Mag and others who's kids wear the same clothes all the time

[moonglow]

I was reading Randy's frazzled mom's post and she is right about difficult child wanting the same clothes all the time to control...but also for others it could be a sensory intregration disorder. These kids have a real problem with sensation...processing feel, smell, sight and sound. This is a true disorder that for whatever reason most people don't know about. Nate was also the same way...he would literally wear the same clothes all the time including sleeping in them. To get different and clean clothes on him I had to give him a bath.

He did go through a period of screaming the whole time he was taking a bath too. This is part of the sensory problem...they can't stand the feel of the water or soap or both. Can't stand having a washrag or whatever you use touching their skin. Nate's biggest problem was when I would wash his hair. He turly could not stand the water running on his head and if any got in his face he thought he was drowning.

He would go through a period of time of loving baths and staying in there forever and back to not beable to stand them. Right now he is back to liking them and he washes his own hair...he feels more in control doing it his way and that is fine with me as long as it gets washed. Its still hard to get him to do it but at least he isn't screaming bloodly murder anymore.

Another sign of Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) is sentivity to the tags in the backs of shirts, socks not on just right, not liking to even wear shoes or anything esle or their feet...or completely the opposite...can't stand to feel the ground under their feet. when little they tend to walk on their tiptoes for a lot longer then normal.

Being either too sentive to hot and cold..not beable to stand one or the other or both...or again the opposiote of not even noticing the heat or cold. Nate use to run outside in barefeet and only shorts in thrity degree wheather and not realize it was even cold out. I have also seen him walk on sidewalks in hundred degree heat in his bare feet and have no problems.

What you need to look for is extremes...one way or the other and in each area it could be the opposite of another one. Like hating the air conditioner and always being cold...but NOT having tags or itchy clothes bother them. That is possible though I bet he is sentive to clothes also. The Occupational Therapist (OT) who worked with Nate on his Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) problems said it is very common for them to wear the same few clothes or even the same set as long as they can get away with it...not because they are trying to be difficult but because putting different clothes on mean getting used to the 'feel' of a different set of clothes which is VERY difficult and very stressful for them.

Kids with Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) also tend to eat the same kinds of food...because they are comfortable with the feel of those foods in their mouths. Nate will not eat fruit or rarely or raw vegatables like carrots...he does not like the feel of them in his mouth at all.

Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) can be diagnosis and treated by an occupational therapist. You can request the school do the testing..your reasons why...they pay for the testing and the therapy if needed. Past the age of seven the problems become more 'set' in the brain and harder to change but they can be changed.

Children with Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) are also more prone to developing learning problems in school and may also have gross (big) or fine (small) motor delays. Nate is very weak in his upper body and also has problems with his fine motor skills such in writing....he uses his whole arm clear up to the shoulder to move a penicl around instead of just the wrist, hands and fingers.

Nate was diagnosis last year and is getting services through the school system at no cost to me and he is getting better on the SI issues. He changes his clothes everyday now, does not fall everytime he turns around, doesn't freak out when another person bumps into him, ect. He still won't hardly eat fruit or vegatable...but he is slowly getting better in that.

Keeping this kind of kids clean is a major problem because they can't literally stand the feel of soap water and brushing their teeth. It can "hurt' like on that 20/20 show (I think) that was on what last summer?

One of our members sister was on their with her daughter. The poor girl would be screaming her head off just getting it her hair washed...because it did hurt.

Anyway didn't mean to make this so long..but you know me...

...there is treatment for this. These kids really aren't doing this just to annoy people..they have a real problem. Hope this helps. (oh and their are books out about this disorder too)

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Julie with son named Nathan which mean a gift from God. Some gifts are hard one. He is allergic to eighteen different airborne things including mold, some grass, trees and dogs.Also food allergies: milk, eggs, soy and yeast. Motto: There is light at the end of the tunnel, you just have to find the right tunnel.
Nathan my difficult child, diagnosis with a senory intergration disorder and disruptive disorder, autiory processing disorder, gross and fine motor delays. Allergies medications only., now five yrs old. Ketcup makes him rage..now know because of the vingear in it (yeast)
Me, mom currently no medications. 39yrs old, an older mom but don't seem to be any wiser.
DEX: Nate's dad sitting in jail where he belongs.

 

Now, with Kevin ... as little clothes as possible is okay with him! He rather have clean clothes because as soon as his clothes get just a little wet...their off his body. He usually doesn't feel temperature like cold, but he will tire easily in the heat of the summer or a hot car. Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) seems to effect children differently.

Now, Kevin has absolutely no desire in fashion of clothes...he doesn't care what I choose to put on him.

For the longest time, he would refuse to wear new shoes, but his feet would be too big for his old pair. So, I buy him new shoes and sneak them on him. It is so hard to help him learn to dress himself...because clothes have no meaning for him. But, he won't choose to go out without any, thank goodness!

autumnmom

 

Hi moonglow,

Very interesting post that you wrote here. My son wears shoes that are way too big for his feet because he so dislikes feeling his toes touch the ends of the shoes. His feet are smaller than mine right now, but he wears shoes too large for me. Interesting how the touch affects him.

Also, he is a picky eater. Would live on pizza and spaghetti 24/7 if I let him and hates fresh vegetables. Sounds have also been a big issue for him. He is ultra sensitive with his hearing which has been tested a lot with nothing showing up. He hates any loud noise and at times, if you whisper in his ear he gets really angry as he hears it as a shout.

It is like these kids' sense are ultra sensitive. We all know their emotional feelings are ultra sensitive too. His therapist says it is as if he is in PMS everyday.

Yes, he also wears the same clothes, preferring very baggy pants.

Glad to know I am not alone and that this can be helped.

Natalie

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Mother of 8 year old adopted child. ODD symptoms mildly present from age 3. Since 7 1/2 the symptoms have worsened.

"If you can't change the wind, adjust your sails."

 

I can relate to the sensory issues,my 11 year old would never change his clothes if we were to allow it. husband gets him ready for school and never notices that the same clothes he had on the day before are still on him. He also wears shirts backwards and inside out as the seams and tags "kill him".
He hates the feel of clean clothes. His socks have to be long and pulled all the way up other wise he "hurts". Shoes must be too big..food textures..there is anothee issue all together...
Now our 10 year old was the one who could not handle water on his head and could only stand cool bathes and we had a special ritual to wash hair...bathtimes were times of screaming bloody murder...( he is ok now with baths) He also likes his socks bunched up in his shoes...weird kid
husband is also has SI issues...if I touch him with out him knowing i am going to touch him just the touch hurts him...he yells..aaaahhhh.
He also has mouth sensitiveites won't eat anything uncooked....
as for me..soxks got to be perfect I hurt if my sock even have a crease in the wrong place


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Love,
-jdbjdb-

11 year difficult child good kid ADD,Depression/Anxiety,Aspergers & NLD medications Zoloft 25mg and Adderall 10mg
10 y/o difficult child ADHD,Intermittant Explosive Disorder and rule out Bipolar Disorder-Topamax 100mg BID,
10-6-2000 placed in a level 12 Residential Treatment Center (RTC) for boys
husband I am blessed with a great man
me-heroic mom-School Bus Driver

When you get to the end of your rope tie a knot and hold on.
Phil 4:19 I can do ALL things through Christ who strengtens me

RO 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

 

[moonglow]

Oh yea I forgot about sound. Nate tends to turn everything that makes noise way up loud to (I think) drown out the background noises. He also seems to hear everything and can't seem to block it out. Plus he has an autoiry processing disoder so things he does hear something don't reach his brain or they get scrambled. I can say something and he either doesn't hear me or hears something different then what I really said.

The out of Snyc child is a really good book to get...helps also sort out the differents between Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) and ADHD and other problems. I was told that these kids also have problems regulating their emotions along with sensation..that is why some kids are diagnosis with a regulatory disorder...it does affect their behavior. They can't tell us they are being overwhelmed with too much sound, touch, sight, ect....or not getting enough.

Nate also tends to seek out sensation but then gets overwhelmed. Also another thing that throws people off on this is their "problem" changes from day to day. One day they can handle taking a bath and the next fall apart. Dressing is difficult for them too as they have to 'plan' out in their heads each step to take such as finding the neck hole in the shirt to put their head in...then actually doing it..then finding the sleves for each arms then getting their arms to move right to get into the sleves, ect.

So they may appear to be slow learners on getting dressed, putting socks and shoes on ect. Coordination is usually a big problem...these are the kids who are not aware of where their bodies are in space and forever running into objects, people, falling off a cub, ect. Tripping over thin air, no fear of falling or again the opposite...scared to have their feet leave the ground like in swinging, being lifted ect.

I have a Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) checklist I can post if anyone is interested or email it to you if you want.

 

[Mag]

Wow -- I've never heard of this! Some of this sounds just like my son....he's always pulling tags out of his shirts, and having to have his socks pulled up just so....I've always put it down to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). I'll definitely look into this further -- thanks!

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Me - homeschooling mom
husband - trying to keep up with everything we're learning lately
easy child - a joy, but going through those "teen" years which have their own problems!
difficult child - 10 years old, ADD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), ODD. Taking Prozac, Adderall and Clonidine
one dog, one cat, and 2 frogs to round things out /importthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

I am a physical therapist who has worked with kids with Sensory Integration Disorder (SID), but would not accept the fact that my oldest had it, not bad, but never liked brushing his teeth, but does it anyway, never would eat certain foods due to the textures, and it was not until he was about 19 until I realized he was not taking tags off of his clothes and tearing holes in the back of the neck doing so. Doing great, so I guess mom's looking the other way did no harm.

 

[Mag]

Moonglow, I'd love to see the checklist.



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Me - homeschooling mom
husband - trying to keep up with everything we're learning lately
easy child - a joy, but going through those "teen" years which have their own problems!
difficult child - 10 years old, ADD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), ODD. Taking Prozac, Adderall and Clonidine
one dog, one cat, and 2 frogs to round things out /importthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

You know you are so right Matt could not wear certian things his socks had to have no line in them or we had to redo them 100 times a day. He would change cloting but had a fetish with terry cloth. Slept with it carried it around had a tendency to touch people who had it on. Thumb in mouth rubbing a strangers shoulder behind you.
Take Care
Momabear

 

[moonglow]

Some kids learn to handle it and do ok...I really think I had it also...not really bad...Nate with all his problems in Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) is not considered too bad on it. He has gotten alot better, but the delays in his fine and gross muscles are still a big concern. I wish I knew why he had this problem. To look at him and see how activite he is no one would 'see' it...I sure didn't until the Occupational Therapist (OT) would point out seemingly little things to me...like using his whole arm to draw...it sound like a small thing but she said it could become a major thing as he learns to write....writing could be very difficult for him if he does't overcome this.

The book I mentioned says (and who knows if this is really true or not) that a child not getting the proper therapy for this or never being treated for it would only get worse on these problems. It really bad cases I could see this...I am no expert and still learning about it myself. I think kids learn to comerpsate for things like this...of course we parents might not always agree with what they do to get and stay comfotable like wearing the same clothes all the time.

I am very thankful Nate no longer does that and now actually wants to sleep in his pg's and not his clothes. I just quit fighting him on that. He would just freak out if he had to put his pj's on. I thought it was a control thing...but at age two and half???

His dad would force him to change and people thought I was am awful mom because I let him sleep in his clothes. But I had learn on here to pick your battles and this was on that wasn't worth it...not when it would take hours to calm him back down. He eventually seemed to overcome this on his own. Once in awhile he will still sleep in his clothes and I certainly don't fight it as long as they are clean and not going to get the bed all dirty.

I will look for my list. I think I saved it somewhere..just have to hunt for it now...lol.

 

[moonglow]

This isn't the checklist I was thinking about..the one I had to fill out on Nate but from the book The out of sync child. Which decribes things more clearly then I can:

The oversensitive Child seeks less stimulation:

The child avoids touching or being touch by objects and people. She may react with a fight or flight response to getting dirty, to certain textures of clothing and food, and to another person's unexpected light touch.

The child avoids moving or being unexpectedly moved. Insecure in regard to gravity, he may be anxious when tipped off balance. He may be earthbound and avoid running, climbing, sliding, or swinging. He may feel seasick in cars or elevators.

The child may be rigid, tense, stiff, and uncoordinated. She may avoid playground activities that require good body awareness.

The Undersenstive Child seeks more stimulation.

The child may be anaware of pain, temperature, or how objects feel. She may wallow in the mud, paw through toys purposelessly, chew on inedible object like shirt cuff, rub against walls and furniture, and bump into people. (this is how Nate is but he is getting alot better...he can burn himself accidently and not feel it but scream like crazy over a small cut)

The child may crave fast and spinning movement, such as swinging, rocking, twirling and riding merry go rounds without getting dizzy. The child may move constantly, fidget, enjoy getting into up side down positions and be a daredevil. (now you know what I live with...most people see this as him just being a boy...but he goes too far too extreme)

The child may slump and slouch. His actions may be clumsy and inaccurate. He may bump into objects, stamp his fee, and twiddle his fingers.

The oversensitive child: on sight sound and smells (this is Nate to a T)

The child may become overexcited when there is too much to look at, toys or other children. He may often cover his eyes, have poor eye contact, be inattentive when drawing or doing desk work, or overreact to bright light. He may be hyper-vigilant on the alert and ever watchful.

The child may cover his ears to close out sounds or voices. he may complain about noises, such as vacuum cleaners and blenders, that don't bother others.

The child may object to odors, such as a ripe banana, that other children do not notice.

The undersensitive child on sights sounds and smells.

Although able to see, the child may touch everything to learn about it, because her vision is not sufficiently coordinated. She may miss important visual cures such a another person's faical expressions and gestures, as well as signposts and written directions.

The child may ignore voices and have difficulty following verbal directions. he may not listen well to himself and speak in a booming voice. he may want the TV and radio to be loud.

The child may ignore unpleasant odors like dirty diapers. She may sniff food, people and object.

The oversensitve child on taste;
The child may stongly object to certain textures and temperautre of foods. He may often gag when he eats.

The undersensitive child

The child may lick or taste inedible objects, like playdough and toys. He may prefer very spicy or very hot foods.

With Nate I am alway getting some toy out of his mouth even though he is now five. Also Nate would never ingore a dirty diaper...lol...he is very sentive to smell but alot of that may be because of his allergies. The book says don't expect your child to have every one on these on the sensitive or undersentive parts. They can have some of each and maybe not have all of them. A child can have SI problems but they can be mild or moderate or extreme. Nate is acutally moderate though I know it sounds like he is on the extreme side.

Here is check list of behavior problems. "Sensory integration dysfunction may contribute to or exacerbate other problems as well. Please be aware that the symptoms listed below may possibly have an SI component...or they may be caused by some other developmental problem.

Usually high activity level. The child may be always on the go, move with short and nervous gestures, play or work aimlessly, be quick tempted and easily excited, and find it impossible to stay seated.

Unusally low activity level. The child may move slowly and in a daze, fatigue easily, lack initiative and show little interest in the world.

Impulsivity. The child may lact self-control and be unable to stop after starting an activity. She may pour juice until it spills, squeeze the glue bottle until empty, run pell-mell into trees and people and talk out of turn.

High level of frustration. Struggling to accomplish tasks their peers do easily, the child may give up quickly. He may be a perfectionist and become upset when art projects don't meet his expectations.

Self regulation problems. The child may be unable to "rev up" or to calm down once aroused. The child may perform unevenly " with it one day and out of it the next".

Academic problems. The child may have difficulty learning new skills and concepts. Although bright, the child may be perceived as an underachiever.

Socail problems. The child may be hard to get along with and have difficulty making friends, playing with other children, and communication. She may need to control her surrounding territory and have trouble sharing toys.

Emotional problems. he may be overly sensitve to change, stress, and hurt feeling, and be disorganized, inflexible and irrational. he may be demanding and needy, seeking attention in negative ways. He may be unhappy, believing and saying that is crazy, no good, a dummy, a loser, and a failure. Low self-esteem is one of the most telling symptoms of poor sensory integration."

 

[paula]

would someone archive Julies' information please?

 

Your wish is my command.

Good idea, Paula.

Suz