My book available here:
http://stores.lulu.com/autismbook1
http://www.autismspeaks.org/community/resources/books.php
This page contains: clothing & seams, food textures & swallowing, and hair cuts.

Clothing & Seams

Clothing seams are like putting on sandpaper: they are unbearable

Q--So what do I do about my child being able to wear shoes and socks?

1. There are a couple of seamless socks that I have personally ordered myself.... www.striderite.com : Type in socks comfort seam and the socks should come up. Also in ADULT SIZES too!!

2. For completely seam-free socks, although I must say the ones from stride-rite will work for most kids and adults on the spectrum, there is this site. (Don't know the material difference though :/ It is... http://www.sensorycomfort.com/Clothing.htm

3. If your toddler or baby is fussing all the time when she/has their diaper on, try taking it off and see if he/she stops fussing...then try it back on...and do this several times. This may indicate extreme discomfort of the diaper or underwear material. There are several kind like the ones shown below if you are in need of trying different ones... (These pictures and different material diapers are from http://greenmountaindiapers.com/)
By the way, Adorable Babies! ;)
These are called the snug-to-fit

This is actually a regular soft towel-type which is sometimes much better tolerated

These are a silk-cotton kind, also better tolerated; silk you can grow the baby into more adult or child silk underwear; a better transition.

It can mean the difference between a comfortable/happy baby w/out tactile defensiveness... or an upset/unhappy baby w/ tactile issues... which is both hard on the baby, toddler or child with autism and the parents.


4. It is important that these same cautions be taken with clothes...many of them have seems or different materials that wouldn't bother a person w/out autism, but with autism could result it screaming and crying and discomfort that feels unbearable.


SEAMS:

I guess lots of dresses or blouses have these seams and other people really don't notice them or they get used to them in a few minutes. This is just one example...It depends on your child, as some of them may need that.

For children and adult underwear:
Check www.jockey.com, and look at the Tactel material and Micro-fiber materials.

For Bras: I recommend "Maidenform bras" that are like silk and also have the Tactel material.

Food, textures, and swallowing

This little thing is a miracle worker--must have!



Great thing so that the tounge can sense when food is going to slide down the throat... and great for introducting new food textures. Wake up the mouth and throat!

DRINK a cold drink before meals to help wake up your throat also, and stops some of the tactile defensiveness in the throat that can cause a lot of gaging, etc.

Oral-motor feeding therapy is also wonderful!!

You can get the products above at http://specialkidszone.com/














HAIR CUTS!


1. Autistic peoples heads are very sensitive. (TIPS BELOW VID.)



TIP 1: Use a social story.

TIP 2: Use a vibrating hairbrush for desensitazation.

TIP 3: Have a mirror so the child knows when head it going to be touched & what is happening.

TIP 4: Use a visual tracking device so they know when they are going to be done, the light up and message timer.

TIP 5: Use the 1-2-3 or 5-4-3-2-1 technique. Bascially you do short combing, so they know each time it ends rather quickly and then give a short brake. This I have found also works with dogs who are sensitive and try to bite when you brush them...

TIP 6: Let them be distracted with something they can hold and play with.

TIP 7: Don't let the hair fall on them.

TIP 8: Let them play with plastic kitty scissors so they aren't so scared of the scissors

TIP 9: With supervision and if safe enough, they can pretend or really cut a dolls hair.

TIP 10: Show them a video of someone getting their hair cut

TIP 11: Always be patient and sometimes only parts can be done, and then need finish rest the next day....depends.