Clothing Issues

Hi,

i think a lot of it is just trying to find out what works for your child. There are some tops that you can get which are long sleeved which are designed to be worn under clothes, they are tight/skin hugging which might distract from the movement of the looser clothes?

have a look at the online "sensory smart store", they have a lot of stuff which we have used and found Helpful.

my daughter wears what she calls her "Huggy vest", it's a tight compression vest and is seamless and that helps a lot, although more Suitable for cold weather!

hope you find something that helps.

Hi,

Thanks for you reply..its always to good to know your not alone.

My son's issues tend to be more about the movement of the clothes on his body, than anything else.  I can get the clothes on him whilst sitting down, and using distraction, but as soon as he gets up to move around, he becomes very angry and aggressive.

Despite not having a girl, my son can be like your daughter in some ways..we live in Scotland and when it snows, he will insist on only wearing pants and boots to go out in..I have learnt to accept who he is now, as its easier than arguing..I'm also reminded of being told so many times, 'choose your battles'!

Hello, sorry to hear about the abuse, that's so hard when you love 'em to bits.

I buy a soft iron on lining for the inside of ANY patterns that may be on tops (from ebay) my daughter is sensitive even if the pattern is just slightly raised or rubbery or stitched on the outside. The liner just softens the feel of the fabric on her skin. She also uses a super soft vest or crop top if able.

We always do velcro school shoes & slips on pumps / trainers as we haven't yet mastered any buckles or laces. She often wears her sock inside out or I stretch them very loose to avoid that squeezing feeling. I work in a school wear children with autism can wear slippers ? would this be possible at your son's school ?  

We too have clothing issues - both seams & fabrics but also what to wear. In 34 degrees she will insist on her cardigan fully buttoned up for school simply because she usually wears a cardigan fully buttoned up. We struggle to choose something appropriate for weather or the event as she finds change & selection difficult.

She is now 10 & has more recently become more aware of what her peers are wearing BUT unable to make sense of it all so sometimes she will be desperate for a crop top without realising what one even is! or want a pair of certain shoes - that she will never ever wear, again without realises what they actually are.

Thanks for your reply..the problem with my son isn't so much the seams, but more about the 'feeling' of the material rubbing on his skin once he's moving about..take this morning for example, we had arrived at school, just before 9am, he had kicked off his shoes in the car and refused to put them back on..he did eventually, but the abuse both verbally and physically I received was horrendous!

Have you learnt any strategies that have worked for you?

hello, There is a friend of mine who is autistic and on her birthday i wanted to gift her something to wear. She usually complaints about her clothes like she is not comfortable in them. Please suggest me some brands or stores or online websites which i can refer to.

Hi, 

I frequently go through similar issues with my 7 year old daughter, I think the only thing is trial and error and finding things which are designed for sensory issues to lessen the anxiety. Seamless socks are great, as are seamless underpants from a large high street retailer, don't know if I'm allowed to name specific brands? Shoes can be a big problem but we have found a great local independent shop which is very clued up and takes time to ensure she has shoes she is happy with. She wears glasses but we haven't had any problems with those, however when she gets a new pair, it can take a lot of fiddling to get them "just right"

Sorry but I don't think I've offered you a real answer, other than time and patience. Also, trying things out like wearing a vest inside out underneath tops so there aren't any annoying seams.

hope this helps in some way.