Batman Clothes
David Tapp
Hi
I am a child Management Specialist working with a home based early
intervention program in Newfoundland Canada. I have this little boy that
I work with who will only wear one pair of underware and socks. The only
time which the mom gets a chence to wash them is when this child is
having a bath. We have tried almost everything. Also, he will only wear
one or two outfits of clothes which has to be batman. This mom is to her
wits end with these behaviours. Have anyone came across this before?
Could someone help us?
Thanks
Dave
M Hack
Dear Dave,
My son, 27, Asperger Syndrome, 3rd year university student, wore the
same underwear, bikini briefs, for two or three years or more (they are very
durable). When he was young he went naked in the locker room, but slowly
kept his undies on more and more including in the tub at home. At least
through age 18 he wore briefs in public showers (he was a champion swimmer).
He probably still showers in them at home.. hang on, I'll go ask
him...sorry, he says he can't remember.
He also wears the same clothes over and over till they rot off his back.
If I do his laundry I put the just washed stuff as obscurely in the back of
the closet as I can, which works OK as he does select some different
clothes.
He at least showers 3 times a week whether he needs it or not, yet 3
times is often not often enough.
At 27 he still sleeps in his socks -- wool socks!!! He wears only wool
socks, pants, sweaters, hat, gloves, and some shirts; but he now wears, for
several years, men's silk bikini briefs rather than synthetic or cotton. The
one conflict about clothing we have is his socks of which he has only 4 or 5
pairs -- after 24, 36, or 48, or I am sure sometimes 100 hours of round the
clock wear, I come home, open the house door and am knocked backwards by the
odor of plain old dirty socks.
Momma better get used to it and stop worrying -- I NEVER did.
Mike
. .
David Tapp wrote in message <3543A474...@nf.sympatico.ca>...
Sara Salzman
There's a fancy name for it. Persevorating. (sp?)
Many Aspergers kids do it -- it's one reason why Aspergers can be confused
with OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder).
The "classic" (although, personally, I've never seen it) is a fixation on
trains and train schedules. With my son, it was Popeye. (A little more
benign than Batman, but just as annoying.)
As far as the clothing issue, I strongly recomment you read "Soon Will
Come The Light" by Thomas McKean (published by Future Horizons). Thomas is
an adult with Aspergers who has quite a tale to tell. His book is much
more than autobiographical, however, it's got a lot of very meaty
information about Sensory Integration (which is, I believe, where this
underwear isssue is really coming from). Thomas talks about the feelings
of comfort he has when wearing a wet suit or other very snug clothing. And
he has a lot of excellent advice.
I recommend it (and his second book; the name of which presently escapes
me) to ANY and EVERY PARENT especially, among other reasons, because:
Thomas was on the low-functioning end of the Aspergers spectrum. Yet as an
adult of around 30 (and one who was seriously misdiagnosed for years),
Thomas lives independantly, drives a car, travels around the country for
speaking engagements, and is on the Board of Directors of the Autism
Society of America.
He is a daily inspiration to me when I try and imagine what my Asperger
son (now age 10) will be able to accomplish when he grows up.
</speech>
Sara
In article <3543A474...@nf.sympatico.ca>, David Tapp
<david...@nf.sympatico.ca> wrote:
> Hi
> I am a child Management Specialist working with a home based early
> intervention program in Newfoundland Canada. I have this little boy that
> I work with who will only wear one pair of underware and socks. The only
> time which the mom gets a chence to wash them is when this child is
> having a bath. We have tried almost everything. Also, he will only wear
> one or two outfits of clothes which has to be batman. This mom is to her
> wits end with these behaviours. Have anyone came across this before?
> Could someone help us?
> Thanks
>
> Dave
--
"Yeder aizel hot lib tsu hern vi er alein hirzhet."
(Every ass likes to hear himself bray.)
Yiddish folk saying
Dianne Haist
I'd tend to agree with Sara about the Batman clothes being a form of
perseveration. However, unless the underwear and socks also have Batman on
them, I'd tend to look for what it is that he fin so comfortable about them.
Are they cotton? snug? loose? a certain colour? It can be like solving a
puzzle finding out these things. Have you asked him (you don't say how old
he is, but sometimes this can actually work).
My son will only wear cotton jogging pants that he can pull down on his hips
because he doesn't like to have something on his waist. The few times he has
worn jeans it is because other kids have worn them and he also pulls them
down on his hips (reminds me of the guys whose tool belts drag them down).
I understand how frustrating it is for the mom. All I can suggest is keep on
trying.
-Dianne
M. Meyerding
On Sun, 26 Apr 1998, David Tapp wrote:
> I am a child Management Specialist working with a home based early
> intervention program in Newfoundland Canada. I have this little boy that
> I work with who will only wear one pair of underware and socks. The only
> time which the mom gets a chence to wash them is when this child is
> having a bath. We have tried almost everything. Also, he will only wear
> one or two outfits of clothes which has to be batman. This mom is to her
> wits end with these behaviours. Have anyone came across this before?
> Could someone help us?
> Thanks
When you find clothes he can tolerate, buy several sets at once.
Jane