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Original poster

Wearing the same outfit every day??? High Functioning Autism

23 replies

milou2 · 03/03/2009 13:01

DS2 is home ed because of anxiety. Has dx of High Functioning Autism.

Recently he has refused to wear anything apart from pyjamas at night or one particular outfit in the day. If I'm unlucky he wears the daytime outfit for several days in a row 24/7.

Please tell me this is typical HFA type behaviour. And that I should be grateful it's so innocent. And that it will pass in time. And to chill and have a giggle about it. And to think of ways to do the laundry really quickly overnight so the favourite clothes can be there clean in the morning.

Has anyone else got this/had this with their children?

OP posts:

devientenigma · 03/03/2009 13:09

Hi my son would also wear the same clothes day in day out but he has Ds along with SPD. When you open his wardrobes there is a row of joggers the same colour anda row of jumpers the same colour and so on. I think its a bit like Simon Cowell.LOL

troutpout · 03/03/2009 13:16

Can you get slight variations on the same outfit that would be acceptable?...so doesn't challenges him too much but allows you to have a few acceptable outfits?

What is it about the clothing he likes?/prefers do you think?

Once you work that out...i reckon you will be able to find other things.
Do you know what he dislikes about he other clothing? (ds has a thing about the tightness/feel of certain clothing...so prefers others)

How old is your ds Milou? i have found most of the sensory problems have improved as ds has got older (i'm not saying that he doesn't feel them just as acutely...just that he is able to bear the feelings somewhat)

We have this problem slightly...in that he only wears certain types of socks...(socks have always been a problem for us ...shoes to a lesser extent). He doesn't like very constrictive clothing.

However it could just be that your boy likes that particular clothing for no real reason other than that he feels safe with it or has become a bit fixated by it. It's the routine and ritual thing of putting the same outfit on and doing the same things maybe.

And...yes... i would say it is normal hfa behaviour

Original poster

milou2 · 03/03/2009 13:51

He is 11. He used to wear all sorts of different outfits. he would make the choice and make sure the colours went well together, even the socks!

It's over the last few weeks that he's stuck to one top and one pair of trousers.

I will go through your list of questions at home, write them down and work out the answers...it will take me a few days.

It might be something as simple as being a bit pre teen and wanting to buy his own stuff from the shop....I'll see.

He only has one pair of shoes now, trainers. So they have to be washed and dried overnight after getting muddy. He refuses to come out to the shoe shop so I can get him a backup pair. I'll have to wait for these ones to be too small! With his pyjamas I have reallocated the age 13 ones for his brother to him, so he has 2 sets the same.

OP posts:

amber32002 · 03/03/2009 14:02

Oh yes, this is typical. I have the same outfit in different colours. And I'll wear something that's comfortable until it falls apart rather than risk changing it. My reactions to clothing have changed over the years. There have been times when it's been easier, but also times when any sensory change has been hell. I guess he's just going through one of the 'hell' bits?

sarah573 · 03/03/2009 14:02

I have a 10 year old with AS who's also at home. He wears the same pair of trakkies everyday, although fortunately we have 3 identical pairs, and he doesn't notice when I swap them!!!! They are starting to look very well loved, and as they are from Woolies I don't know what I'm going to do when they wear out!! He's fairly fussy about tops (they have to be long sleeve t-shirt material), but we have slightly more flexibilty on these than the trousers, which is luck as he chews the neck of them, so they need replacing frequently - nice!!!! He will also only wear Crocs on his feet, and I've lost count of the amount of times he has had wet feet this winter!!!! He has other shoes but chooses not the wear them!

I think so long as your son doesn't become a health hazard (although this is normal with pre-teen boys anyway) leave him to it. Snatch his clothes occassionally to wash them and he'll be fine!!!

jenk1 · 03/03/2009 14:18

yes its part and parcel of his ASD.

i have a "uniform" of black trousers (ive been wearing them for about erm 7/8 yrs now)and tops that are too big,cos i cant stand tight fitting tops,thats what i wear around the house,or my pjs, i have loads of them,they too are a size too big!!!!

my daughter wants to just wear green all the time,and when we buy her something new we buy it in the next couple of sizes up,my son well he would just walk around in a pair of boxer shorts if it was up to him!!!!

like amber,i will wear tops with are falling to bits and bobbly,i dont care cos i like the feel of them!!!

i do have a couple of "nice" tops for when i have to be around people tho!!

jenk1 · 03/03/2009 14:19

oops just meant to add, i havent been wearing the same pair for 7/8 years,i have about 5/6 pairs of the same type and im lucky that the dunnes store near to me have been selling them for so long!!!!

amber32002 · 03/03/2009 14:20

Jenk, I think you and I are indeed sharing a wardrobe of clothes though you won't catch me wearing pj's. Has to be satin nighties. Never in the office though

jenk1 · 03/03/2009 14:24

haha does sound like it amber.but i cant stand the feel of satin,it makes me cringe haha,so move that up to your side will you theres a love!!!

amber32002 · 03/03/2009 14:37

I'm fine with satin, jersey and velvet, or very soft denim. Linen and pure cotton often feels like sandpaper, and I can't wear wool next to my skin at all - eek!

jenk1 · 03/03/2009 15:55

ah now im the opposite,im fine with cotton and linen but cant stand velvet or satin,and i hate wool!!

Original poster

milou2 · 03/03/2009 16:07

You have all cheered me up!!

I'm fixated on my pjs and a particularly lovely soft dressing gown my mother gave me. But only in the evenings at home! I feel happier in my comfy evening clothes

DS2 has just announced he is going to visit mil for his daily sweets, and is getting dressed for the occasion in, you guessed it. How to ensure he brushes his teeth.....??

OP posts:

Original poster

milou2 · 03/03/2009 16:14

Do any of you feel the need to sleep in your day clothes and wear them for over 48 hours on the trot? If so, why? Or did you do this in the past? I know being on an ocean racing yacht or exploring the Arctic mean that staying in day clothes 24/7 is a wise choice, but in a village or town the need is not quite the same.

My brother pointed out that there is a boy vs mother dynamic which means that whatever the mum suggests is clearly wrong and to be resisted at all costs. Is this it?

OP posts:

Tiggiwinkle · 03/03/2009 16:20

You are lucky he wears anything!

My DS5 is 10 and has AS. He will only wear his boxers indoors; of course he gets dressed to go out, but as soon as he is back home the clothes come straight off!

He does not like the feel of them and he gets too hot.

The clothes he wears to go out have to be soft and without labels or irritating linings or seams, not be too tight, not too may layers...the list goes on!

troutpout · 03/03/2009 16:27

It is the height of politeness for my boy to keep his socks on while visiting new peoples houses. I can always tell he is really trying hard to conform when he does this.
Usually he takes them off before he's hardly over the threshold.
With closer friends he removes one and puts the other in his pocket (at least then he isn't going to have socks accidently rubbing together...horror of horrors!)

Actually...i pretty much have a 'uniform' that i tend to stick too (same formulas of clothing that i know work). It's acceptable and i don't have to think before putting it on in the mornings.Maybe we all do this a bit?

troutpout · 03/03/2009 16:37

At recent parents evening ...ds's new form tutor's only complaint (apart from that he reads to much ) was that ds was rather scruffy and that he kept taking off his blazer in the class before asking.
I was like
It was one of those 'does not compute' mainsteam school moments...you know when you just think 'mainstream is just not working'?
I pointed out what a great achievement/feat it is for ds to be wearing all that uniform in the first place....and then spoke to senco and asked that could she send a note out to all ds's teachers about his hypersensitivity to clothing and that perhaps they could give permission before he has to ask (would not ask anyway!!...far to reticent!)
Actually most days he gets over the threshold and immediately throws rucksack/coat and blazer on the floor and then quickly discards socks and shoes.
Actually ...I forget how much he deals with...no wonder school struggle tbh

Tiggiwinkle · 03/03/2009 16:53

Oh god-I have no idea how my DS is going to cope with a uniform, especially a shirt collar and tie...

amber32002 · 03/03/2009 16:56

Don't ask about dh (ASD) and his recent stay in hospital and the scratchy hospital gowns and him deciding that he absolutely wasn't going to wear it

Original poster

milou2 · 03/03/2009 18:21

Go on Amber, what happened?

OP posts:

misscutandstick · 03/03/2009 21:19

im curious too

It is fast coming to my and Dh's attention that we both have certain 'traits'... my wardrobe consists of 5 black jeans, 2 black fleeces, and 12 pink polo tops, when it occured to me that all i wear is pink, i asked DH if he got bored of seeing me in pink - his reply? why had i not asked him 2 years ago? and reminded me that all he owned was black jeans and black plain t-shirts... ah well, great minds...

incidentally DS5 cant cope with socks either, we even had to cut the feet off his babygrows to stop the screaming and scratching.

amber32002 · 04/03/2009 06:37

Ooo, no, for modesty's sake I will not detail the naturist attitude of dh in hospital

Original poster

milou2 · 04/03/2009 17:16

Amber I'm glad your dh is back home, just saw on another thread.

OP posts:

amber32002 · 04/03/2009 17:43

Milou, me too, though will be gladder (?) when he's able to do more again, for both our sakes. But it could have been much much worse if he'd died so I have to be thankful.

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