Arnie and His School Tools: Simple Sensory Solutions that Build Success

I love this book. I work with a lot of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and this book is useful in helping them to identify what it is like for them in the classroom. The great thing about it is that it is not just a story book, the strategies that Arnie uses to cope are fantastic and work for most children. The pictures and colours used are lovely. And I highly recommend this book to parents, teachers, psychologists like myself and other specialists who work with children with sensory integration issues.

My 7 year old son was recently diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder. The school OT had made all of the classroom accommodations listed in this book. I was looking for a book that would help my son and his classmates understand why he gets special attention and all sorts of cool stuff to fidget with, sit on and jump on at school. This book is amazing!!! It fit my son to a "T", with the exception of playing basketball. My son is not at all athletic and prefers video games to sports and outdoor play. I sent the book in a few days ago and his teacher was so impressed that she shared it with a bunch of other teachers, the school OT, and the school psychologist. They all liked it so much, that they are planning on ordering several copies for the school district. Unlike the one reviewer that took issue with Arnie's mom saying he would probably never grow up to be an accountant, I get it! It's not about a child's mathematical ability, it's about their need to move and their inability to sit still for long periods of time. My son is a sensory seeker. He frequently needs to stand at his desk, and jumps up and down A LOT! He is ill-suited for the classroom environment, let alone a sedentary desk job. If you don't understand that, then read the book again! I will be sharing this book with all of my son's future teachers, so they will have a better understanding and tolerance of his disorder.

I have used this book every year since a mentor teacher suggested it years ago. Each year, there is a student who needs something different than the other students. I read this early in the year and then discuss the kinds of tools certain students need. I remind them that they will all get the tools they need in my classroom, as they need them, and that we don't need to feel envious of another person's tools or take them. I have never had problems with the rest of the class after reading this book. One of the best teaching purchases I have made!

I am a preschool teacher. This is the first year that I've had a child with sensory processing disorder in my class. I was looking for a book that would help the other kids in class understand why their classmate need help focusing. They all liked him, but they'd get very frustrated with him because he couldn't keep his hands to himself, or he'd knock over their towers, or take their playdough. While this book is more geared to early elementary school age children, it did help me put his needs into terms my students could understand. The book also went home with the student with sensory processing disorder for awhile. He really liked it, and asked his mom to read it to him again and again. It give him a new set of "tools" because it gave him some new verbage that helps him express himself. We talked about his "motor" and we even tried the straw trick! Over all I'd recommend this book, especially for early elementary children (K-4th grade).

With the fall school semester right around the corner, I needed to find just the right book to help explain the sensory child for my son to thrive, not just survive in school. This book is perfect because it is for all ages, and it is just the right length, (especially for teachers who may not have the time to read outside of his or her school curriculum). I wish that I could buy a million copies to distrubute to schools thoughtout the country. I not only recommend this book as a parent, but also as a nurse and a caregiver for over twenty years to the best mom in the world. Educating others is over half the battle in providing a foundation for anyone, especially for our children.......our future leaders!!! Happy reading!!

I ordered this book for my daughter to use for my eight year old grandson, who has a sensory processing disorder. As she read it to him, he began to recognize some of the ways he has already been self-regulating while in school. At his recent annual review of his individual education plan, we told the committee about the book and they wanted to know where we got it and how could they get one for the school. It's an excellent tool to use for these little people who can't really understand what is going on in their bodies. It is easy for them to relate to and then apply the strategies recommended in the book...again, it is an excellent book!

This book was a great help to discuss my 5 1/2 year-old son's sensory processing disorder with him. It described behaviors so similar to his own that he could really identify with it. He listened intently, and when we were done asked if he could bring it to school for his teacher to read to the class. The teacher commented how great the book was in describing behaviors that may seem silly to other students. The kindergarten class was very receptive and asked questions of my son, who was more than happy to discuss with them.

This is exactly the book my family needed. Reading "Arnie and his School Tools" to my children made them feel "normal". Giving it to the teachers to read to the class was the perfect start to improved classroom behavior. The teachers suddenly "got it", and the students who saw behaviors in themselves wanted Arnie's tools, too. The children who didn't understand why the Arnies in class needed to move suddenly became more empathetic. A very powerful experience. A book I intend to give to each of my children's teachers at the beginning of every school year.