Aug 03 2008
Sensory issues with clothing. Autism.
A common trend among children with autism is their desire to be with out clothing. This issue with clothing can range from preferring to be barefoot to make it easier to navigate with a toe step gait to an issue with any form cloth touching the skin.
Having had grown up with this very issue, my mother tried to deal with my birthday suit preference while maintaining societal standards for appropriate wear with in the community.
I especially hated wearing shoes. I was a toe walker and having shoes on did not allow me to navigate easily, so they were off as soon as they were on.
When I was a toddler, I adorned a diaper or nothing at all after I was potty trained. To deal with the issue of find appropriate clothing to fit a very tiny toddler, my mother often made my clothes. She experimented with different materials and chose those I was most likely to keep on in public.
Another tactic she used to keep both clothes and shoes on was to implement creative ways that they tied or snapped that I could not easily get undone.
Many of the clothes she made me either buttoned or zipped up in the back. They were made of lighter materials and were light on me.
She would double knot my shoes so I could not get them off. I would refuse to walk most times though, a benefit if you have a child that likes to run off. I was still very small and easy to carry so this was not an issue.
Children with sensory issues can develop an issue with the way clothes feel against their skin. Dealing with this issue is the best way to overcome it. Exposing children to different textures and allowing them to adjust will help best to avoid an older child streaking the neighbors.
As for my mother’s tactics, she did what she had to with no knowledge of what autism is. I eventually adjusted to my clothes. However, I still have a strong preference for loose fitting, soft, and light feeling articles of clothing. If I get cold, I grab a nice soft blanket and curl up.
