Macrae Skye Makes Clothing for Kids with Sensory Issues

What is sensory processing disorder? 

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a condition where a person has troubling processing stimulation. The person suffering from SPD can be hypersensitive to sound, sight and touch. Five to 16 percent of school-aged children suffer from this sort of sensory overload, which can affect one or more senses. 

It’s very important that children suffering from SPD live in environments that support their needs and come in contact with items that texturally are soft and smooth to the touch. Clothing is a serious consideration when it comes to children with sensory processing disorder. Tactile sensitivities can make a child feel both physically and mentally uncomfortable, so irritants such as tags, rigid seams and textured fabrics are a no-go. 

What are the signs of SPD regarding clothing?

If you’ve ever had a standoff with your child over getting dressed, you know the challenges that come with parenting. Getting your child dressed can be one of the most difficult things to do. 

It’s normal for kids to fight back when it comes to getting dressed. But sometimes the push-back you get as a parent when your child doesn’t want to put on clothes could be something more serious. 

Warning signs that your child might have sensory issues usually come in the form of verbalization. Words and phrases like “this shirt hurts” or “my legs are stinging from these pants” or “this shirt is itchy” or “my sweater is scratchy” can be signs that there is something more serious going on. Of course, there is the occasional dressing drama where just about anything is uttered in defense of getting dressed. But be mindful of adjectives consistently being used like “burns”, “stings”, “itches”, and “hurts”. 

How to dress a child with sensory sensitivities

If creating a special environment for a child with sensory issues is important, imagine how important it is to dress them in something they feel really comfortable in. 

At Macrae Skye, we know the importance of creating clothing that is texturtally appropriate. Every piece of clothing we make takes into account children struggling with sensory issues. That’s why we’ve sourced some of the finest, softest, organic cotton on the planet. Also, each piece is created with soft seams for little to no skin agitation. 

We also don’t add annoying tags to our clothing. Tags can be agitating to children, even those not suffering from SPD which is why we use heat-transfer labels that are printed directly onto the fabric. Neck labels, tags and abrasive fabrics can wreak havoc for your child, so we take every precaution to ensure that your little one is wearing something they feel truly comfortable in.