing, and it’s an easy read. It explains what sensory processing is in ‘parent-friendly language’ and also provides lots of practical strategies that you can try with your child at home. It has information on resources and checklists for quick referencing. The book is in full colour, is visually appealing and is easy to navigate your way around.
2. Sensational Kids
by Lucy Miller
This book is one of the newer ones on the market. It is written by Dr Lucy Miller, a world leading expert in Sensory Processing Disorder who shares her 40 years of research and findings. The latest edition has all the up to date research on sensory processing disorder, lists all the new treatment options available and provides practical coping strategies for parents, teachers and anyone else supporting a sensory child.
3. The Superkids Activity Guide to Conquering Every Day
by Dayna Abraham
This book is a practical guide to helping carers manage children with sensory processing disorder. It has 75 sensory activities that will help children navigate the most challenging times of their day – maybe it’s getting ready for school in the morning, doing their homework, or sitting still to eat a meal. This book puts the control into the kid’s hands, and helps them to understand their bodies and their superpowers.
I follow Danya Abraham’s blog and she also has plenty of downloadable resources to accompany the book on her Superkids website.
>> Buy The Superkids Guide Activity Guide to Conquering Every Day
4. Raising a Sensory Smart Child
by Lindsey Biel and Nancy Peske
This book is a handbook for helping to raise your child with sensory processing difficulties. It explains how the senses integrate and work together, gives you activities to help you build a ‘sensory diet’ for your child, and it provides practical solutions for daily challenges (e.g. brushing teeth, picky eating). It also provides information on where to get help for your child as well as complementary therapies, resources and helpful websites
>> Buy Raising a Sensory Smart Child
5. The Out-of-Sync Child
by Carol Stock Kranowitz
This was one of the first books for parents about sensory processing disorder. It provides information on how to recognise sensory integration dysfunction in your child, and then offers strategies to help your child navigate their way through therapy as well as their home and school environments.
6. The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun
by Carol Stock Kranowitz
This next book by Carol Stock Kranowitz provides suggestions of activities that you can do at home with your child. There are over 100 activity ideas that can be done at home or school.
>> Buy The Out-of-Sync ChildHas Fun
7. The Out-of-Sync Child Grows Up
by Carol Stock Kranowitz
This recent book by Carol Stock Kranowitz is aimed at parents of adolescents, tweens and teens. It gives parents strategies to help their adolescents cope with the sensory aspects of grooming, social lives and dating, playing sport and music. It also recommends way to find therapy services, and other forms of support. It includes first person accounts from adolescents and teens with sensory processing disorder, which are very insightful.
>> Buy The Out-of-Sync Child Grows Up
8. Living Sensationally
by Winnie Dunn
This book helps everyone to understand their senses and hence their quality of life. The book leads you through a journey to discover your own sensory preferences. It helps you discover your sensory preferences at home, work and during leisure activities – are you a Seeker, Bystander, Avoider or Sensor? Once you have discovered your own sensory pattern, you can benefit from Dunn’s practical strategies for individuals, families and businesses.
9. 101 Games and Activities for Children with Autism, Asperger’s and Sensory Processing Disorder
by Tara Delaney
This book is written by an OT and it helps children learn through play. The book is filled with activities to help children improve their motor, language, and social skills. The activities help kids learn about their bodies and how different movements and sensations make them feel. The games can be played inside or outside.
>> Buy 101 Games and Activities for Children with Autism, Asperger’s and Sensory Processing Disorder
10. Parenting a Child with Sensory Processing Disorder
by Christopher Auer and Susan Blumberg
This book is written by a father of a child with sensory processing disorder who also works with children with special needs. This book provides advice on how to integrate care for a child with sensory processing disorder into everyday family life. This is what we advocate at Occupational Therapy Helping Children, as we find families are more likely to carry out therapy activities when they are incorporated into everyday life.
>> Buy Parenting a Child with Sensory Processing Disorder
If you have questions about other ways you can help your child with sensory processing difficulties or you’re unsure about whether your child might have sensory processing issues, please speak to an experienced Occupational Therapist.
