daughter hates clothes and certain foods

[mc31]

Hi

 

just wondering if any1 else has had these probs, my daughter 3yrs hates having clothes on, and always has, she just about undresses completely when at home, or even when out must take off shoes and socks.....

 

another thing is food....

stuff she has eaten in the past is now a big no no, if she says yes for something, even cake she will bite into it, and then spits and make a big fuss over it (screaming, running round house like a looney and generally angry)

 

mc

[Hectorshouse]

Yep been there and got the t-shirt. T always had an aversion to clothes, and certain materials, fixings etc ... and the food thing was always difficult, didn't like textures in his mouth. Having said that though. T is 12 now, generally he keeps clothes on, still doesn't like zips or buttons, and as for food, T is now a food aholic, with no full button ... so its one extreme to another.

 

Finding clothes they like is a start, T wore shorts for years and sandals even in winter, but it was either that, or him naked or in his pj's or having a meltdown ... hang in there, it does get easier, just lots more compromise and not really worrying that your child maybe wants to wear their spiderman outfit EVERYWHERE. T is not a follower of fashion, he likes comfey clothes, snuggly jumpers and sox at a push, but his dress sense is highly entertaining sometimes, but as long as he's happy I don't worry about it.

 

HHxx

[alibaly]

Its common for our children to have sensory issues and it could be that your wee girl just does not like the feel of clothes because they actually bother her and perhaps cause her acute discomfort.

 

Its also possible that sensory issues are also causing her problems with food, it could be that her sense of taste and smell is over or under developed. What tastes ok to us might just be totally off putting to her and the same applies to the texture as well. I remember at one stage my son lived on toast and flora , browned to the same level each day and cut into 4 squares of the same size. We had to use a timer to make toast There were control issues involved in that stage of his eating, he was feeling unsafe in the world and was creating his own safety net by not letting his toast change. At the same time he new for sure that his toast done the way it had to be done wasn't going to give him any surprises taste and texture wise. Even a homemade cake caused him distress, it was murder getting the ingredients exactly right as he could tell if I had put even a wee bit too less or too much of this or that, his sense of taste was so keen. Of course being autistic he wanted it to be exaclty the same each time he had it.

 

My son is 14 and a half now and his eating habits are awful, he lives on half a dozen food items. The strange thing is that he is never sick and is a strapping lad who will one day be well over 6 foot. I used to get all worried about his eating untill I read a book called CAN'T EAT WON'T EAT, its written by the mother of an autistic child and the very frank contributions from those on the spectrum helped me to understand just what was happening him to him foodwise (sensory).

 

Even now when he gets his dinner the first thing he does is smell it and if it doesn't smell ok he won't eat it, I've noticed that his food has to be very hot and that way its seems to make the smell acceptable to him, cooler food is a turn off. That brings me to the aversion he has to our kitchen, its spotless but he wil not go in it as it makes him retch. In spite of our efforts there is obviously something he can smell that we can't , an invisible smell. We have the fridge just at the entrance to the kitchen door so he can get his drinks etc but even so he enters backwards then makes a run for it once he has his drink.

 

thats my boy

Edited October 7, 2005 by alibaly

[mc31]

hi

thanks 2 you both for info that greatly helps in understanding where C maybe coming from.

 

i dont worry to much about the clothing issue, because at least she wears clothes when we go shopping lol oh and playgroup!

 

i do sometimes worry bout the food issue tho, as she is a skinny minny! but saying that she never sits still!

mc

[oracle]

Matthew now aged 8 was naked in the house for most of those 8 years. Clothes were a HUGE issue but he promised me that when he was 8 he would start wearing clothes in the house. He said this from being about 5 years old and I always said 'yes right' in my head of course. From the day of his 8th birthday he has worn clothes in the house It's so strange but he has. There are only certain clothes he can wear because of the sensory issues but he does keep em on

 

My eldest now 18 can still only wear shorts and T Shirt in the house, which is much better than the undies and T shirt he wore until he was 16 - in his room of course out of his room I insisted he wear trousers. Shorts were a compromise that works well for both of us

 

As for food - yes sensory issues play a MASSIVE part with eating. But also when Matthew was 3/4 I could ask him if he wanted cake and he would say yes. I would give him the cake he would bite it spit it out and scream. It was only when it was pointed out to me that I may not be giving him the cake which he was seeing in his head that I began to wonder? Sure enough some words gave Matthew a clear picture in his head. If the food I produced did not live up to the image in his head then he would tantrum. At 3/4 he could not tell me this. Drink to him would be a specific drink and even if I said the names it did not always help. It would be the colour or the cup even that mattered. It is worth thinking about as well as the sensory issues.

 

Carole

[lil_me]

Why do we have to wear clothes ? Thats the one I usually get from my son who much prefers to be naked. He hates the feel of a lot of clothes, and tags he just can't stand. His bed sheets end up ripped as he pulls at them so much.

 

Food, well don't even go there Mr Fussy, it not only has to be the right food but prepared in the right way and with the right things, on the right plate, and you can forget trying to get him to use a knife and fork properly

 

My son also does the same as yours carole, the 'labels' he gives certain foods and drinks, for a long time a 'cup' to him was a fruit shoot bottle. A 'cake' was a chocolate muffin, so if I had given him a victoria sponge he would have thrown it back at me. 'Pasta' to my son is pasta in chicken and mushroom sauce (just don't tell him there is mushrooms in) with sweetcorn mixed in. So if he went somewhere else for dinner and asked for 'Pasta' if thats not what arrived all hell would break loose. 'Fish shop' is fishcake, 2 chicken nuggets and chips - if I just order anything when he asks for 'Fish shop' then there will be bother.

 

My toaster setting is always the same aswell alibaly

 

It does seem confusing but once you get used to their labels for things it becomes much easier. You could try showing her what you have offered, give it a specific name, for example 'butterfly cake' make sure it doesn't just have a general label like 'cake' and then see if she starts picking it up from there. Worked wonders for us. Much easier at meal times now.

Edited October 7, 2005 by lil_me