Psychological Interventions for Children with Sensory Dysregulation

Sensory processing difficulties can lead to puzzling, hard-to-treat emotional and behavioural challenges in children and adolescents. Filled with case examples, this highly informative guide helps mental health clinicians recognise and address sensory dysregulation that may co-occur with or be misdiagnosed as anxiety disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and other psychological or behavioural problems.

In rich detail, the authors illustrate how to modify cognitive-behavioural therapy and other evidence-based interventions to meet this population's unique needs and make treatment more effective. Reproducible clinical tools can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8.5 x 11 inch size.

Table of Contents

1. Sensory Regulation and Dysregulation
2. The Senses
3. Assessing Sensory Dysregulation
4. It's Complicated: Sensory Dysregulation and Other Psychiatric Disorders
5. Treating Sensory Dysregulation: A Formula for Success
6. Specific Interventions for Over and Underresponsive Children
7. The Challenging Child in Context: Involving Parents in Treatment
8. Integrating Treatment for Sensory Dysregulation into Therapy for Specific Disorders
9. Troubleshooting in Therapy
10. Where Do We Go from Here?

"Sensory issues underlie many childhood anxieties. A kid may refuse certain foods or fear thunder because of sensory overload rather than irrational beliefs. When mental health professionals understand the possible physiological reasons for dysregulated behavior, they can help children succeed by using the smart intervention strategies presented in this important and readable book."
- Carol S. Kranowitz, MA, author of The Out-of-Sync Child

"This thought-provoking book shows that when traditional CBT or medication management fails, it may be because a child's underlying sensory differences require a different perspective. Golomb and Mouton-Odum describe how to effectively combine CBT and sensory therapies. They utilize a balance of techniques'exposure, sensory intervention, coping skills, and counter-conditioning'to help children build better tolerance for sensory stimuli. All clinicians who work with children will benefit from this fresh integration of psychological and occupational therapy frameworks. The book is filled with practical strategies and helpful vignettes that are obviously harvested from years of clinical experience."
- Daniel G. Shapiro, MD, developmental and behavioral pediatrician, Rockville, Maryland

"As a psychologist in practice for more than 30 years, I appreciate how this book highlights relevant factors to consider when treating children and teens with sensory modulation challenges, especially those who do not respond to traditional exposure therapy. Golomb and Mouton-Odum present real-world case examples of youth with over- or underreactive sensory systems. They propose a model to augment exposure therapy with additional elements to increase the success of treatment, and offer helpful checklists to guide questioning, specific outlines for creative exposures, and tips for comprehensive treatment planning. The book addresses an underexplored issue that is of direct relevance to clinicians working with children."
- Mary Karapetian Alvord, PhD, Director, Alvord, Baker & Associates, Silver Spring and Rockville, Maryland