calling Amber - or anyone else who may know

[sphil]

Can you suggest some reasons why Ds2 may have taken against wearing a top? he's always been pretty anti jumpers but this has now extended to tee shirts and other short sleeved tops too. he is making a huge fuss, at home and school about wearing them - at school today they had to force him into his polo shirt after swimming and he ended up biting one of the TAs. he's done this to me as well, when I've told him he can't take his top off in public.

Want to try to do an ABC analysis to see if I can get to the bottom of it - then if I can find the cause I can start thinking about how to desensitise him ( if it is a sensory issue, which is my instinct )
thanks

Could he be too hot? Especially in a pool changing room. That could heighten a sensory issue. Clothes on sticky skin - I know I don't like that myself. My DS has trouble with this from time to time and though often not aware if he is cold, will peel his top off if hot. Just a thought ...?

Is it just short sleeves? This may not be the case but we had a similar problem last year and it could be to do with their proprioceptive sense (where their body is in space-think its this one and not vestibular-always get them muddled).Anyway, long sleeves give them security and they can feel where their arms are more(if you get what I mean).If not just short sleeved, then prob not the cause.
Could it be to do with the transition from long to short sleeves as this has also been a problem in the past.We just try to model it now by showing that we all wear short sleeves when it is hot and reassuring DS that it is okay.
Hope you find an answer.

imho there can be tons of reasons. All sensory overstimulation that I can think of. Lots of the children I teach are like this. My DS1 won't wear jumpers and we have to have 'similar' to school uniform ones but not the same fabric as he won't wear them - "itchy" he says Possibilities might include...
They might smell 'funny' - washing powder/conditioner/etc
they might feel too hot
they may have labels that are annoying (we have to take most out, name tapes are a constant issue)
he may have been allowed somewhere (paddling pool, swimming pool?) without a top and therefore thinks he shouldn't have to wear one at all
some of our ch will only wear one particular colour (if school uniform, then obv rule out)

Routines - does he have a basic take off - put on picture schedule? This works fantastically with even very able children, no matter how able they are, if they don't understand what to put on in what order then there's a problem. Was he expecting something else in the routine (EG a shower?) that didn't happen? Or were other items of clothing put on in the wrong order, causing him a problem about what should go on next? We often need parents to give us the child's 'usual order' for dressing in order to do it "right" for them, as we all often do it slightly differently which can confuse a child with routine or sensory issues

Hope you can figure it out between you and school :)

Thanks all - I think all your suggestions could be possible causes. It's definitely to do with heat because he only does it in the summer - but then it doesnt seem to matter whether it's a warm or chilly day. And he doesnt do it all the time - some of the time he puts a top on happily. Long sleeves are sometimes OK, sometimes not. When he chooses his own PJs to put on at night, he goes through the drawer very carefully, sometimes choosing long trousers and long sleeves, sometimes shorts and short sleeved top, sometimes a combination, sometimes no top. He often changes clothes during the night as well. I cant see any pattern to this as far as temperature goes.

I think the picture schedule is a a good idea - even though he isnt bothered about order of dressing at all and puts his own clothes on in a different order each day, it would still show him when he has to wear a top and when he doesnt.

Can't do better than the advice already given. Sometimes it's the smallest things that are the most noticeable to many of us, and we may struggle to work out what it is that's uncomfortable/different.

I know with school polo shirts I have to make sure that they are soft and the seams inside haven't become slightly hardened, as they do over time. I was wondering whether brushing or massage might help him - his torso is very sensitive.