Question on Sensory Issues

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Hello everyone! It has been a while since I posted last. My son has made great leaps and bounds but we always seem to take 2 steps forward and then one step back. Although a lot has improved we are having some major sensory issues...... For example licking lips constantly, complaining of scratchy feet, certain clothing bothers him or he pulls himself further into his clothes. I am looking for any help suggestions or tips with dealing with these kind of things. Thanks!

Nicole

This will certainly not work for everyone (I was, quite frankly, surprised it worked for us) but my son loves those tight-fitting stretchy shirts like Under Armour or Champion Champion clothes for boys. The snugness of the fit prevents him from pulling the collar up over his face or his hands inside the sleeves (I am assuming this is what you mean by pulling himself further into his clothes). Some people find the feel of the nylon fabric intolerable but my son loves it. Definitely take him to the store and let him feel the fabric before you buy if you are thinking about trying this.

Some people have talked about general improvement of skin issues with alteration in diet (gluten, cassein, artificial dyes and other perservatives and additives seem to be common irritants) however there is mainly just anecdotal evidence to support the efficacy of such measures. On the lip licking, will he use or allow you to apply any kind of lip balm? Something with a waxy content like the original Chapstick would at least protect his lips from chapping though it probably won't do anything to stop the licking. Have you tried chewing gum? He might be less inclined to lick his lips if he had something to chew.

For us, if clothes are disliked for any reason, I just put them in the to give away bag and move on. Same with socks, if you haven't already gone through different brands and styles to find something that is comfortable for him, you may need to do that. Good luck!

Let him wear what he wants, take him to a store and have him try on things he like. I wore sweatpants and little ankle socks for almost 15 years... I still today refuse to wear jeans.


It got to a point as a kid I would strip naked if I was made to wear something I did not like.

I used to lick everything as a kid. Espicaly things that were very textured. I wanted to see what the texture would feel like on my tounge. It had nothing to do with taste, but touch.

I haven't worn anything but T-shirts since I was 14. I haven't worn any type of pants ever since I was 19...even in winter.

On the lip licking issue - I agree with the Chapstick. I used to lick my lips constantly when I was a kid because they felt horrible and stinging all the time. It wasn't until I was older that I realized I could put something on them to make it stop. I would recommend something minty - my favorite is Burt's Bees. I don't go anywhere without it!

I can relate to the clothing sensitivities also; I too wore exclusively sweatpants for at least an entire school year. Be sure to cut tags out of clothes as they are often the chief offender. I'm still very sensitive to the way clothing feels, so now when I find something that's just right I will try to buy more than one of it. That might be useful to do for your son too.