Tactile Sensory Disorder

My 4 1/2 yr.old granddaughter has Tactile Sensory Disorder.(Can't stand for tight clothes, shoes, socks to touch her). We need help, any support, experience4 parents out there?  Where do we find help, cure, materials to help her cope??  Do you know of any medications, or natural products to give her?  Any  physicians to reccomend?  She is a sweet, bright child, and very loving.  But the clothing issues will send her over the edge.  Thanks, Gary

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Neither medication, psychotherapy or medical treatment is necessary. Occupational therapy is the discipline with the expertise to treat sensory integration problems of all sorts. If you want to pursue treatment, your granddaughter's parents should arrange for an evaluation by a Pediatric Occupational Therapist. That person can perform the assessment and develop a plan for intervention.

[Gary1943]

Thank you for the advice, I will pass it on.  Gary

[chatham]

Gary,

I agree with the doctor that OT (Occupational Therapy) can be quite helpful.  I have a son who has severe

[Gary1943]

Thank you.  Food is not a big problem, but she dosen't have the best appetite in the world.  We work hard on balancing her diet, but sugar (candy) is a challenge.  I think she will become a vegeterian when she is older--dosen't like meat.  The overall biggest problem is the socks and shoes.  My daughter has tried pair after paid of shoes. This is difficult in the winter time.   She is hard to dress and keep warm.  Gary

[trish1]

My son has issues with tight underwear, socks etc...we turn his socks inside out so the "toe pokes" are on the outside and buy wide sneakers and 1 size larger undies, sometimes boxers work too.

[LPR]

Our son is 11 years old and has been classified with ADD - learning disability.  My husband and I noticed his issues when he was in kindergarten.  By third grade he was classified in the school district and has received quite a bit of help.  He is doing fine in that respect.  What we are really having an issue with is his clothing.  We have had issues before but were able to adjust/correct...them.  Most recently, his underwear (boxers) and pants are giving him quite a bit of trouble.  He says that they give him a wedgie or that his penis in rubbing against the clothing.  We have tried briefs, various boxers in different material, sport boxers that are close to his leg.  We purchased several different kinds of pants - elastic top, cargo, jeans with elastic top....  He doesn't like to wear sweatpants and for the past several weeks he only feels comfortable in 1 pair of boxers and 1 pair of pants.  I wash them everyday.  When he comes home from school he will put on a pair of shorts and feels the most comfortable (with his boxers).  He also has issues with shirt tags, certain kinds of sleeves, can't wear a long sleeve shirt under a sweat shirt or fleece.  He also has an issue when I trim his fingernails.  He will make a fist after they are cut so that he doesn't have to touch anything.  We haven't brought this up to his doctor as yet but we will be doing so very soon.  We thought that we could "make it all better" on our own but when he's not comfortable in his clothing he has his own mental break-down.  If there is anyone who has experienced this and has any suggestions, we are open.  Thanks.

[mychildsadvocate]

My 8 yr old son has not been diagnosed but I am almost sure he has some type of Sensory Disorder.  I understand in rare cases you can be both over and under sensitive. As a child he seemed to have no pain to bumps and falls.  He cried all the time and had to be rocked vigorously or strolled rough to be calmed.  Now it is almost the opposite. We put shoes & socks on 3 to 4 times in the morning. Socks have to be turned inside out so that the strings dont touch his feet, and there are a certain brand of socks he will only wear. Tags bother him. His clothes have to be warmed in the dryer in the morning because their to cold for his body.  Lights are to bright, sounds are to loud.  He also was diagnosed with Obssesive Compulsive Disorder, a tic disorder and ADHD.  He is obssesed with the way he tells me good bye in the morning.  He has to kiss me hard and hug me hard several times and if he dont kiss me in the same spot every morning he does it again and again and again.  It may sound like a baby him, but I promised I dont.  I have two other boys that do fine and I just feel like it makes him have less anxiety if I go along with some of the rituals.  Is this wrong....Is there hope??????

[akj]

wow, everything that was mentioned sounds just like my 11yr old daughter. She can't stand the lines on her socks touching her toes, shoes are always uncomfortable because she can feel the lines in them, she refuses to wear long sleeved shirts that hug her arm, I've bought her countless pairs of pants, jeans, shorts, different sizes and anything she puts on she says it gives her a wedgie and refuses to wear them. She has one pair of baggie pants she wears day after day and they look horrible on her but thats all she'll wear. A few years back, she was hiding from me that she didn't wear panties. When I found out, her reason was because they crawl up all the time. I've bought countless number of different sizes of those also thinking theres got to be one brand or size that she'll be comfortable wearing but haven't had any luck. Someone mentioned their child being obsessed with kissing and hugging several times. My daughter does this too, she'll kiss me bye, then feel she has to turn around and kiss me again a couple more times before she walks out the door. I don't mind it, but its just so different than my other children. Lately theres been a food issue also, she refuses to eat any meat unless its something like chicken nuggets, corndogs, and hamburger but it HAS to be a very thin burger and still she complains about eating those things but she'll eat them. She's lost alot of weight lately because she won't eat anything else. I'm starting to think she doesn't like things she has to chew alot before swallowing, she'll eat mashed potatoes, cornbread in milk, softer things, breads . She's a very happy and loving child and her grades in school are pretty good. I just don't know what else to do to get her to eat and wear decent clothes that fit her and she'll be comfortable in.

[outspokenmom]

This is mostly for the last few people who have written. I have been dealing with VARIOUS Dx(s) for a while, teachers saying one thing doctors saying another and me knowing something else. I have a 9 year old boy who has Sensory Intergration Dysfunction, children with this have good days and bad days. Some are just "bothered" slightly and some go into emotional outbursts. Every child is different and so is the way every parent/teacher handles it . There are a few things you should know if you have suspicions of your child or a child you know is experiencing anything "out of the norm" ....
get him/her tested, ask questions(lots of them!), ask for help (don't stop asking until you get it!)GET INFORMED! you are your childs advidcate he/she can't explain why or how it is bothersome it just is .... and lastly IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT OR THEIRS  THERE IS NOTHING YOU OR THEY, DID OR DIDN'T DO TO CAUSE "SI" I have a wonderful list of books and websites that can help if anyone is interested.I used to think I was alone, but doing the research I have now come to understand that there are more parents out there that are JUST LIKE ME! If you are interested in any information I can offer leave a note on here and I will try my best to help.

[adamzmommy]

I am in the process of having my 2 1/2 yr. old sone evaluated for his language difficulty  and inability to focus.  We are scheduled for an OT eval this month.  This is a long process, and in the meantime, we are in desperate need of advice on how to deal with the temper tantrums and defiance.  We really have tried alot.  Spanking (a last resort) does not work, it only angers him...he is not afraid of my husband or myself.  When put in his room for "time out" when screaming, he simply opens the door and walks out.  Our first son is truly an angel, so this is totally new to us...any suggestions??

[outspokenmom]

There are a few books you can get to help you ! One is called "The Explosive Child" by Ross W. Greene, Ph.D. this is an excellent book ! It has a lot of info in it that alot of parents can use. Another is "The Out-of-Sync Child" by Carol Kranowitz. This book has a check list you can do to help you figure out what is his exact "problem".

[kikix5]

We have a very active 2 1/2 yr old and when time outs are nesecery (quite often) we put him in his room also. But, my husband turned the locks around. This way, we are able to lock him in his room. This has also helped when he continues to get out of bed at night. I hold the door shut for 1 min then go back in if he continues to come out he knows that I will lock the door. This has been a great help since he can also climb over gates.
Hope this has help
Chrissie

[LuvMy3]

Many parents and grandparents purchase Skivvydoodles brand pajamas and underwear for tactile sensitive children. They are 100% cotton, are not tight fitting, don't have itchy tags, get softer with each washing. The underwear have cloth-covered waist bands and leg openings (for boys. The girls have elastic leg openings). They are pima cotton. Some children become very attached to certain patterns, which are usually retired after 2 seasons. This is the only brand I buy for my children.

[SEO]

A related discussion, Is slapping his face a tactile sensory characteristic? was started.

[Katie22310]

A related discussion, soft clothing for sensory disorders was started.