Two year old won't wear shoes!! Desperate!

My two year old son, diagnosed recently with ASD won't wear his shoes. He hasn't been able to wear shoes for two months. He won't put his feet on the floor and cries hysterically. I've tried putting him in the same design of shoe - didn't work. It's like he's in so much pain... He withdraws into himself and becomes very subdued. This can last for a few days. I'm struggling. I need him to run and jump around outside in the fresh air to encourage him to sleep at night. ANY suggestion would be so welcome. Thank you so much for reading. 

  • have you tried all sorts of shoes? Slippers? Wellies? socks and sandals?  Socks inside out as well so the seams don't rub.  My son didn't mind shoes but he loves his Ugg boots as they are really soft and cosy, and would prefer them over everything else.  Not very waterproof but as this sounds a bit desperate, and I can totally understand it must be awful to be cooped up inside with a 2 year old.

    Also how about visiting an indoor play place, where he can just wear socks, or swimming to burn off some energy?

    Hope you resolve it soon. 

  • Thank you so much for your reply. I've just got her book!!! I will begin to read it as soon as I can.

    Such a simple thing of putting on shoes can be so traumatic for others. It's heartbreaking to see... Thank you for taking the time to reply.

  • This is such a commonly reported issue I'm surprised no-one has made any suggestions. So maybe my picking this up will nudge the question into the current forum again.

    There must be many parents who have had to hunt around for footwear options because their child has sensory difficulties with clothes or shoes.

    Someone who wrote about this a lot was Temple Grandin.