Sensory issues
Sensory issues
My 5-year-old has sensory issues - socks and shoes, can't get him to wear them. He has already missed 2 days of school. Don't know what to do.
Hi Gillian,
This can be very frustrating for a parent and a teacher. Many children have a problem with wearing shoes and socks and there can be a number of reasons why. The best assessment for why your five year old refuses is best done by a professional, and it is an ocupational therapist who is best at determining your childs sensory needs. You may have tried;
- If your child is just exerting their independence it is helpful to engage your child in choosing the socks they want to wear. I am aware some schools require a particular uniform sock, and this may require a conversation with the school and a conversation about school requirements.
- If it is a sensory issue there are some easy tricks; turn the socks inside out as no-one can see the seam inside the shoe, offer choice as it could also be the material the sock is made of and a different sock could make the difference.
- If shoes are also the problem, again a conversation about the shoe that includes, laces or velcro, colour, and fit. Children's feet grow quite quickly and their toes need to be able to wiggle inside the shoe.
Should the problem not resolve with different socks or shoes I would suggest a visit with an OT.
Other questions about this topic
Developing a stutter
My little girl is developing a stutter. She is three years old and has started hesitating between words and repeating sounds. I’ve seen the doctor and we are working on techniques to help her. Should I be worried about how this might psychologically affect her?
Fear of the dark
My four year old is scared of the dark and needs us to stay with him while he goes to sleep and then comes into our room (and bed) when he wakes at night. It is legitimate fear and need for comfort but on the down side noone is getting any sleep! What should we do?
4-yr-old afraid to be alone
My lil 4yr old is suddenly scared to go anywhere like his room, the toilet, the bathroom, without someone coming with him. We go every time as we think its just a phase and he will grow out of it. He isn't scared of monsters. He did say there were 7 scary men in his room making faces but that's not the case at all (wondering if it was a dream) we reassure him there isn't any scary things there, take him and tell him he is safe and we will protect him. Any advice?
7-week-old rarely sleeps
7-week-old rarely sleeps for several hours. After lots of rocking/walking in carrier baby looks like she is asleep then her eyes just open and she is looking around for a while then cries because she is so tired. This goes on for hours and hours. Sometimes she does seem to stay asleep after being placed in the bassinet and wakes up after half an hour. Then the cycle starts again. She doesn’t like pram. Very hard on my back. Weighs about 4.7 kg now. Was 9lb 4oz at birth.
Hearing loss and team sports
Hello! My son has bilateral hearing loss. He wears hearing aids during waking hours. He has started Prep this year and has been doing some trial soccer classes. He is not enjoying the sessions, despite the fact he loves kicking a ball around at home or in the park. I wonder if it's because he's struggling to hear the instructions outside (it's a bit hectic) and is getting fatigued and frustrated. Do you have any advice or suggestions for how to introduce our son to team sports?