Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
mandyque

stripping off

Recommended Posts

My dd has always had a habit of taking her clothes off, sometimes it gets worse then she settles down for a while, then it flares up again. She is also currently obsessed with swimming costumes.

 

Her school started and after school club and she went this evening for the first time. I went to collect her and they said she can't go back again. She kept taking her clothes off and she won't do the activities they want her to do so that's that. The same thing happened a couple of years ago with their playscheme, they have refused to take her ever since.

 

I'm sure it's a sensory thing but what do I do? All she wants to wear is swimming costumes. She doesn't understand reasoning or goals or anything e.g. keep your clothes on at school and you can have it on after, I just don't know what to do. She's 9 now so before long she will start puberty then it all just gets even worse, stripping off when her body is maturing is no way acceptable.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Mandy, you've probably already thought of these. I think your daughter uses pecs, would she understand "home=room=nude" sentence? Would afterschool use these if they had them? So then perhaps gradually she could come to terms with the point that it's ok to be naked but only in your room. In my last job if the children wanted to be naked that was ok but only in their room, we did also have a masturbation pec as well. Could your girl wear her swimsuit under her clothes? I don't know if she'd cope with the loo aspect though! Could you transfer the sensory attachment to some swimming costume cloth - there is a cheap fabric shop near us that sells it by the metre - if you bought 3m say then she could wrap herself up in it?! Hope this may help a bit, if you've already tried sorry,love Kat

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Cant help at all with the sensory side, but i would worry about an after school club that wouldn't want people back if they didn't follow the rules - especially on the first session! Just seems a bit controlling and narrow minded to me - sorry

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi mandy -

 

I had the same thought as mandy - cozzie under uniform maybe? If you made her uniform as 'light' as poss (thin blouse, light skirt) it wouldn't really be that much different to underwear, especially if you can talk her inti a 'bikini' rather than a one piece...

 

other thought was maybe a leotard from a ballet shop -looks like a cozzie, but maybe a bit more user friendly for the loo? Dunno, having never worn a leotard or a one-piece cozzie!!

 

Final thought - if she's no responding to pecs alone, why not combine it with practical demonstration? Get her used to wearing her cozzie UNDER her clothes for trips to the swimming baths (with you doing the same??), then extend that to home and school??

 

Hope that helps

 

BD :D

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Sorry bit more to add. What sort of school does she attend? If for any type of SEN and especially if it's the school she attends - as opposed to just going to for the club - I would expect a little more understanding of her particular difficulties. kat

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ok, I know this isn't good advice but I'm going to give it anyway :D

Is it really such a big deal if she wears her swimming costumes? She may like the feel of the material, they may make her feel more secure as they offer coverage over the stomach area (maybe she doesn't like the idea of her clothes being separates. I don't know, I'm just guessing here :D

Would she be open to things like bodies, or leotards? Or maybe you could try and let her know that swimming costumes are ok, but what about if she wears a skirt or trousers over them?

Not wanting to do the activities at a new environment (not the school, the session) is hardly surprising. She may have just wanted to get a feel for the place first. I think they should have let her be (just kept an eye on her) the first time, then seen what she was interested in and tailored the activities to help her after that. Then when she got more confident they could have tried her with the more structured activities.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think stripping off calms the nervous system (my excuse on holiday for using the area of the beach where being topless is overdressed :lol: )

 

So in sensory overload, or even just general stress it might trigger the need to strip, as a coping mechanism. I don't know what other things you have in place to reduce the stress on her nervous system, for example reducing the toxins (which include some that directly affect the nervous system) in toiletries, soap powders, fabric softeners etc, anything that touches her skin, or that she breathes in (plug in air fresheners etc) and removing dietary triggers such as E numbers, aspartame, MSG, caffeine etc etc (Sorry if you've done all that). Some are very potent in combination, then if you add say lights, noise (or whatever else you can think of) then it might be the last straw that sets off the need for the coping mechanism.

 

If you can work out even a few of the factors that might be involved, and then remove those you have any influence over, hopefully the last straw won't happen so often.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I would try the cozzie under her clothes, like the others suggested.. My son strips off too but he does only do it at home, the minute he comes home from school is strips to his boxers and thats the way he remains until he has to answer the door....

 

Sorry no real solutions...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I agree, no harm in letting her wear the cossie under her clothes..... although....there may be a problem when she needs to visit the loo!!!! She'd have to take everything off! If she's ok at dressing herself this won't be much of a problem though.

 

My dd (nt!!??) went through a phase of insisting she wear summer shorts all year round, this lasted for about 18 months pre school age. She also went through a phase at the same time of not taking her coat off ever!! And William only stopped stripping off as soon as we got into the house about 4 years ago, around the time he developed a serious case of modesty. Now I can't even say 'bum' without him going beserk and getting embarrased :lol:

 

It could be sensory, or it could be that she just has a thing about swim suits. I remember having a 'thing' about flip flops when I was little. I loved the 'flip flop' sound they made.

 

Lauren X

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi,

 

Alittle hasty of the club. I would of thought they would at least try to work with you on this, rather than refuse to take her back after one session. :( Can't think of any other suggestions that havn't previously been posted I'm afraid. Our dd has no awareness of whats appropriate etc with clothing/being naked. Have previously posted that she will answer the door while in the middleof being on the loo, with skirt above her waist and knickers round her ankles. Constantly has her hands in her pants etc. I think the suggestion of a leotard is great, maybe combined with light skirt or shorts, which she could change into? Surely the club couldn't object to her wearing that? Or would they object to her changing her clothes aswell? Sorry I couldn't be of more help to you .

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

She goes to a special school so there is no real excuse, they have lots of children with autism it's not like she is unusual.

 

Her school teacher is useless and just lets her get away with stripping and changing clothes all the time, I don't know how they have time to actually do any teaching because they haven't got any control over the children at all, I'm not happy but they only have one autistic class for her age group and to try to change schools is far too much of a battle for me to face, I'm not too great myself mentally and I have no support.

 

The biggest problem with the swimming costumes is that I have such a battle to get them off her again when they are dirty and when she has to go in the bath. She has connected water with swimming so therefore it's ok for her to wear a cossie in the bath :shame: I don't let her get away with it but it means I'm covered in scratches if I don't dodge away fast enough.

 

I think it is definately sensory overload, when she gets upset her clothes come off in a flash. But without the support of school how are we going to be consistent enough for her to get the message?

 

I might go and buy a length of lycra to see if she would accept that against her skin rather than a swimming costume, when I think about it there's very few types of clothing which would feel the same and give the same sensations.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
The biggest problem with the swimming costumes is that I have such a battle to get them off her again when they are dirty and when she has to go in the bath. She has connected water with swimming so therefore it's ok for her to wear a cossie in the bath :shame: I don't let her get away with it but it means I'm covered in scratches if I don't dodge away fast enough.

 

How about a cossie that is just for bath time? She could strip off at bathtime (so you can wash what costume she has been wearing) give her a quick wash with a flannel where the bath costume will go and she could bath in this one. Or if the flannel idea won't work you could use a non toxic bubble bath (try the organic stuff from health food shops). Then a clean dry costume afterwards. As long as she gets clean, finding a way to work with her need for a costume might be less hassle, and less scratches! Good luck.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

cant add to what others have said really, but just to say my daughter is a spontaneuos stripper too. sometimes she comes home from school with her pe shorts still on cos she likes the feel, at home in the house, shoes, socks off loves bare feet, but im like that too! at night we go into her room all her clothes are off, she dont like pjs or knickers in bed at all. i just let her go with it, shes comfy?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My ds had a taking a clothes off thing when he was younger he would take his clothes of at any hance only at home may i add but didnt matter who was there an it was only when he was diagnosed as autistic it begab to make sense to me but even now he has sensory issues and will only wear the same clothes which at nearly 20 poses a problem,wash dry back on again,ive lost count of the new joggers ive bought him but he wont wear as they dont feel the same but as is favourites are now wearing he will be going around clothless unless we can compromise.Sorry not much help to the problem in question.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

OK I've been out and bought a huge sheet of lycra. What I might do actually is get it sewn into a tube shape, I've seen them in special needs catalogues, the child can get inside it and move around with the lycra stretching around them. I reckon she might like that. Not sure if it will help the stripping off but it might give her the sensory stimulation she likes from the swimming costumes in a different way.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was just going to suggest what you've already written Mandy. My other thought was perhaps a band of the cloth like a sash? Or aren't some gloves made of lycra stuff (aka michael jackson in the eighties style) that maybe enough. It's true that school need to take some action too - only changing certain times, using schedule to request etc. Is there a link worker to school you can talk to? Love Kat

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I was just going to suggest what you've already written Mandy. My other thought was perhaps a band of the cloth like a sash? Or aren't some gloves made of lycra stuff (aka michael jackson in the eighties style) that maybe enough. It's true that school need to take some action too - only changing certain times, using schedule to request etc. Is there a link worker to school you can talk to? Love Kat

 

Thanks Kat

 

I have got 2 metres of lycra, it's a huge piece so I will have some spare once the tube is made, I'll give her that piece as it is and let her do what she wants with it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
Sign in to follow this  

×
×
  • Create New...