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| Book Review |
17 June 2005 |
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Title: Love Jean
Inspiration for Families Living with Dysfunction of Sensory Integration
Authors: A. Jean Ayres, Philip R Erwin, and Zoë Mailloux
Published by: Crestport Press, California, 2004-09-29
Format: Soft-back, 150 pages, ISBN 0-9725098-1-X
Love Jean, - I was browsing on the web and reading
the Website of Sensory Integration Focus, and I came
across a newly published book which caught my eye.
Since discovering Sensory Integration in the late 80’s I
have often wished that I could have met Jean Ayres. She
brought a whole new meaning and purpose to my
professional life. Her work in developing Sensory
Integration allowed me to work with a group of
children with often subtle but definite difficulties and
opened up a new career path for me. This little book
made me laugh, cry and ponder – think about how she
explained to a young 14 year old boy why he should
spend 30 minutes each day on his tummy on a scooter
board in a church hall!
The book is composed of a series of never-before
published letters from Jean Ayres to her nephew, Philip
Erwin, with whom she collaborated to formulate a
treatment programme from California to where he
lived in New York City. These letters not only describe
SI therapy in Jean’s own voice, they present a unique
piece of history, for they were written during one of
Jean’s most productive periods in the creation of her
theory. Balanced with Jean’s letters are Phil’s
sometimes disturbing and ultimately uplifting
recollections of what it felt like as a child before, during,
and after therapy for severe SI-based learning
disabilities. Zoë Mailloux, the renowned Occupational
Therapist and Sensory Integration researcher, gives
insights into the treatment from a therapist’s
perspective. Zoë’s insights include what parents can
expect from the process of having their child in therapy.
I read this book while on annual leave and it had a far
bigger impact on me than the four novels that I
subsequently read! It inspired me to think again about
how I use this form of intervention in my daily contact
with clients and their families. I know that I am now
going into more detail with some of the children with
whom I work. We go through the reasons behind the
activities, the expected therapeutic benefits and the
outcomes of the activities that they enjoy as part of
therapy.
It moved me greatly when she wrote that her work had
been rejected. We all need to spend time and effort in
producing evidence for using the intervention that she
developed and which continues to develop in her
absence. We need to do this in order to be able to keep
Sensory Integration moving and progressing with the
ultimate aim of Sensory Integration becoming a more
widely acceptable method of treating the children and
young adults who are referred to us. It is interesting
that this book comes at a time when Dr Lucy Millar is
moving towards having Sensory Integration
Dysfunction recognised as a diagnosis, and her research
article is reviewed in this newsletter.
I loaned this book to a colleague, her comment when
she returned it was “it was an excellent and moving read
– what a lady!” I think that sums it up!
It is envisaged that this book will shortly be available
for purchase through the Sensory Integration Network
website and our thanks go to Brian Erwin, Jean’s
nephew, of Crestport Press for allowing us to do this.
VALERIE CRIBBIN
SENIOR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
SENSORY INTEGRATION NETWORK, UK AND IRELAND |
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