Meanwhile...: Am I wrong, here? →

micesacle:

fattypolitic:

Conventional wisdom has taught me that if I have to ask that question, the answer is “Probably, yes” but I have something I just need to put out there.

To catch some of you up: My youngest son is six, he has moderate to high functioning autism and speech delay. He’s a little ray of human sunshine…

You state that dress is a form of self-expression, yet you’re enforcing specific clothes on him? You’re expressing yourself, he’s not expressing himself.

Perhaps you should let him pick his own clothes?

I do.

To the extent that he has any interest at all in picking them. He’s generally more interested in rolling the wheels on our cart, trying to climb on the shelves, or asking for a toy/smoothie for the 50th time. The kid hates shopping so getting him to focus long enough to choose a pair of shoes in addition to trying them on is inviting a melt down.

I usually try to engage him as far as color goes, whether he’d like shorts or pants, what (if any) characters he prefers on his shirts…that kind of thing. I know that he has a preference for blue and likes Yo, Gabba Gabba! and Spongebob (though he seems to be transitioning into super heroes more recently). He detests “waffle” cotton Henley or polo shirts. 

Also, I’m sorry you got the impression that I was “enforcing” anything on our son- but we also have to take into account that there are three people in the family who need to get ready in the morning. If velcro/slip on shoes, elastic waist pants, and shirts that pull over or have snaps help that then we’re going to angle in that direction while using OT and play therapy to help him form the manual dexterity needed for zippers, buttons, and buckles.

∞ 2/22/2012 (2:38pm) 7 notes

#ableism#autism#special needs

Notes (7)

  1. sweetbutterbliss reblogged this from fattypolitic and added:
    I am lucky if my autistic child will put clean underwear on if I’m not supervising. She doesn’t tell us when stuff is...
  2. leytacle reblogged this from fattypolitic and added:
    looks like. Do kids...age know or care what dorky...unless...
  3. fattypolitic reblogged this from micesacle and added:
    I do. To the extent that he has any interest at all in picking them. He’s generally more interested in rolling the...
  4. micesacle reblogged this from fattypolitic and added:
    self-expression, yet you’re enforcing specific clothes on him? You’re expressing yourself,
  5. depthsofdawn said: My brother has tourette’s syndrome and speech problems and ADD and learning disabilities. My mother dressed him in whatever and he didn’t know he looked dorky, so he didn’t care. But when I decided I’d help him out and dress him better, people
  6. fattypolitic posted this