Three Book Reviews Dealing With Guides for Kids With ASD

In a previous post, Yoga Helping Autistic Children, I wrote about the amazing benefits yoga classes seem to bring to individuals with Autism. My post was especially about how Yoga helps autistic kids get in touch with their bodies, become aware of their emotions and their feelings, and provides them with the ability to cope when they start to feel anxious, upset or stressed.


The following are a few books on the same topic and also these books provides creative, practical strategies for helping children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) to function effectively at home and in the community.

 Social Skills for Teens and Adults with Asperger’s Syndrome by Nancy J. Patrick

Nancy J. Patrick, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist and Autism Consultant, Assistant Professor, Messiah College, Harrisburg, PA, USA, writes about strategies in the home and community for children with Autism Spectrum and other disorders. Dr. Nancy Patrick says:

“Persons with ASDs may particularly benefit from yoga … in that heightened anxiety, poor motor coordination and strength and weak self-regulation are three areas in which most persons with autistic spectrum disorders struggle and for which there are few other solutions. Yoga poses and breathing techniques could prove to be very helpful interventions for increasing the quality of life for children and adolescents with ASDs.”

Your school does not offer yoga sessions? This book is a great resource for parents:

Yoga For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Step-By-Step Guide For Parents And Caregivers by Dion E. Betts, Stacey W. Betts

Stacey W. Betts is an attorney and assists families with children with disabilities. Dion E. Betts, Ed.D., is Assistant to the Superintendent for Instructional Support at South Western School District in Hanover, PA. He and his wife have five children, two of whom have AS.

Product Description of this paperback: "Having successfully used yoga to combat the stress of their own busy lives, Dion and Stacey Betts discovered its potential for their son Joshua, who has Asperger Syndrome.

This fully-illustrated book combines the authors' professional expertise with their experience of parenting, offering a range of gentle and fun yoga positions and breathing techniques that are effective in dealing with the increased levels of anxiety, disorientation and tactile sensitivity often found in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs),"

Publishing Date: May 2006
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Pub
Number of Pages: 101

If you appreciate those first two books, you are in for a treat as Dion E. Betts and Nancy J. Patrick joined forces and wrote one together.

Homespun Remedies Strategies in the Home and Community for Children with Autism Spectrum and Other Disorders by Dion E. Betts and Nancy J. Patrick In this book you will find sensible and specific approaches to tackling day-to-day problems faced by parents and carers, such as bathing, feeding, haircuts, and shopping. Homespun Remedies explains easy changes that result in big improvements in the quality of life for autistic children, their families and caregivers.

Have other good resources for families dealing with Autism?

Sensitive Sam by Marla Roth-Fisch~A Review

Great book for families
and classrooms

Eh! Ania you’re back from school. Look, I brought that book, Sensitive Sam: that I was telling you about. Remember I told you that Sam is a real, little boy and that his mom, Marla Roth-Fisch wrote and drew the pictures in the story. The book is to help kids like you who have Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) see they are not the only ones with icky picky feeling problems?

Let’s read it together and you can tell me how Sam and you are alike or if some of the things that bother you are different than what gives him a bad feeling.

The book is a great size and stays open easily; you hold it and we can each read a page. That gold circle on the cover means the book, Sensitive Sam, is the winner of the 2009 Book of the Year Award by Creative Child Magazine.

Eh! -Ania, do you think you can read these English words?  I know you are only in grade 1 and you will only start learning English in grade 4, but your mom says you can already read in both languages.

Ania’s comments are written in italic.

The letters look like my teacher’s printing and they are big. There are only four lines to a page. I can look at the pictures of Sam first and almost guess what the words will say. Let’s look at all the pictures in the book first.


Grandmère, Sam is lucky to have a cute puppy. Look, even the puppy is afraid and sad when Sam is mad. The pictures are big with lots of colors and none of the pages are white. I can see many little lines and you told me before it means movement. Those circles going to a cloud mean what Sam is thinking. At the end, Sam’s face is happy and the puppy too. Okay you read first.

Ania, child with SPD, wearing
her mom invented sensory tool
Kid Companions Chewelry

I never want to wear jeans either. They feel pretty much like what Sam says but most of all I find jeans always too tight.

Sam is hiding his eyes from the sun. In the morning when the sun is too bright and shines on me, even on my back, I don’t like it.

Just like Sam, I always have to have a soft scarf inside my winter jacket because the jacket does not feel good. Mom cuts the tags from my clothes but sometimes I wear them inside out because it feels better.

I love being on the soccer team but I hate everything I have to wear to play the game. The socks and pads are TOO tight. The uniform and shoes do not feel good at all.

(Note to all: Oh my, perhaps kids do not participate in activities/sports not because of the event but how they have to dress to go the event!)

This is not hard to read and it sounds like a poem with rhymes.

Sam’s head hurts also...I hate washing and combing my hair. Ah! perhaps brushing it like Sam would be better. Sam has a lot of curls.

I wonder if it is the smell of the eggs cooking that Sam does not like, or, like me, if it is the butter melting and heating in the pan. I do not like the smell of the toaster when it is on either.

Pineapples are the worst thing! I can’t be near them because of the smell and naturally I can’t have them in my mouth. So even if I love pizza, if pineapples have been added, the smell prevents me from eating a bite. I can’t just eat around the pineapple the smell is already in my nose. It is the same with dried raisins in cereal.

(Note to all: With kids who have Sensory Processing Disorder, it is not a good idea to place a small portion of what they generally do not eat on their plate to get them accustomed slowly to it. Kids with SPD cannot control how the smell of foods or the texture of foods makes them feel. Pick your battles and the dinner table should not be a battle field especially for the sake of the other family members. Introducing new foods and food textues can be done at another time of day and in another way.)

Sam does not like some sounds. I put plugs in my ears to get rid of some noises or I do not want to go to the movies at all.

Yup, Sam and I can’t stand having our feet wet. Wet feet make me feel not right… I do not like taking a bath nor even walking in the water along the shore. Sensitive Sam is a lot like me.

That’s a big word...Occupational therapy.... Why does Sam have to see her?

Read on and we will learn what the OT will do to help Sam.

“She talked to my parents and talked to me,

And gave us a list of activities.

The list was called a ‘Sensory Diet.’

It would help me with my sensitivities!”

I do not want to see an OT, mom tells me stuff but I guess it is all right for Sam.

Yes, Sam and Ania will probably be all right because caring parents figured out very early that they had Sensory Processing Disorder and found early intervention techniques to help them cope.

About the Author/Illustrator

Marla Roth-Fisch wrote
and illustrated Sensitive Sam

The author and illustrator, Marla Roth-Fisch, her husband and two children, live near Denver, Colorado. Marla is on the board at the Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation. A portion of the proceeds of Sensitive Sam benefit continued research and committed advocacy of Sensory Processing Disorder. Marla had twenty years marketing/writing experience before trying her hand at creating this delightful, children’s picture book.

In an on-line Interview with Chynna at Lily Wolf Word's Sensational Blogspace, Marla gave this advice to parents: “Take the time to speak with the primary care physician, talk with the teacher, search and learn from fabulous resource books such as: Sensational Kids; Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder, by Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, and The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz. Get Sensitive Sam to open up the communications with your child."

Marla goes on to say to Chynna: "Obtaining the proper diagnosis and treatment for your child and following through, can only yield better results. On-line resources are at your fingertips; at http://www.spdfoundation.net/ , and  http://www.fhsensory.com/  My web site  http://www.sensitivesam.com/ has contact information, and a bundle of resources to link into…”

The last page of Sensitive Sam, Helpful Information for Parents and Educators, has a glossary and a list of websites of SPD resources.

As an educator with thirty years experience and a mom of three, I did not have the chance to share this great book with my students or family; but now, as the grandmother of five, it will surely be one of my read-aloud treats.

Join Marla on Facebook

Congratulations Marla on receiving the 2010 Preferred Choice Award by Creative Child Magzine!
Publisher: Future Horizons Inc.   

Price: $14.95

Binding: Paperback

Pages: 32

Do you know a child with SPD? How are his/her parents helping this sensitive child to cope?

Learning in Motion 101+ Sensory Activities for the Classroom a Review

Learning in Motion 101+ Sensory Activities for the Classroom

by Patricia Angermeier,

 Joan Krzyzanowski,

 Kristina Keller Moir

Since my retirement from teaching, nothing has made me miss my classroom more than reading about the exciting sensory activities dreamed up by these three occupational therapists. Combining their knowledge about pediatrics, neurodevelopmental treatment techniques and occupational therapy gained through their work in clinics, schools and raising their own children, Patricia Angermeier, Joan Krzyzanowski and Kristina Keller Moir have compiled a must-have resource for all who work with children, especially children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Parents, this book is not only for the classroom, you will find a wealth of practical, easily doable sensory activites to be enjoyed the twelve months of the year in your home.



This book provides teachers, therapists, home-schooling parents, parents in general and other professionals with a variety of ways to help children improve their ability to learn and respond appropriately to the learning environment. Many children struggle with sensory issues, therefore, to address these needs, sensory integration has become a staple in early education. This book, covering the twelve months of the year, can be your bible of sensory activities.

Picture this teacher: It has been a long year, school in almost over as it in mid June. The forecast for next day gives an uncomfortable, sticky, rainy day. How to plan for the next day an activity that is fun and meaningful?
Where is that book the size of a telephone book, Learning in Motion? It is filled with great ways to improve learning and behavior.

Great, it is right here on my shelf with all the other teaching resource books.

Skim Table of Contents…September, October, Nov… JUNE Activity Finder. Circus Tricks page 255? No, too active already. Clowning Around page 256, No …JUMPING ROPE ~ perfect it can be done indoors.

Page 269: All that I need to read is on one page. Each carefully, crafted lesson plan is always in the same format so it is simple and practical to use.

*Activity Goals: Example: Gross-Motor Skills Development…

*Time: 20 to 30 minutes

*Objectives: Example: Jump over a moving rope…

*Materials: Rope 10 to 15 feet long

*Procedure: Great, the seven easy steps to carry out this activity are clearly stated here.

*Adaptions: My differently-able student in her wheel chair will participate by going under the rope...

*Multilevel Instruction: Vary the height or movement of the rope…for various skill levels.

This Jumping Rope activity is easy to do at home also. With no pangs of guilt, the book says I may copy the Letter to Parents that goes with this activity. I appreciate this letter after each activity as it gives the parents a chance to see what we do at school and many will want to repeat it at home.

Bell rings and I prepare for the next day. Reading my notes on the Jumping Rope activity, I notice a few children had trouble with the Activity Goals: Gross-Motor Skills Development.

Back to the Learning in Motion book.

Table of Contents…JUNE

On the first page in the section for June, like for each month, I find a chart with the fifteen Educational Goals by Activity listed in alphabetical order. I locate the Gross-Motor Skills Development column. Skim down the column, look for a checked box, skim across to the listed activity. Yes, an activity called Mountain Goats also develops this skill which we will do tomorrow.

Each month’s activities include a variety of ways to make learning fun and exciting. When you start turning the pages you feel like a kid in a candy store that cannot decide because everything looks so delicious. The IO1+ ACTIVITIES like the following make every day worth going to school for: Textured Finger Paints, Forsythia Branches, Flying Bats and Ghosts, Making Pottery, Dr. Seuss Day, Balloon Tennis, Windsocks…

The Introduction on the Theories of Motor Development and the description of the fifteen Educational Activity Goals will help you understand the reason behind each activity.

The last few pages have a special section suggesting activities to reinforce learning the alphabet. There are further adaptations and modifications to assist children with special needs. Some activities have recipes included, but as an added bonus, three full pages of recipes for finger paint, clay, play dough… round off the book.

Do not let the size of this book discourage you. It is well organized in a logical, easy to navigate format. Once you have used one activity, all the others are presented in the same way. This user-friendly guide is a wonderful timesaver, written in easy to understand language. Fun-filled activities correspond with seasons, holidays, and educational goals that make even a retired teacher want to go back to school.

• Publisher: Future Horizons; 2 edition (June 1, 2009)  http://www.sensoryworld.com/education.html

• Paperback: 350 pages

• Language: English

• ISBN: 978-1932565904

• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.9 inches

• Price: US $39.95

What other resources with sensory activities do you use with your children?

Related Posts:
*How Do I Teach This Kid? Book Review
*Behavior Solutions for the Inclusive Classroom: See a Behavior? Look It Up! ~ Review

*Danceland CD : Fun Songs and Activities to Improve Sensory Skills ~ Review
*28 Instant Songames ~ Review

The Goodenoughs Get in Sync ~New Edition~ 5 Family Members Overcome their Special Sensory Issues

Turn the pages of this 6 chapter book and shadow the Goodenough family for one, harrowing day where the five family members deal with a different form of sensory processing disorder. Their solutions to overcoming the challenges of SPD will help families coping with SPD function in a “good-enough way” and learn how to get in sync also.

Best-selling author of The Out-of-Sync Child and The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun, Carol KRANOWITZ, came out with the first edition in 2004. Since March of 2010, we can enjoy her revised edition with a new preface and revised introductory chapter to help people understand SPD even more clearly.

Her first edition, was the winner of an i-Parenting Media Award and was a Finalist for ForeWord Magazine's 2005 Book of the Year for juvenile non-fiction.

This 96 page book is actually two books in one. Younger children read the larger print and find an amusing account of a family that any child with sensory issues can relate to. Read the small print and find a wealth of information that meshes with the story about how sensory processing disorder can affect people in different ways.

Carol KRANOWITZ earned an M.A. in Education and Human Development from George Washington University in Washington, DC. With a 25 year background as a preschool music and movement teacher, she knows how to present these issues so children can easily understand. Being a mother of 2 and a grandmother of 4 probably helped also.

The story flows along as if the characters are just speaking to a friend. This is a quote from the large print. Darwin, with sensory over-responsivity says: “…out-of-syc feels like to me. I don’t like when someone nudges me or touches my hair. I’m choosy about clothes and food. My stomach gets upset when I move fast…”

The small print weaves in with the main story and is still in simple and clear sentences: “At school, Miss Morrison helps me with speech. She is a speech therapist. I have auditory distrim…I mean, auditory discrimination disorder. That means I don’t process sounds very well. I don’t always hear differences in sounds.”

Throughout the book, the author proves she is very knowledgeable about her topic. KRANOWITZ, for almost 20 years, has been writing and speaking about SPD and how this developmental problem interferes with children's ability to function smoothly in daily life. A sensory seeker herself, she is also an internationally renowned speaker and frequently presents for Sensory World.

The 37 pages added at the end of the story have a wealth of practical, immediately useful information for parents of children with SPD. Three appendices have to do with Sensory Diet Activities, how SPD affects different individuals and fun and functional techniques for helping kids at home and school. A list of equipment for the sensory diet and even the catalogue companies that provide the suggested equipment is included. Pages of helpful web sites end the book.

Guidance on the pronunciation of difficult words is given immediately after the word. Definitions of Sensory Processing Disorder terms and new words are in bold type and are found in a 7 page alphabetize glossary and index. This added feature makes this a handy research book that can have a place next to your dictionary on the book shelf.

T.J. Wylie, the illustrator, brings the 5 family members and their naughty dog to life. The use of charts, colors, color coded tabs and cartoon looking characters make this book one that children and parents would often want to read and consult.

This book belongs on book shelves at home, at school, a public library, in health professional offices and surely in every hand of a child with sensory processing disorder.

What resources have you found that have helped your family cope with special needs issues?

The Goodenoughs Get in Sync ~New Edition~ 5 Family Members Overcome their Special Sensory  Future Horizons Inc.  http://www.sensoryworld.com/childrensbooks.html
ISBN: 978-1-932565-88-1
US $14.95

Related posts:
*Meet Carol Kranowitz and Joye Newman Authors of Growing an In-Sync Child
*2010 Book of the Year Award by Creative Child Magazine ~ Winner, Runners-Ups and Procedure


*Picky, Picky Pete ~ A Boy and His Sensory Challenges Written by Michele Griffin and published by Future Horizons. Review here

*Sensitive Sam ~ Sam’s Sensory Adventure Has a Happy Ending! Written by Marla Roth-Fisch and published by Future Horizons. Review here

*Special People, Special Ways ~ Each page portrays positive images of children with various disabilities Written by Arlene Maguire and published by Future Horizons. About here