I Can Be

Not only is I Can Be a fun introduction to yoga, but it is also a great tool for any parent in need of a new sensory activity.

The book shows a boy buzzing like a bee, jumping like a frog, hissing like a snake, hugging like a bear, and other similar poses that are all great activities for a child’s sensory program. According to Carol Kranowitz (2005), “a sensory diet includes a combination of alerting, organizing, and calming activities” (p. 229). Jumping is a great “alerting activity” and good for motor planning (Kranowitz, p. 229). Buzzing is calming to the nervous system. Hugging is a “calming activity” good for the proprioceptive system (p. 230). Kranowitz also describes that “crawling” like a snake is good for developing motor planning (p. 239). The snake is also good for improving mood and can be considered an alerting pose for the nervous system and mind. In addition, downward-facing dog and cat pose are “organizing activities” that help to build upper extremity strength. All in all, practicing yoga is very good for the proprioceptive and vestibular systems.

A percentage of my proceeds goes to a local nonprofit, Developmental Delay Resources, to aid in part of their mission of preventing developmental delays through education. Check them out at www.devdelay.org

My son’s occupational therapist, who is on the board of this non-profit, gave me the courage to start sharing with others what my son and I have experienced with sensory processing disorder. By talking about my experiences, someone may identify these characteristics in their child or someone they know so that the window for early intervention is not missed. I could see how my son may have flown under the radar and his mild symptoms may have been missed or misunderstood. It is only by talking about sensory processing disorder can we begin to raise awareness and educate others!

I have also started to donate $1 from each I Can Be book sold on Amazon.com (new, list price books only–I can only track these sales) to the SPD Foundation  http://www.spdfoundation.net/ or the Star Center http://www.starcenter.us/services.html .  Each month, I will announce on my website and Amazon.com detail page where I am donating the proceeds for that month. 

In closing, my main message for all children is. . . just to be who you are and let your light shine no matter how different this light may be.

Look forward to hearing from you!
Christine Sumner

You can learn more about alerting, calming, and organizing activites by reading The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder by Carol Stock Kranowitz.