Granddaughter 'buggy' about clothing § shoes

[Grammi CH]

My 7 year old granddaughter becomes intensely irritated when trying on any new clothing or shoes.  She claims that the threads, seams, fabric, etc., bother her too much.  I have seen her 'rip' off, and threaten to throw into the trash, clothing and shoes that upset her.  I have had a lot of experience with children and have never seen anything like it.  Mom is patient with her most of the time ... but this problem continues to grow larger as she gets older.  I think I first noticed it (or heard about it) when she was 4 1/2 or 5.  She is a bright, sensitive child with a very odd quirk about clothing touching her.  Any ideas?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Such tactile defensiveness is a type of sensory integration disorder. Your granddaughter might benefit from an evaluation by an occupational therapist, who can assess her sensory status and develop a treatment plan to address the defensiveness and any other sensory integration problem she might manifest.

[Franki]

My daughter was diagnosed with a neurological disorder that made her skin hurt if she was touched.  I don't remember the name of the disorder, unfortunately, because she was diagnosed about 20 years ago and it was just one of a whole slew of problems.  We helped her by buying clothes that were either very tight or very loose, and making sure that we carefully clipped off all labels and stray threads.  We also washed her clothes in detergent made for sensitive skin and rinsed everything twice.  Shoes were a big problem.  We had to be very careful when we bought them.  We finally bought her a very nice looking pair of soft dance shoes and those continue to be her favorite choice in footwear.  We also made a no tickling rule - firm hugs only, and only if she felt like she could handle it.  I do hope this helps you.

[spunkamonk]

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