Occupational Therapy Book Recommendations for Clients
As a pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT), I am often asked for book recommendations to help clients and their families learn more about sensory processing, handwriting, or self-regulation skills. Here is a compiled list of books that may be helpful to you!
Sensory processing books for children:
- Max and Me: A Story about Sensory Processing
- Arne and His School Tools
- Orvis Has Trouble at School
- Ellie Bean the Drama Queen
- I’m Not Weird, I Have Sensory Processing Disorder
- This is Gabriel: Making Sense of School
- Sensitive Sam
- Squirmy Wormy: How I Learned to Help Myself
- Why Does Izzy Cover Her Ears? Dealing with Sensory Overload
Autism Spectrum Disorder books for children:
- My Brother Charlie
- I See Things Differently: A First Look at Autism
- All My Stripes: A Story for Children with Autism
- A Friend Like Simon – Autism
- My Friend with Autism
Adult books to learn about sensory processing:
- The Out-of-Sync Child
- The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun
- The Sensory Sensitive Child: Practical Solutions for Out-of-Bounds Behavior
- The Out-of-Sync Child Grows Up
- Growing an In-Sync Child
- Raising a Sensory Smart Child
- Tools for Tots
- Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder
- Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight – more focused on adults with sensory concerns
- Understanding Your Baby’s Sensory Signals
- Understanding Your Child’s Sensory Signals
- Everyday Games for Sensory Processing Disorder
- Raising a Sensory Smart Child
- Sensory Processing 101
- The Everything Parent’s Guide to Sensory Processing Disorder
- No Longer a Secret: Unique Common Sense Strategies for Children with Sensory or Motor Challenges
Books for parents/caregivers to learn about behavior management in their children:
- 1-2-3 Magic: 3-Step Discipline for Calm, Effective, and Happy Parenting
- Parenting with Love and Logic
- Whole Brain Child, and the Whole Brain Child Workbook
- No-drama Discipline
- Steps to Independence: Teaching Everyday Skills to Children with Special Needs
- Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children
- Transforming the Difficult Child: The Nurtured Heart Approach
- The Everyday Parenting Toolkit: The Kazdin Method for Easy, Step-By-Step, Lasting Change for You and Your Child
- Thinking About You, Thinking About Me
- Is It Sensory or Is It Behavior?: Behavior Problem Identification, Assessment, and Intervention
- The Explosive Child
Self-Regulation Programs for parents/teachers to teach children:
- Alert Program: How Does Your Engine Run
- Zones of Regulation
- Superflex: A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum
Handwriting books/programs:
- Handwriting Without Tears
- Loops and Other Groups
Written by Kara Syrek, OTR/L, occupational therapist at NTS Therapy
Northwest Houston clinic: 713-466-6872
Katy clinic: 281-392-4221