February 1, 2024

Why Is My Child So Picky About The Clothes He/She Wears?

We’ve all put on a wool sweater or scarf that feels really itchy and irritating on our skin. You feel in constant discomfort all day long when you move the slightest bit, its distracting for you all day, and you promise yourself you’ll never wear it again.

We’ve all put on a wool sweater or scarf that feels really itchy and irritating on our skin. You feel in constant discomfort all day long when you move the slightest bit, its distracting for you all day, and you promise yourself you’ll never wear it again. Kids with tactile hypersensitivities experience this on a daily basis with many types of clothing, causing them to become picky about what they put on their bodies.

A typical tactile system will feel a light touch stimulus, such as a t-shirt on your body, and will quickly adapt to the feeling, so that the nervous system and tactile system no longer notice it is touching the skin. This allows us to wear clothes all day, and not notice or feel irritated by the constant touch on our bodies. The tactile systems of children with hypersensitivities never adapt to the light touch feeling, and are, therefore, constantly aware of it, constantly irritated by it, and constantly distracted by it. Some children may be so sensitive to touch that they perceive the touch of clothing as painful. Children with tactile sensitivities may begin to be rigid about the types of clothing they will put on their bodies, tending to prefer anything that is very soft, and/or seamless, so that it is more tolerable for them and allows them to function better throughout the day.

Suggestions to try to expand your child’s repertoire of clothing include:

  1. Wash your child’s clothing several times to achieve a “worn in” affect. Use LOTS of fabric softener.
  2. Purchase the softest fabrics you can find, particularly cotton, fleece, and flannel.
  3. Try wearing socks inside out, or purchase seemless clothing (such as socks, shirts, and undergarments), some suggested sites are http://www.smartknitkids.com/.
  4. Take your child shopping and allow him/her to choose what you purchase. Make a fun day of it!
  5. Allow your child to choose and lay out his/her own clothing the night before school
  6. Remove all tags, embroidered emblems, cuffs and waistbands, or other potential irritants
  7. During and after the shower or bath, try doing firm rub downs to the arms, legs, back, neck, hands and feet, avoiding the stomach and face as these are very sensitive areas. Start with soap or lotion, and firm, deep pressure. When this is tolerated, move to soft washcloths, then rougher washcloths and towels, and to sponges and loofahs as your child’s tolerance increases and his/her sensitivity decreases. Doing this consistently and as often as you can, ideally several times a day, will have the greatest results.
  8. Massage with lotion after bath time. The deep pressure is calming and may help to decrease tactile sensitivities.
  9. Explore different snug fitting clothing to be worn alone or under regular clothing, such as tights, or leggings; lycra / spandex undershirt that fits very snugly; or a “compression shirt” or other compression garments, such as a SPIO. Snug fitting garments will give some calming deep pressure input, and it will also keep the “itchy” clothing off the skin directly.
  10. Messy play may help decrease tactile sensitivities- Such as shaving cream; finger paint; dry rice/bean bins; cooking with your hands, such as kneading or mixing.

If your child has tactile sensitivities which are causing disruptions and challenges to his/her daily functioning or the functioning of your family, consult an occupational therapist. Seek out an occupational therapy evaluation for expert assistance in working to overcoming this challenge.

Download our Guide for Families

We know that choosing a local ABA facility can be a hard decision. We’ve created an informational guide to help you understand more about the questions you should be asking while meeting with different providers.

Although we talk about our services here, our highest goal is for you to feel comfortable and knowledgeable about picking a provider that is the best fit for your needs. You are making a decision that will impact the entire trajectory of your child’s life!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
The cover of the NSPT Guide for Families, which helps families to figure out the questions to ask when picking an ABA provider.

Continue Reading

Testimonials

Why we do what we do.
Success looks different for every child... But we bet we have a story that matches your child's needs. Like James, who started with us as non-verbal and lacking the ability to initiate and maintain social interactions. Today, he can speak complete sentences, clearly state his needs, and navigate social interactions with his friends!

Contact us to get started

  • 1
    Submit an inquiry form
    Completing this secure form helps us understand how we can serve you.
  • 2
    We'll reach out to you!
    One of our dedicated team members will connect with you to discuss services, your insurance benefits, and your family’s needs.
  • 3
    Paperwork & insurance
    We'll review and confirm your insurance benefits, and we'll work with you to gather additional paperwork required and discuss financial expectations based on insurance.
  • 4
    Treatment personalization
    We'll schedule an assessment date for your child with one of our clinicians. This assessment will serve as the basis for your child’s personalized treatment plan. After, we'll meet to discuss recommendations and your child’s treatment plan and start date.
  • 5
    Start making progress!
    We will greet and welcome your child to our warm and supportive environment where our staff will provide 1-on-1 care to meet our treatment goals.