I didn’t realise that socks were that important, or even an issue for our Chloe. She didn’t complain very often. She was just overloaded and crying by the end of most days, and she avoided socks and shoes in general.
Over the years I’ve heard from many Occupational Therapists that it's rarely just one thing that causes overwhelm and dis-regulation, but rather the cumulative affect of many irritants or missed opportunities to reset or regulate the sensory system during the day.
One day I thought to actually try some of our soft, seamless Sensory Socks on Chloe... and they instantly became one of my little secret weapons!
They don’t seem like a big deal, but they make such a HUGE difference to her day. Giving her relief, with one less annoying thing that her brain cannot filter out.
Why are these socks a game changer?
They are made mainly from bamboo (keeping feet cooler in summer and warmer in winter) so stay gorgeously soft and are knit like a cocoon starting from the toe and working up, providing comfort and relief. ❤
They have a seamless feel and no heel… allowing her to put on her socks with confidence (and not outgrow them so quickly!)
For my fellow special needs parents out there... only you will understand how important the little wins are, like your child putting their own socks on... and how many years behind their peers they can be for simple tasks like this!
It turns out that my Chloe isn't great a verbally communicating how things feel or what she needs... it turns out that she can’t stand annoying seams, rough corners or thick and scratchy socks!
If your Little Super Hero is a bit like mine... maybe they have hypersensitivity or sensory processing disorder too... then it might be worth giving Sensory Socks a go!
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Hi Jenna
PLEASE HELP! My 6-year-old Autistic & ADHD daughter has a lot of meltdowns and violent outbursts. She struggles with transitions between activities at home and school, getting in and out of the car, and staying seated long enough to eat food or do something quiet like reading, painting, or settling for bed.
I’ve had a few people mention that a small weighted blanket might be something to get for her. Can you tell me more about it and how it might help?
I’ll never forget those early days of Occupational Therapy with our strong movement seeking daughter Chloe. I loved going into the sessions with her, trying to remain quiet and just observe (this was tricky at times due to my ADHD… lol).
I loved watching and listening to her OT Deb as she helped Chloe explore her sensory systems and explain why she loves certain things, like why heavy weighted blankets make her brain feel safe.
For my daughter the school environment can be very noisy and overloading at times. As she has auditory hypersensitivity, wet weather lunches and events (like sports days, incursions, and assemblies) can easily put her into auditory overload.
'Auditory Overload' is when the brain becomes so overwhelmed by the amount of sound information it needs to process, that it cannot focus on other things it's supposed to be doing, cannot predict what will happen next because it cannot process the sensory info for the moment), so therefore cannot keep us safe, and if it stays there long enough pops us automatically into a 'fight flight freeze' response which can look like anxiety, shallow breathing, grumpiness, faster heart rate, trouble completing a task already started, trouble remembering the steps of doing a simple task, and needing to leave the room quickly etc.
Vivien Baxter
January 30, 2021
Hi Jenna, do you have a soft cuddly weighted teddy bear?
Regards
Viv