Children with special needs, like autism, need adaptive clothing to help meet their sensory needs and solve the dressing challenges their parents face. Clothing is a basic need that parents and caregivers shouldn’t miss checking, too, when caring for children with special needs.
Because of sensory and learning difficulties that children with special needs naturally experience, clothing discomfort can trigger uneasiness and anxiety easily. Discomfort can affect the child’s performance and mood. That’s why parents should take time to choose the right clothing for their children.
In this article, you’ll learn how to choose the right clothing for children with special needs.
- Choose High-Quality Fabric
It’s crucial to ensure the comfort of children with special needs, even when it comes to choosing clothes. Cotton and cotton blend fabrics improve clothing breathability, which are highly recommended for special needs clothing.
Premium quality fabrics of special needs clothing have the following qualities:
- Soft
- Hypoallergenic
- Breathable
- Moisture-wicking
- Choose Comfortable Clothes
Children with disabilities and special needs should wear comfortable clothes so they can move freely and easily. Wearing comfortable clothes also promote better cooperation in childcare programs.
The quality of clothes reflects the level of comfort these can provide to wearers. Hoodies, shirts, body suits, pants, jackets, and other garments have extra-soft materials, which are comfortable to the skin. They don’t have seams or tags, offering superior comfort to children with autism.
Choose comfortable special needs clothing with the following characteristics:
- Adjustable waistlines to allow expansion
- Avoid too tight clothing as it can cut circulation
- Soft fabrics to avoid rubbing or irritating the skin
- Layering fabrics or polyester quilted fabrics to keep warm
- Lightweight and absorbent fabrics to keep cool
- Consider The Style
The best clothing manufacturers thoughtfully design clothes for children with special needs. They have varying styles, sizes, and colors, which parents can choose from to help improve their children’s overall look every day or during special occasions.
Choose stylish adaptive clothing with inclusive design to address the unique needs of children, without compromising self-expression and personal style, making them feel and look like their friends.
You can include your child in decision-making in terms of color or print design. Make clothing shopping an enjoyable bonding experience for both of you.
- Prioritize Safety
Children should be safe and under adult supervision at all times. Unlike adults, young children have no sense of danger until they reach seven to nine years old, which is a normal part of developmental stages. Normal childhood fears emerge as they gain experience, such as falling from a tree or slipping on a wet floor.
Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience difficulty with social interaction because their minds process information differently, which makes them more susceptible to danger. They have no real fear of possible dangers, insensitive to pain, and may not be responsive to sound. That’s why this factor is an important consideration when choosing the right clothing for children, especially those with special needs.
Consider the child’s safety by keeping in mind the following tips:
- Choose the proper fit of special needs clothes to avoid the garments’ ends from catching in appliances, devices, and equipment, such as braces and wheelchairs, causing safety hazard.
- Avoid loose clothes because they can be a fire hazard when near heaters, fireplaces, candles, and stoves.
- Choose layered clothes for cold weather protection, such as insulative layers under woven barrier fabrics to repel rain.
- Avoid tight, narrow bands at waist and ankles because they can cut proper blood circulation.
- Check The Functional Features
Dressing could be an extra chore for caregivers. That’s why as early as buying the best clothes for children with special needs, it’s important to keep this factor in mind. Make dress up time a fun time for any occasion or every daywear by making sure that the clothing pieces have the functional features a child with special needs requires.
It’s essential to consider the functional features of adaptive clothing for children with autism and other special needs. These features promote clothing comfort for children, and accessibility and convenience for caregivers during dressing time.
Some examples of functional features of adaptive clothing for children with special needs include the following:
- Hidden Openings: The best special needs clothes have functional features, like hidden openings for feeding tubes and abdominal access.
- Accessible Areas: Magnetic or zip closures, side openings, back snaps, and zip-off sleeves of special needs clothing make dressing easier.
- High-Rise Feature: Adaptive pants and body suits come in a higher rise to accommodate varying diaper sizes and allow easy access.
- Choose Compression Clothing
Many children with sensory processing disorder find calmness in sensing deep pressure, like what compression clothing provides. Choosing the right compression shirts for autism can help promote greater comfort and self-confidence.
Compression clothes don’t need to look like therapy clothing, which causes stigma to children and parents. New designs of compression clothes are form fitting that come in different stylish colors, allowing parents to blend easily into children’s wardrobe.
- Check Convenience And Care Requirements
Parents might want to consider the ease of washing clothes when shopping special needs clothing. It’s important to choose durable clothes that can withstand your laundering practices. Choosing easy-to-wash garments can help parents get with this task easily so they’ll have more time to supervise their children with special needs.
For convenient washing and garment care, you need to consider the following:
- Choose printed fabrics because they soil less than solid colors.
- Pick uneven-textured garments because they soil less than smooth-textured garments.
- Select washable and durable fabrics, such as cotton, polyester, nylon, or similar fabric blends.
- Check The Brand
It’s important to check the brand of the clothes that children with special needs will wear. Find a trusted brand that can provide the best quality clothing quality, style, and design for children with disabilities and special needs.
Conclusion
Children with special needs should wear stylish, comfortable, and functional adaptive clothing. Compression shirts help children with sensory processing disorder to stay calm and promote easier dressing for parents and caregivers. Choosing the right clothing for children with special needs aids in improving their quality of life, allowing them to discover themselves and their surroundings safely.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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