Sensory Problems

[LizzieMo]

hi, I am new to this so please bear with me. My DD (is that right meaning a daughter?) is 6 and very anxious. She has problems with going to school, although she usually settles once she is there. Getting her to go is another matter. She finds clothes uncomfortable, labels(all removed) socks- too itchy, tried seamless but then the length became an issue- eg obsessed with both socks being exactly the same height on her leg, gets agitated if one was perceived to be slightly higher than the other (although no one else around her could see the difference)
Now her pants are also a problem, I must have bought about 20 pairs recently, all different sizes/styles, all pretty colours to make her want to wear them- nothing is ever comfortable and if she is not screaming about the discomfort, she is walking along to school hands constantly down skirt to 'adjust' them.
She gets overwhelmed easily and this sometimes makes her 'meltdown' but we have been working on controlling the temper and she has been much better recently.
I just don't know what to do about the clothes issue. At the moment she has no comfortable pants,so is always adjusting them and will only wear those tiny trainer socks. I am worried she will freeze in those in the winter. The school have noticed she is anxious and have been working with her to help, she is very bright and gets good results so they are not worried that it is affecting her learning. We are waiting to see the school nurse but it is a long waiting list. Is there anyone that can help restore our sanity? The whole family is feeling the strain of this. Thank you.

[mrsbaffled]

Hello! Have you tried posting in Special Needs: Children - it's a bit busier than this board...

[moneytree]

Make an appt with your GP and discuss in length. He/she may then refer you to OT to be assessed for Sensory Processing Disorder. Hope this helps a little. Good luck

[supercalafragalistic]

Yes, if you have any concerns see your GP asap and ask to be referred to an occupational therapist. Be aware though that the process can take quite a long time and communication between health service and school is not always great! If you want to speed up the process you can always get a private assesment done. It is always worth chatting to your school SENco if she can offer any advice too. That way the school are aware of your concerns and they are documented. It might be worth chatting to teacher about other aspects ie does your daughter have any social difficulties out of the normal range. Hope this helps and that it is just a blip. Great that she is doing well academically.

[tibni]

I have a ds with sensory dysfunction as a co-morbid of his ASD.

Clothing isn't a huge issue for him but I have friends with dc who have similar problems. Have you tried boys pants on your dd, the elastic tends to be more covered so that might help. DD wears the girl boxer hipster creations and swears they are comfortable!

Will she wear tights rather than socks if the problem is the length? Can she cope if she has trousers on so can not see the difference or does she just "know".

I can remember the OT advising me to put ds in swimming trunks as his report showed he had the need for tight fabric (in fact I think a wetsuit was also suggested but I dismissed this for toileting reasons). You can also get lycra shorts that you can use as underwear.

With sensory issues it is a real balance between working to desensitize and allowing your child to function and I have found it is a lot of trial and error. Good luck!