Autistic child refusing clothes?

Question

She is 8 and the clothing issue is getting increasingly worse. What can I do?

Answer 1

My boy has clothing sensitivities due to his ADHD.  He has great trouble with collars, scratchy jumpers, wearing one item over another(eg vest over a shirt,jumper over a t shirt if the jumper is not HUGE!),waistlines being too tight or too loose.

It drives him crazy!  Serious toddler tantrums and he's 10 now!  And most annoyingly it causes the most problems as we walk out of the door (or try to).

I'm fairly sure he has autistic tendancies too.

I always take him with me clothes shopping and make sure that he tries them on (doesn't allways garruntee he'll wear them again later though, but it improves the chances).

If I find an item he likes I buy loads more the same(people must think i don't make him put fresh clothes on!)

I listen to the comments he makes regarding what he does and doesn't like the feel to help me help him choose in the shops.

I try to get him to dress before breakfast and get all his stuff together including outer garments(trying them on if not sure) so that if theres anything not sitting right with him we can tackle it then before it adds to the leaving the house anguishes.

I supose it's something that will hopefully get better with practice.  Good luck

Answer 2

1 - use an unscented washing product - the sense of smell is very heightened in people with Autism.

2 - I would take pictures of each shirt and pictures of each pair of pants or shorts - either have her pick the day before with the pictures what she will wear or make it a game and put the pictures in a top bag and a bottom bag.  This preplanning deals with issues with change.

3 - Teach the rule - When we get up in the morning we:  list all the things you do, wash face, brush teeth, change underwear .........  Then when they don't want to do it - you refer to the 'rule' or 'schedule'.

4 maybe you might have to do baby steps and that "do you want to wear a different shirt or different pants today.  So on part is still dirty the other part is ok.

5 play a 'dress up' game.  Take pictures of various clothing items that are big enough to go over clothes and some silly.  play a concentration game when you get a match you have to put that item on - or something - anything to make putting on clothes fun and not related to actually HAVING to do it.

Hope some of this helps.

Answer 3

Hi.

Many children who suffer autism experience distortions of sensory processing.  You already allude to the fact that she has sensory integration issues, well, this behaviour probably has that as it's heart.

Tactile discrimination can suffer as many distortions as any other sense and if she is hypersensitive to tactile stimulation (or just specific types of tactile stimulation), then she might react very badly to specific sensations.

The problem seems to lie in the ability of certain brain structures, (the sensory attentional filter) to transfer incoming sensory informationn from the environment to the correct part of the cortex at the correct intensity.

What your daughter needs is a programme of tactile desensitisation, which will attempt to re-tune these structures.

Read here. http://www.snowdrop.cc/info2.cfm?info_id...  

And here  http://www.lulu.com/content/1225081

Hope this helps

Answer 4

Try overalls.

Answer 5

Are you brushing her, the Wilbarger brushing?  Do you have a sensory diet for her from her OT during the school year?  I have 2 autistic spectrum sons and I have had really good OT's, and some not so good.  

For the clothes, rinse them twice, and use All free and clear detergent diluted.  Fabric softener helps.  Do her clothes seperately.  Buy her tagless collarless 100% cotton t-shirts without elastic on the sleeve, and stretch pants with no exposed elastic.  When you find something she will wear, buy several.

Also my son's nose is pretty sensitive.  One day last year my other autistic son was having speech therapy in our house.  My oldest (autistic) came down.  And said, "why are you here"? She told him why, he said oh.  Then he said, "you can just go home now".  I told him thats not nice and asked him why would you say that?  He said, "she stinks".  I said that is perfume.  And he said, "well I don't like it, you stink, just get out of my house right now"!  The whole time he is gagging and coughing and has his shirt over his face.

Answer 6

If she admires anyone or anything tell her that the clothes that you put on her is what the person she admires wears. Good luck. :) Also maybe a simple outfit just like a slip on dress.

Answer 7

Sometimes clothing is painful to wear.   Literally, like putting on a sweater made of barbed wire would be to you.

Try finding the softest, softest, clothing you can buy, (or make)

My daughter has to touch all the clothes and fabrics I buy.  She doesn't even try them on, (and if I force her  we get the meltdown in the change room)  I end up making a lot of her clothes out of fabrics that "feel okay" for her.  It's a lot of work and a real drag and your kid ends up looking funny.  But that's the way it is.

Sometimes clothes that I think are acceptable she rejects.  It's trial and error.  Take her to a fabric store and see what she likes the feel of.     The great thing is that she probably doesn't  care what others will think of her appearance and she will be happy with them if they don't hurt her.

Answer 8

you need a good OT that will work on her sensory issues

as well as a behaviorist to help introduce and help her accept new clothes--this is a common problem--although not to this extreme....

and at the next IEP you need to work with the school--and look into getting an advocate or lawyer--which the school may have to reimburse you for--

if you can't get her dressed by September--obviously she needs therapy over the summer to prevent this 'regression' in behavior

the scent is a definite possibility--I work with a child whose only major sensory defensiveness is with scents....

Answer 9

I don't know if this helps but maybe she doesn't like the SMELL of the clean clothes.  Can you try to wash them in a non perfumy soap.  They have stuff for people who are allergic to the smelly stuff.  Or for people like me who can't stand some smells.

GOOD LUCK

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article...

just look for something that doesn't smell.

ADD

http://www.autismcommunityconnection.com...

http://momembracingautism.blogspot.com/2...

These are things that help take the pressure off of  you.  In her program at school I am sure they use these.  This way putting on her clothes is something that just happens.  Anyway hope it helps

http://www.setbc.org/pictureset/SubCateg...

this place has tons of good pictures

http://rsaffran.tripod.com/social.html

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