Dr. A. Jean Ayres began to develop sensory integration theory, as well as the evaluation procedures and intervention strategies that were associated with this framework, in the 1950s. When Sensory Integration and the Child was first published in the late 1970s, many aspects of her work were becoming more widely known. Although she was a dedicated researcher and educator, Dr. Ayres was foremost a therapist who worked tirelessly to help the children and families who came to her therapy clinic. Over and over again, she listened to the frustration parents expressed at not understanding their children's behavior, often followed by relief at having those problems named and explained, and hope when a plan for intervention was offered. Dr. Ayres wrote this book in order to bring a similar sense of relief and hope to families beyond those who were able to come to her clinic. Because she recognized that parents commonly went first to doctors, therapists, and teachers for help with the developmental or educational concerns they had about their children, she also wrote this book to help those professionals to assist families as well. Since its first printing, Sensory Integration and the Child has sold thousands of copies and has been translated into six languages. Educators, researchers, and clinicians who continue to develop and apply sensory integration theory have found this book to be an essential tool in communicating the basic concepts of this approach. Parents have also continued to praise this book for the way it has changed the course of their children's lives.

ISBN: 0874241588