Some children with autism might be sensitive to the fabric of their clothes, especially if the child is tactile sensitive. This means that they will feel itchy and uncomfortable when wearing certain fabrics. Parents need to be aware of this and find clothing made from fabrics that the child is not sensitive to.
A person, regardless of whether they have autism or not, maybe hypersensitive to any sensation. Avoiding certain fabrics or clothing may happen for a variety of reasons, but one of the most common for children with autism is because their sense of touch is over-responsive or hypersensitive.
A child who has a clothing sensitivity is considered to have a low threshold for tactile input, meaning they register tactile input at a higher rate than neurotypical people. They can sense every seam, wrinkle or fuzz ball in a sock. They are extremely irritated by tags.
Most of the time, autistic kids who take their clothes off do so because they just don't like the feeling of the fabric on their skin. It's not as easy to keeping them wrapped in fabrics as soft as cashmere and whisper light as thin cotton; kids with autism can't control what they react strongly to.
Consider sensory issues
We know that many people on the autism spectrum prefer relatively snug-fitting clothing that covers their arms and legs. The snug clothing may help provide a sense of where the body is in space – sometimes called the sense of proprioception.
Some of the frequent facial features of autism are a broader upper face, shorter middle face, wider eyes, bigger mouth, and the philtrum [19].
Masking may involve suppressing certain behaviours we find soothing but that others think are 'weird', such as stimming or intense interests. It can also mean mimicking the behaviour of those around us, such as copying non-verbal behaviours, and developing complex social scripts to get by in social situations.
Clothing sensitivities can look different in every child. It's mostly related to their skin being hypersensitive and hyper aware of touch sensation throughout their body. Some kids can SWEAR that they feel the tiniest of fuzzies or bumps on their socks despite it being “seamless”.
However, they look up to the mother or caregiver for social referencing and hover around or cling to the caregiver. Children with an ASD are not vigilant and do not look up to the caregiver for social referencing. They may not cling to the caregiver, although go up to them for succor.
People with autism may get easily attached to people, leading them to become over-friendly. It can be difficult to understand other people's perceptions of situations, therefore what they feel is appropriate, may be considered as socially unacceptable.
Some kids are highly sensitive to information that comes through the senses — smells, tastes, noise, light, and touch. They try to avoid the things they find intolerable. For some, that includes certain types of clothing, bedding, or other things their skin comes in contact with. Learn more about sensory overload.
Encourage deep-pressure activities prior to dressing to decrease the tactile sensitivities. Wear undergarments inside out to prevent scratching seams and tags. Increase hat tolerance through massage of the scalp and putting the hat on in front of the mirror.Be aware of audio and visual overload and minimize it.
Sensory issues are considered a symptom of autism because many people on the autism spectrum experience them. But not everyone with sensory issues is on the spectrum. Some have ADHD, OCD or developmental delays. Or they may not have a diagnosis at all.
Many people with high-functioning autism have unusually intense emotional reactions when compared to their peers. For example, a frustrating experience like spilling coffee on their shirt or taking the wrong turn on the way to work can cause irritability and difficulty concentrating for the rest of their day.
If your child complains that tags itch and seams “don't feel right,” believe her. Some children with ADHD have tactile hypersensitivity — a strong reaction to certain types of clothing and fabric textures. Cut out tags in the back of shirts, and stick with fabrics that your child finds most comfortable.
Autistic people can experience both hypersensitivity (over-responsiveness) and hyposensitivity (under-responsiveness) to a wide range of stimuli. Most people have a combination of both. Many autistic people experience hypersensitivity to bright lights or certain light wavelengths (e.g., LED or fluorescent lights).
For parents of such children, communication is a problem that compounds the stress & anxiety of parents. Parents face the challenge that their child is unable to communicate their needs and wants. With children at times unaware of nonverbal communication and cues, the challenges of parenting get compounded.
A new study challenges the theory that autism is largely passed down from mothers. In fact, siblings who are both diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) seem to get a larger portion of their DNA from their father.
About stimming and autism
Stimming might include: hand and finger mannerisms – for example, finger-flicking and hand-flapping. unusual body movements – for example, rocking back and forth while sitting or standing. posturing – for example, holding hands or fingers out at an angle or arching the back while sitting.
The most plausible reasons could be: - sensitive to uncomfortable tactile sensations ranging from scratchy fabrics or tags to wet clothing. - nor are they aware as other children of the expectations placed upon them by social norms. - need more tactile pressure or sensation than is provided by loose-fitting clothes.
They may dislike bright lights and avoid eye contact. Olfactory hypersensitivity is when people cannot tolerate certain smells or tastes and may insist on wearing the same clothes all the time. Hyper-tactile hypersensitivity is when people cannot stand touch, such as when another person tries to hug them.
Instead of synthetic blends, consider buying natural, breathable fabrics, such as 100 percent cotton, soft — not scratchy — wool, bamboo, and linen.
Common signs of autism in adults include: finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling. getting very anxious about social situations. finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on your own.
The mental and emotional energy it takes to mask often results in an unleashing of pent up emotions when back in their safe place, most often at home. This is known as the coke bottle effect.
It's quite common for autistic children who do not appear to have any behavioural difficulties at school to behave differently at home.