SPD (Sensory issues) and shoes
Many children with autism have a problem with sensory issues. Even before Johnathan was born I picked clothes and blankets that felt beautifully soft. i remembered that when our stillborn daughter Natalie was born, I WANTED nice soft clothes and a soft blanket for her too. So whatever I bought had to pass the “feel” test.
When Johnathan was born, I had a gut instinct that something was up with him. And I was pretty sure it was autism. He LOVED to be swaddled and he would only sleep if I left the light on. It didn’t really bother me, to be honest with you….oh and he loved me to sing to him. Not all the midwives understood what was going on, but that was ok. I knew I would need to watch for any sensory signs he gave me and if he liked or disliked something to react as soon as I could.
One of the things Johnathan did have was extremely sensitive skin. We only used water wipes with him and were very careful when we touched him but even so, he would have red patches within seconds if we were picking him up or anything like that. One time he was in hospital and the doctor wanted to examine him and the nurse undressed him and he had red blotches on his skin in different places because of it.
He HATED being on the floor, tummy down, but he had terrible reflux problems so I realised it wasn’t a good idea for him. That really caused him a lot of pain and would make him very sick. And I wasn’t going to cause him that much pain and make him sick. When his stomach was bad I would massage his tummy and sing. Well, actually singing was something I used a lot.
Another thing that caused sensory issues were his feet. He would NOT put his feet down if they had nothing on them. I would be exhausted chasing his feet around the change mat to actually get SOCKS on his feet - could take anything up to 45 minutes….I never knew a baby could move their feet so fast. If he was lying on his back, he would tolerate you taking the socks off for a short while. But that was it.
So when he started walking, I knew that even though he was only 11 months old HE would have to choose his shoes. There was no point in me insisting on a pair that he disliked. Because I’d never get them on his feet. I will always remember him being so proud of his new shoes and standing in front of the mirror on the floor holding my hands, happily beaming and babbling away. I looked at the shoes and thought “OMG! I would NEVER have chosen brown shoes with orange bits. In fact, I would prefer NOT to get these shoes, but he’s happy and I’ll be able to get them on his feet so I don’t care.”
Johnathan has new shoes for school and he CANNOT get on with them. We were trying normal laces but when he was out with his Granny, she said she had to tie them up too many times. However, he just doesn’t like the way elastic ones make him feel. WHY don’t they make shoes for older children that use velcro?! It would be SO much easier. I think we’ll have to return to normal laces - maybe. And that may or may not be the answer. We’ll make our discovery.
Sensory issues can be a nightmare for both child and adult. When we see the child is struggling with what they have because it’s too uncomfortable, we must react. They can’t help their sensory difficulties, so WE have to change to help them navigate the world. And it is possible. You just have to find the right answer for them.