Chapter 5

“It is through our senses that we experience life, and it is through our senses that we can reawaken to a fuller and more authentic way of being.” (www.sensoryawareness.org)

Sensory Awareness Foundation

Understanding Baby’s Senses

Infants and Toddlers: How Children’s Senses Develop

How Babies’ Senses Develop

Teaching Your Child to Focus

Making Sensory Bottles and Sensory Bags

Sensory Processing Disorder:

Top Questions about SPD

STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder

The STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder (https://www.spdstar.org/)  provides a plethora of information about Sensory Processing Disorder. Below is their Infant/Toddler Checklist that will help a parent or caregiver determine if a child has SPD. The foundation suggests that parents and caregivers contact their pediatrician if they find that their children have any of the symptoms below:

  • My infant/toddler has problems eating.
  • My infant/toddler refused to go to anyone but me.
  • My infant/toddler has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
  • My infant/toddler is extremely irritable when I dress him/her; seems to be uncomfortable in clothes.
  • My infant/toddler rarely plays with toys, especially those requiring dexterity.
  • My infant/toddler has difficulty shifting focus from one object/activity to another.
  • My infant/toddler does not notice pain or is slow to respond when hurt.
  • My infant/toddler resists cuddling, arches back away from the person holding him.
  • My infant/toddler cannot calm self by sucking on a pacifier, looking at toys, or listening to my voice.
  • My infant/toddler has a “floppy” body, bumps into things and has poor balance.
  • My infant/toddler does little or no babbling, vocalizing.
  • My infant/toddler is easily startled.
  • My infant/toddler is extremely active and is constantly moving body/limbs or runs endlessly.
  • My infant/toddler seems to be delayed in crawling, standing, walking or running.

Source: https://www.spdstar.org/basic/symptoms-checklist

Media Use for 0-3 Children:

Media Use for Children Under 2 Years

Smart Decisions about Media Use

Mobile and Interactive Media Use by Young Children: The Good, the bad and the Unknown

Making Smart Decisions about Media Use for Young Children

New Recommendations from AAP about Media Use

Zero to Three: Screen Sense

Additional Readings

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2011). Media use by children younger than two years. Pediatrics, 128 (5), 1-6. Retrieved from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/10/12/peds.2011-1753

Spencer, K. H., & Wright, P. M. (2014). Quality outdoor play spaces for young children. Young Children, November, 28-34.

Additional Websites

USDA’s website that provides a vast amount of information about health, nutrition and physical activity for all ages: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

Similar information as the USDA website, but also describes the food pyramid in detail and breaks down the daily amount of recommended food from each food group for all ages: http://www.foodpyramid.com/mypyramid/

Making Sensory Bottles and Bags: http://www.parentphd.org/2012/03/sensory-bottles-and-sensory-bags-lets-talk-perception/

STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder: https://www.spdstar.org/