New Survey Shows Concern among Mental Health Professionals About New DSM-5 Guidelines

The Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy, in collaboration with online education provider myCME.com, have released a new white paper on attitudes, perceptions and concerns about the upcoming publication of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in May 2013. It shows that six out of ten clinicians expect significant impact to clinical practice from DSM-5.

Ultimately, this manual and the way in which clinicians apply its guidance impacts every patient treated by the mental health community. It’s a significant development for all clinicians.

What is Sensory Processing Disorder?

Just what is Sensory Processing Disorder? This is easily the most common question on this site. Here’s another take on answering this question…

Image by Nhoj Leunamme == Jhon Emmanuel via Flickr

Understanding Your Child’s Sensory Signals: A Practical Daily Use Handbook for Parents and Teachers

Book: Understanding Your Child‘s Sensory Signals: A Practical Daily Use Handbook for Parents and Teachers

Amazon Description: A practical, daily application handbook for parents, teachers, and caregivers to help understand sensory signals versus behavior and how you can help! This user friendly “go to” handbook is geared for daily use and as a quick sensory reference guide. Enjoy the simple, organized format to give you the essential and useful information for over 110 sensory signals. The handbook provides simple every day sensory strategies and techniques to help ALL children; including SPD, autism spectrum disorders, ADD/ADHD, APD, and developmental disabilities. This handbook provides guidance and understanding as to why children do what they do in regards to unique sensory processing differences and needs.

Calming Activities for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)

I’m always on the lookout for new ideas to help out my SPD kid. Check out this list… it may give you something new to try.

Kids Who Feel Too Much

“Children with sensory processing disorder sometimes overreact or underreact to touch, sounds, and food textures. Doctors debate the condition, but parents say it’s real, and therapists say it’s treatable.” – Parents magazine

Kids Who Feel Too Much

Related articles

• Sensory Processing Disorder and Autism (thesensoryspectrumblog.com)
• Your Essential Guide to Understanding Sensory Processing Disorder (thesensoryspectrumblog.com)
• Sensory Processing Disorder: Ambiguous But Real (thesensoryspectrumblog.com)
• No Longer A SECRET: Unique Common Sense Strategies for Children with Sensory or Motor Challenges (thesensoryspectrumblog.com)

The Difference Between Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome

With my recent post about Sensory Processing Disorder and Autism (click here), there has been a lot of discussion about what the difference is between Asperger’s and Autism as well. The Autism Society has written up a terrific round-up of the perceived differences between Asperger’s and Autism.

Asperger’s Syndrome from the Autism Society

Related articles

• Sensory Processing Disorder and Autism (thesensoryspectrumblog.com)

Holly Robinson Peete: Autism, Meet Adolescence

Logo of World Autism Awareness Day, April 2, by United Nations. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Holly Robinson Peete has been an outspoken advocate for children with Autism. And while she focuses on Autism and adolescence, I can’t help but wonder how our kids with SPD are facing adolescence.

Sensory Processing Disorder and Autism

April is National Autism Awareness Month. Many parents who have children with Sensory Processing Disorder may wonder why we are talking about Autism on a site dedicated to SPD. Studies conducted by the SPD Foundation reveal more than three-quarters of children with autistic spectrum disorders may have sensory integration symptoms.

Book: The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes

Book: The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes

Amazon Description: Beatrice Bottomwell has NEVER (not once!) made a mistake…

Meet Beatrice Bottomwell: a nine-year-old girl who has never (not once!) made a mistake. She never forgets her math homework, she never wears mismatched socks, and she ALWAYS wins the yearly talent show at school. In fact, Beatrice holds the record of perfection in her hometown, where she is known as The Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes. Life for Beatrice is sailing along pretty smoothly until she does the unthinkable–she makes her first mistake. And in a very public way!

1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism or Asperger’s

Book: 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism or Asperger’s

Amazon Description: Winner of Learning Magazine‘s Teachers Choice Award, the first edition of 1001 Great Ideas has been a treasured resource in the autism community since 2004. Now, in this expanded edition, Ellen Notbohm (best-selling author of the revolutionary book Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew) and Veronica Zysk (award-winning author and editor of Autism Asperger’s Digestmagazine) present parents and educators with over 1800 ideas try-it-now tips, eye-opening advice, and grassroots strategies. More than 600 fresh ideas join tried and true tactics from the original edition, while many ideas pick up where the first edition left off, offering modifications for older kids, honing in on Asperger’s challenges, and enhancing already-effective ways to help your child or student achieve success at home, in school, and in the community.

Time is money … and this book saves you both.