- Jennifer
Sensory Processing Disorder Resources
This is the third part of a blog series on Sensory Processing Disorder, or SPD. Part One talks about what SPD is and how it works. Part Two has some information on how Music Therapy can be used to address SPD. Our third part, below, gives some resources for individuals who have SPD or want to learn more about it.
Welcome back! Around here we've been getting snow and rain off and on; the cold weather is really making it feel like winter. I hope you all are staying plenty warm!
I realized while I was compiling this list that this is the first time I've included books in the resources. That's something I will likely do more often in the future.
Anyway, here are some resources I've found for sensory processing disorder. As promised, I've included what I've been able to find as far as resources for adults with SPD.
This book by Sharon Heller has a lot of information on living with sensory defensiveness for both children and adults. Some of the research is a little off or outdated, so take the science with a grain of salt; but many of the strategies for coping with sensory defensiveness are sound. For me, I discovered this book as a teenager, a couple of years after I'd been diagnosed with SPD; it was a huge deal just to find a book that recognized the existence of adults with sensory defensiveness. It did a lot to help me get over some of the stigma of being diagnosed with a disability.
This book by Lindsey Biel (an occupational therapist) and Nancy Peske (a mother of a child with SPD) is targeted towards parents of children with sensory issues (both sensory defensive and sensory seeking), and is full of practical strategies for meeting various sensory needs and dealing with day to day challenges like brushing teeth and dealing with clothes. While the book is targeted towards children, there are also sections with tips for teens and adults who have sensory issues.
STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder
The STAR Institute is a treatment and research center for SPD based in Colorado. Their website has many helpful resources, including information sheets, guides for parents, and research articles.
This website has reviews of sensory products (such as weighted blankets and balance boards) and books about SPD, and tips for parents of kids who have SPD.
Fun and Function is an online store for sensory products for children, teens, and adults. These products include items used in occupational therapy, weighted blankets and vests (which some individuals find helpful for managing SPD), fidget toys, chew toys, adaptive pencil grips, and trampolines. One helpful feature about their website is the option to search their products by age group, diagnosis (including autism, spd, adhd, cerebral palsy, and many others), sensory need (over-responding, under-responding, sensory seeking, social skills, etc), and budget. They are very good at designing items that look age appropriate (like weighted vests I would actually be willing to wear in public).
This website is full of resources for working with kids who have sensory processing issues and other disabilities. While the majority of resources are geared towards occupational therapists and teachers, there are also plenty of resources for parents and some helpful printables.
Understood has come up before (and will again). This website is full of resources for parents and teachers of children with a wide variety of learning and behavioral disorders, including SPD. There's information on types of therapies, on classroom strategies, on IEPs, on the relationship between sensory issues and other disabilities such as autism and ADHD, and a lot of other articles.
That's it for now. Hopefully something in this list is helpful for you! Questions? Comments? Feel free to comment on this post, or you can contact us directly. Stay warm this cold December, and we'll see you again soon!
