My child is sensitive to their clothing, what can I do?

As a caregiver for a child with clothing sensitivities, it is easy to become frustrated, overwhelmed, and exhausted  with what feels like a routine part of the day - getting your child dressed.  Clothing sensitivity is often due to a child having tactile defensiveness. Tactile meaning the sense of touch; defensiveness meaning to react negatively toward the stimulus.  

Children who have a tactile defensiveness to clothing demonstrate a pattern of observable behaviour and emotion-based responses to clothing.  These reactions are aversive and appear out of proportion to how most people would respond to wearing clothing. Oftentimes, a child reacts in a way that makes the clothing appear to feel painful. 

What does clothing sensitivity look like?

Like responses to all sensory information our bodies and brains take in and process, a child’s response to wearing clothing will fall somewhere on a continuum. With clothing this could range from not noticing it at all to noticing every single little tiny detail about how it feels and not being able to think about anything else. Children with clothing sensitivities may refuse to wear any clothes. They might choose shorts and a t-shirt even in the middle of winter or long sleeves and pants in summer. They may frequently complain their clothes are too hot / itchy / scratchy. Helping a child with clothing sensitivities get dressed routinely includes tears, tantrums, and getting out the door much later than anticipated. It is not fun for anyone.

Clothing sensitivities are different from a child having preferences. Many children have preferences such as whether or not they like to wear socks or a strong desire for wearing twirly dresses.  Sometimes, a refusal to get dressed can also be behaviorally based. For example, if your child only refuses to get dressed before school but any other time it is a walk in the park. An occupational therapist can help you work through these possibilities and determine the best approach for your child and family.

Why do some children have clothing sensitivities?

All people process sensory information in their own way. It is why some of us like spicy foods while others want nothing to do with the heat.  Some people enjoy rock concerts and others can’t stand to be around all that racket. Our sensory systems have a tough job to do. They help us sort through all of the incoming information that our eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin help to capture. The sensory system plays a role in modulating some of that information, meaning it helps the information that seems important to stand out while blurring other information into the background.  It also plays a role in habituation- learning that there isn’t a need to respond to certain ongoing sensory information, such as the way our clothes feel throughout the day. The unique way an individual processes sensory information can cause them to sometimes be hypersensitive (overly sensitive) or hyposensitivite (under sensitive). Our perception of the world around us directly influences our behaviours and emotions.

Children with clothing sensitivity fall into the hypersensitive category.  The feel of clothing can be very irritating for these children. Because of difficulties with modulation and habituation, the feeling of the clothing stays in the forefront of their mind and they do not get used to the feeling over time. Furthermore, children with autism can sometimes have difficulty with temperature regulation, meaning what feels hot or cold to you, may not feel uncomfortable to your child, and vice versa.

Things to Consider and Ideas for Home

1. Sensory experiences are unique. Just because something feels soft to you, does not mean that your child has the same experience.  It could actually be the opposite for your child.

2. Look for patterns.  Take notes (you will tell yourself you will remember the details, but these notes can be a huge help if you happen to… forget to remember).  What will your child wear?  Does time of day or who is helping the child impact this?  Does what is happening next play a role?  Does your child seem to feel temperature differently than you?  All of this information will help to figure out the best approach to address the dressing difficulty.

3. If possible, ask your child why certain clothing is uncomfortable for them.  Depending on their response, some of the following may help:

   • Choose tagless clothes / remove tags.

   • Cover elastic bands, no embroidery or lumpy fabric.

   • Wash clothing multiple times to soften them before asking your child to wear it.  To speed this process up, buy clothing second hand or add some tennis balls to the dryer

4. Let your child have some control in the dressing process - give them a choice of what clothes they can wear. If they choose a t-shirt in winter, bring a jumper with you just in case. 

5. Choose the right fit.   Take note of whether your child prefers tight or loose fitting clothing.

6. If you find something they will wear, embrace it.  Buy it in multiple colors.  Consider buying a size larger for when they outgrow the current item.  Look for the brand online if the supplies in the store are limited.

7. Don’t forget about the undergarments! Socks that bunch up or have thick seams around the toes, or underwear with exposed elastic around the legs can become uncomfortable.

8. Use scent and chemical free laundry detergent

9. Try to help desensitize or distract your child prior to and during the clothing change.  Rough and tumble play and squeezes are an option to try.  Consider a reward chart for each clothing item changed.  Use whatever is motivating the child in that moment.  What worked yesterday may not work today.

What next?

It is important to remember that every child is different, and some of the above tips may not work for your child. Contact Acorn Autism for more tips and tricks if your child has clothing sensitivity. 

It is also important to contact and consult with an Occupational Therapist experienced in working with children with sensory processing difficulties. Our team at Acorn Autism can support you and your child with all of their over and under sensitivity difficulties.

For more information on sensory processing difficulties, what it means, and how we can support you and your family, contact Acorn Autism.

Note: The above information is not meant to diagnose or treat, and should not take the place of personal consultation, as appropriate, with a qualified professional.