Book Review: Raising Your Spirited Child

“Raising Your Spirited Child” is not a new book.  Some things just have value as time goes on.  The subtitle is “A Guide for Parents Whose Child is MORE Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent or Energetic”.  The author, Mary Sheedy Kurcinka is a teacher and wrote a book that has specific, useful strategies for daily life skills with young children that really work.  Her advice is most successful, in my opinion, with children that are cognitively older than 4 years old.  That may mean that a younger child with special needs might not able to respond to all of her strategies, but her perspective on temperament and adapting the environment will almost certainly apply.  Her ideas definitely get people thinking about what could work for their family.

She gives special chapters to mealtime, bedtime, dressing, socializing and holiday/vacation periods.  Issues like autism, developmental delay and sensory processing disorder may require some adaptations.  But the author has a positive attitude, a loving approach, and sympathy for both the child and the parent of a spirited child as they navigate daily life. 

By Cathy Collyer

I am a licensed occupational therapist, licensed massage therapist, and certified CBT-i sleep coach in private practice in the NYC area. I have over 25 years of professional experience in adult and pediatric treatment. It has been a joy to help people of all ages improve their ability to grow and thrive! Occupational therapists are focused on enhancing a client's functioning in everyday life. We are practical healthcare providers, interested in teaching, adapting actions and environments, and building a client's useful skills for living their best life, regardless of their challenges. I am the author of five books, including "Staying In The Room: Managing Medical And Dental Care When You Have DID" and "The Practical Guide To Toilet Training the Autistic Child". I lecture on many subjects, including sleep, trauma, and development. Contact me to learn more about how I can help you achieve YOUR goals!

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