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Sources of Sensory Tools

To find sensory integration practice in your area, look in your yellow pages for occupational therapy, find the ones who work with children, and then call and find out if they use sensory integration theory in their practice. Have them explain a little of what they do, since that can mean totally different things to different people. To study up a little on the terminology, look at Sensory 101. There is a partial listing of therapists who have completed the long and expensive training by Western Psychological Services in partnership with University of Southern California, at  this link. OTs who have completed this program are known as "Certified in Sensory Integration," and "SIPT certified," because part of the training is in the administration and interpretation of the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test or SIPT.  Not every therapist who has completed this certification is listed, however. And many therapists who are very active in using sensory integration therapy have not completed this certification.

In the Richmond, Virginia area I have had experience with the sensory integration practices at Children's Hospital and at Geri Allen's Integrated Therapy Services (recently relocated to Forest Avenue, phone number (804) 282-4596). Integrated Therapy Services currently has three OT's who are SIPT-certified working there.  I know there are other local practices that do some amount of SI therapy, but those are the two big ones that I know of near me.  When I lived in California, I worked for Fourt Therapy Center and can very highly recommend them. I learned a LOT from Barbara Fourt. There are several other well-reputed clinics in that area who work with children with sensory integration difficulties.

Sensory Integration International (SII), aka The Ayres Clinic, is now kaput. Here is a link to a brief description of why.

The Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation is a project of the nonprofit organization KID Foundation in Littleton, Colorado. It is designed to serve as a resource to parents of children with sensory processing difficulties, which they term "sensory processing disorder (SPD)." There is a Parent Connection, a Resource Directory, and articles on sensory integration and processing.  http://www.spdfoundation.net/

The Alert Program is a program that was designed by two occupational therapists for OTs, teachers, and parents to use in working with children. It can be adapted to use with children of a wide age range, but is ideally suited for children who function at about a typical seven to thirteen-year old level, in my experience. The program, outlined in the guidebook How Does Your Engine Run? uses the analogy of a car engine to explore the concepts of levels of alertness and how each person can use sensory strategies to change their own levels for different tasks.  I often loan the Introductory Booklet (the first chapter of the guide book; can be purchased separately) to parents and teachers as a great explanation of one way of looking at sensory processing and how it can affect children's daily lives. There is also a book of activities that incorporate sensory strategies, mostly for Kindergarten through second grade classrooms, called Take Five. http://www.alertprogram.com/

Professional Development Programs sponsors what they term "cutting edge" courses in the area of sensory integration. I have attended several. Anything that is "cutting edge" is by definition not yet well-researched and well-established, right? In other words, I would advise you to take what you learn at these courses with a grain of salt. I do think that they share some information that is very useful at many of the courses, but at one I attended several years ago they were still touting that autism is linked to vaccines and has to do with heavy metal build-up in the body. I find this irresponsible and dangerous ground and do not feel comfortable with occupational therapists who advise on treatments to move heavy metals about in children's bodies. 

I have also attended several courses that taught how to use Therapeutic Listening® from Vital Links. This is a program which uses Vital Links' own proprietary compact discs of music as well as cd's from other sources for "therapeutic use of sound."  I have helped set up families to use this program, and again I would say to take it with a grain of salt, but I believe that music can have some very dramatic effects on children ~ if nothing else, it can be very focusing!

Here is a link (warning: automatic music!) to Understanding SPD, the website of an OT who uses many modalities in her treatment and has written several books. She bases all of her "information" on her own experiences in treatment, and seems to sort of disdain actual research, but I like her accessible and seemingly sensible discussions of sensory processing topics, and I haven't found information that I entirely disagree with (so much grey area!).

  Speaking of books, I LOVE Oh Behave! and recommend it to teachers all the time. It is a booklet that summarizes/reviews the basics of behavioral management in a classroom (or with your own children) and then talks about when and how you can tell if behavior is due to sensory issues or not.  There are guides and worksheets for the "detective work" of identifying the triggers and reasons for a particular behavior and then assistance to what to do about it once you've figured it out. It answers questions like, "how do I offer sensory strategies without rewarding the negative behavior." Unfortunately, this booklet only comes in packs of 10 (for about $45 per pack).  You may find, as I do, that you can easily find 9 other people who you think could benefit from it!  It is only available at Pearson Assessments/PsychCorp (along with lots of other interesting sounding books that I haven't read).

Sensory Integration and the Child by A. Jean Ayres. This is the classic explanation of SI for the layperson by the mama of sensory integration herself. Clearly written. Doesn't offer any do-it-yourself strategies to speak of, it aims at explaining clinic-based SI therapy.
Link to book at

The Out of Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz is a popular-press book that introduces sensory integration and sensory processing disorder to the lay person. It is an easy read that uses lots of "case studies" as examples of what sensory processing disorder can look like. It does tend to use somewhat extreme examples and presents things in black and white rather than getting into the complex interplay of sensory processing, mood, personality, other reasons for behavior,  family dynamics etc. etc. The follow-up book, The Out of Sync Child Has Fun, is full of activities for children with sensory processing problems. Available in many bookstores and at amazon.


I actually like Raising A Sensory Smart Child, by an O.T. and a mother of a child with SPD, better than The Out of Sync Child. It does more to explain each of the sensory systems and how therapists might work on them. It also has lots of practical methods for dealing with picky eaters, behavior, speech problems, sensory sensitivites to clothing, advocating for sensory needs in school, organization problems, etc. etc.



Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight: What to Do If You Are Sensory Defensive in an Overstimulating World
by Sharon Heller. A book by a college professor about her own experiences with difficulties modulating responses to sensory stimuli. I haven't read this one myself yet, but it looks interesting!

There are a few other books and some videos, including a video of The Out of Sync Child (apparently not available on DVD), but I haven't watched any of them myself.  Try some of the catalogs listed below or the links above. I have read Sensory Secrets: How to Jump-Start Learning in Children by Catherine Schneider. I didn't feel that it added anything not already found in the above books, and went beyond what is actually pretty well-established theory in the field, so I can't recommend it.

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(this link takes you to their main company page, click over to Abilitations and you will have to do a search. Sorry, their website is not link-happy).

The Sensory Comfort catalog has socks, sheets, towels and clothes for people with issues of sensitivity to such things. Their website seems to be done, perhaps out of business? For now, try School Specialty's sensory category or SouthPaw, especially for larger equipment items or to make a Sensory Room (so cool!!).


Fidget toys are little items of any description that keep hands busy so that kids can stay in their seats, wait their turns, keep from blurting out, and listen for longer than usual. Different fidget items work for different children; some can't have anything in their hands without it commanding their full attention (or becoming a projectile), while other children can be completing a complex puzzle while actually listening to everything that is being said. It's best to experiment with a variety of objects of different tactile qualities and levels of complexity, and you may need to teach the difference between a fidget item and a toy. I tell children, "if it's really  fun, then it isn't a good fidget for you!"  Take into account also the distractibility quotient of children seated near the child with the fidget toy.  pdppro.com has a wide assortment. You can also check out Office Playground for ones not designed for kids necessarily. Be warned they will send weekly emails if you purchase from them.