Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi,
My 17yr old has just received his diagnosis and one of my concerns as a parent is his lack of interest to self care. He doesn't like the feel of soap , shower gel, hair washing, teeth brushing. He wouldn't wash without being asked to he avoids it. Anyone have any suggestions to see the importance of this.
It really depends on your son sensory profile. If he is sensitive to touch and temperature it could be an issue with the water temperature and the temperature of the soap which can be combated by making his bath or shower blood temperature. If you live in a area with hard water it could be the water itself.
Brushing your teeth is awful but making small such as changes the tooth brush can make it more manageable as well as natural flavoured toothpaste.
Once you've dealt with the sensory struggles you should be able to encourage a routine that incorporates self hygiene. He may need prompting the rest of his life but their are ways of taking that burden off you and replacing it with assisted technology like voice assisted reminders.