A Softer, Gentler Approach to Clothes for Sensitive Kids
Back-to-school clothes shopping can be a headache. But for Jordan Fankhanel of Edmonton, Alta., it’s irritating from head to toe.
That’s because Jordan, 10, has sensory processing disorder (SPD), a condition that’s not clinically recognized as its own diagnosis but manifests as a hypersensitivity to certain textures.
Regardless of the weather, Jordan can only tolerate wearing soft, short-sleeved T-shirts and prefers Adidas pull-on athletic pants that don’t have buttons or zippers that dig in. He always wears his cotton socks inside out and loathes shirts and jackets that cover his arms.
His mother, Lori Fankhanel, typically brings home heaps of different clothing for him to try on, in the hope that he’ll find something that doesn’t scratch his skin.
Playroom Helps Children Overcome Brain Disorders
[Source: The Paducah Sun]
Children with neurological disorders may grow up to live independent adult lives, if they play in a sensory room.
“The room motivates kids to participate in activities that slowly expand their capabilities,” said Lindsey Stamper, an occupational therapist with Hampton Physical Therapy in Paducah.
Occupational therapists help people develop the physical ability to work and live independently.
Neurological disorders are sometimes known as autism, Asperger’s Syndrome or cerebral palsy.
In each instance people’s nervous system cannot properly transfer or process information from the five senses: touch, taste, smell, see or hear. They cannot properly react to temperature, pressure or pain. In some cases, people may be unable to properly coordinate their limbs.
A stroke can also cause nerve or brain damage, Stamper said.
The sensory room — which resembles an indoor playground — and Stamper help children modify their nervous and muscular actions after an activity or experience.
For example, Addie Hopper, 7, from Paducah visits the sensory room to overcome eye-tracking problems. She had difficulty reading her teacher’s writing on a blackboard.
