The Fourth of July should be a fun and exciting holiday for kids, with its picnics and parades and fireworks, but for youngsters with sensory issues it can be an unendling onslaught of noise, crowds, and stressful situations. Catherine talks to pediatric occupational therapist Meghan Corridan, who blogs at MAC&Toys, about what parents can do to help kids find a comfort level with all that flash and festivity without withdrawing from it completely. Strategies include noise-canceling headphones, sunglasses, a safe spot a little away from the action, and coloring supplies to provide a distraction. For more on that last idea, read "Coloring ... Not Just for Kids" on Meghan's site, and for some additional Fourth of July thoughts, read "Four Hard Things About the Fourth" on the About.com Parenting Special Needs site. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, go to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience).