As the temperature drops, it’s time to bring out the coats, sweaters, and hoodies. Sometimes it can be challenging to get your child into a turtleneck, but there are simple solutions to keeping your child warm. If you’re a parent of a child with autism, heavy jackets or scarves can cause sensory issues and create meltdowns or stressful moments in the morning.
With a little patience and creativity, there are various ways you can make your winter mornings easier. Here are the top tips for dressing your child with autism this winter.
Let Your Child Decide
The best way to ensure that you and your child have a smooth morning is by letting them pick their outfits. This is a great way to instill creativity and self-confidence in your child. Before bedtime, provide two options for each layer of clothing for your child. They can then mix, match, and pair any accessories they want with their outfit.
Quick Tip: bring your child with you on shopping trips so they can share their interests in what t-shirts and pants they like.
Play Dress Up
If you’re a parent involved in your child’s ABA therapy, you know that there are many benefits to the training courses due to the tips and advice they give you to better support your child. One way of helping your child cope with change is by implementing role play.
Playing dress up and role-playing the morning before school is a great way to help make the mornings smoother. Let them see all their options and create outfits on their terms to help them become more comfortable with their winter clothing choices.
Remove All Itchy Tags
Your child may avoid the coats and long sleeves due to the itchy tags. When buying clothing for your child, inspect the clothing for any tags you can easily remove without compromising your garment. When removing the tags, don’t forget to cut the small corners or leftover materials because they can also irritate them.
Purchase Sensory Friendly Clothing
The ultimate way to dress your child with autism this winter is to only purchase sensory-friendly clothing. Although it’s easier said than done, your child must accompany you on these shopping trips so they can communicate with you what clothing or material they like or dislike.
A great way to combat sensory sensitivity is by wearing a base layer of clothing that your child is comfortable in and then placing the heavy jacket or scarf on. This will allow you to add layers without overwhelming them.
