TOO MUCH! An Overwhelming Day - Book Launch

Too Much! An Overwhelming Day is a picture book by author/educator Jolene Gutierrez about what it feels like to be a child with sensory processing challenges. Too Much! fits well this year's blog theme of "Books About Resilience" because it provides so many practical suggestions for helping kids build skills and gain confidence in their ability to self-regulate. 

Jolene has experience as both a teacher and a librarian working with kids with autism and sensory processing issues. Most important, she has sensory processing difficulties of her own which she discussed at her book launch on Saturday, August 5 at Second Star to the Right bookstore in Denver, CO.  

Jolene's "Note to Caregivers and Educators" at the end of Too Much! provides useful tips about going from TOO MUCH! to JUST RIGHT. There are practical suggestions for what to do when a child is overwhelmed by specific types of stimuli like sound, textures, touch, and sight. The author's note provides definitions for the different types of sensory systems and ideas for helping adults to help children with identifying their sensory likes and dislikes. There is even a section on creating a sensory diet. 

Jolene invited Kaitlyn and Kayla, two delightful occupational therapists from the STAR Institute, to talk about sensory processing. They provided a checklist of "Red Flags of Disordered Sensory Processing" for infancy through adulthood.  I appreciated the perspective that their job is NOT to change a person's sensory integration profile but simply to give that person tools to be their best self and to find ways to self-regulate in difficult situations. 

One of the booksellers asked the OTs what Second Star could do to make their bookstore more accessible to kids with sensory integration issues.  Children's bookstores can be colorful and exciting places, but they can also be overstimulating. I think the suggestions made by the OTs are helpful for librarians and classroom teachers as well as bookstores:

SENSORY TIPS FOR BOOKSTORES, LIBRARIES, AND CLASSROOMS

1. Create calming corners with fewer stimuli where kids can snuggle up with a book or just take a few minutes to relax.

2. Provide an outdoor space if possible. Kids sometimes become overstimulated and benefit from going outside to center themselves. Outdoor spaces can be very calming to people experiencing dysregulation. 

3. When offering programs for children, make sure there are a variety of options for viewing (i.e. sitting in chairs, sitting on the ground, using other flexible seating options, or standing up). Be sensitive to the fact that some kids may need to get up and move around. Creative spaces near the event but on the fringe can provide opportunities for kids to engage to the extent that they are comfortable. 

4. Clapping at large events can be very loud and distressing. Before the event, encourage quieter ways of showing appreciation such as snapping fingers or waving hands. 

Learn more about the work of the STAR Institute at https://sensoryhealth.org/. Check out their pages for:

• Understanding Sensory Processing
• Symptoms Checklist
• Continued Education for Professionals.

Jolene and I will be presenting an author/educator panel with Beth Anderson on Saturday, September 30 at the Reading in the Rockies Conference at the Copper Mountain Resort in Copper Mountain Colorado. The subject is "Using Narratives as a Bridge to Informational Text." Find out more about the conference and my other 2023 presentations (including ASHA and IDA) on my EVENTS Page.

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