ABSTRACT
This section introduces the authors and offers a key concept of the book, distinguishing between managing or controlling difficult behaviors versus understanding a child’s reactions and behaviors as problems of self-regulation, sensory and emotional overwhelm. An immature sensory nervous system is proposed as an underlying cause of a child’s often dysregulated behavior and emotions. The fundamental importance of touch is introduced, and when that touch is offered in an attuned and organized way through QST, parents are empowered with an at-home intervention that provides what the authors call “a sensory solution to sensory and related behavioral problems”. QST is then defined in brief, followed by an outline of what is presented in this book and its chapters. Final thoughts before beginning are offered with separate sets of guidelines for parents and for clinicians.
