Occupational Therapy DVD for Parents

What I appreciate most about this DVD is that it gives credit to parents of special needs children that they're doing their homework, they're figuring out what works for their children and they're actively participating in their children's early intervention. Thank you for valuing our input! I emailed the OT on this DVD for her philosophy behind the DVD and her response was, "I may only see your child for an hour a week. It helps me and your child for you to participate and do these activities at home so that your child gets the best results."

The DVD covers a lot of sensory issues. My son has always disliked touching things like paint, glue, dirt, grass, etc. This DVD talks about and gives examples (with children) of different things to do to try and desensitize the child so that they can tolerate different textures.

There is a section on oral motor skills for children who have difficulty speaking, they may drool, or don't like having their teeth brushed. The section on auditory processing reminded me of Supernanny and just learning that the kids need to process information, keep your words simple and concise, don¡¦t give up and try to be patient. Stuff like that. There is another section that covers trampoline exercises and explains how and why this is helping your child. I had always wondered why the swing and trampoline are so good for children with special needs and now I know.

My son's OT has always told me to make an obstacle course at home. There is a section on this DVD "Organization of Behavior" that does this, shows kids at different levels going through the motions, and why and how this is helping. It's simple, however, those of you with kids like mine, NOTHING IS SIMPLEº

The Occupational Therapist, Britt Collins, is a pleasure to watch. She speaks in OT terms, which take a little getting used to, but also explains on a parent level.

One of the children on the DVD is a typical child and because I babysit my typical niece often, I was happy that this showed activities to do to have my son and niece interact. They're both getting therapy and don't even know it because it's fun stuff and we make it into games.

I've read a few OT books, and there are a few really good ones out there, but I liked watching and learning visually. It gave me confidence that I can do it too. It won't make me an OT, but it does help me help my child and that's all that matters. Thank you

Becky Rose

The author, Paul Madaule, describes what he learned about hearing from Dr. Alfred Tomatis and shows how to use the Tomatis Method and "Earobics."

Growing up, Madaule had dyslexia, learning disabilities, "inhibition, temper tantrums, absent-mindedness, fits of anxiety, extreme shyness, sleepless nights, difficulty expressing himself, fear of the future and clumsiness." Tomatis showed him that all of these ailments were all due to his inability to hear properly. Madaule explains how "sound confusion put him "off track" creating a misunderstanding. A distorted perception of words, in turn, affected his understanding of the world."

The book is easy to read and the material is comprehensive. Madaule gives relatable examples and helpful suggestions throughout. He touches on the ear itself, the ears connection to the brain and body, the vestibular system and how to correct hearing disorders. Music, sound and movement, chanting, learning a new language are amongst the topics explained from Dr. Tomati's perspective.

Dr. Tomatis's methods have proven effective as non-invasive treatment for children with autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, and other special needs due to auditory processing disorders.

Madaule begins his story as a student, morphing into a celebrated teacher. This book is wonderful and useful.

The book is split into two parts, Listening Unveiled and Listening Through Life.

Some chapters are:
Listening for Preschoolers, Listening at School, Teenage Listening, Multiple Listening of the Adult, No Retirement for Listening.

I highly recommend this book for parents and teachers, people suffering from dyslexia or any of the above listed disorders, and anyone who wants to increase their ability to communicate.

Autie Mom who is glad Jenny's speaking out

As everyone knows, this is a book about Jenny McCarthy's experience with her son's battle with autism. As a mom with a son who has been diagnosed with autism, I was thrilled to watch Jenny on Oprah, Larry King, etc. making her rounds and bringing awareness to the topic.

I appreciate Jenny's honesty and vulnerability that she expresses through this book. She tells her story with the same fierceness that she fought with to save her son. She did save her son - he's living proof that the steps she took saved him and good for her. She's abrasive and in your face and that is who she is. I find her entertaining and fun - I've read that some people are offended by her language - but it didn't bother me.

My only fault with the book was that I would have liked it to be more organized for people looking for specific information, but instead it's chronological. But again, it's her story, so it makes sense that it's in order of events.

The diet that Jenny speaks of didn't work for my son, but I'm glad it worked for hers. I agree that the diet is a huge part of autism and whether it's a little improvement in your child or a big one like hers it is still important.

I think the overall message is for mother's to not take their children's diagnoses and give up - fight for your child. Find things that work, find things that can help. For us - occupational therapy was effective and also fish oil and nutritional supplements - for others nothing works - but the point is to try. Try whatever you can and know that there are a lot of other mother's out there trying too.

Jenny also explores divorce and financial hardship in the book - things that happen while you're trying to deal with autism. It's a good read. If you're looking for medical advice, read a medical book - this is HER story. Period.

The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder, Revised Edition by Carol Stock Kranowitz

This book was recommended to me by an Occupational Therapist after he evaluated my son through the state. At this point, I had no idea what SI was or that my son had it (also autism diagnosis). Since then, this book has become my primary resource for my son and other children I encounter. I've given copies to every member of my family and to my son's teachers. Why? Because it explains why kids do and act the way they do when they have sensory dysfunction.

One thing my son used to do was put his head on the ground to look at toys. He also used to avoid touching paint, glue, playDoh. He couldn't tolerate a playground and even family birthday parties were overwhelming. This book explains all of these things - all of the reasons why my son was acting the way he was. And since then, with the help of an occupational therapist, we've corrected these behaviors. My son is happier than ever. He still has SI, but he knows how to avoid certain situations and he's learning how to adapt to school, parks, the world in general.

Carol Stock Kranowitz explains and gives examples of why some kids act out in class, are aggressive, shy, etc. Anyone who is around special needs children will benefit from the knowledge on these pages. It's changed my entire world.

Like with anything new, learning the ins and outs of sensory integration takes time. It's not a super easy read and until you're familiar with the terms (tactile, vestibular, proprioception, gravitational insecurity, etc) it takes some getting used to. Don't be turned off by this last sentence, anyone can learn it and understand and then apply the techniques.

Id even recommend this for parents of typical children as everyone can benefit.

Here's the parts the book is split into:
1. Recognizing Sensory Integration Dysfunction
2. Coping with Sensory Integration Dysfunction

Some of the chapters include: Does your child have Sensory Integration Dysfunction?
How to tell if your child has a problem with the Tactile sense
Your child at Home
Your child at School
Coping with your child's emotions
Looking at your child in a new light
There are also a number of resources listed in the back of the book.