Sensory issues - the evil socks with seams

I remember with fondness a phase Luke went through when he was just a little guy. The Bead Phase.

He discovered a stash of colorful Mardi Gras-type beads we had and just loved them. Upon rising in the morning, the first thing he would do is don his beads, and bring beads to my husband and I so we would be similarly adorned. We would take them off for work and daycare, but first thing when we came home, he would race to where the beads had been left and get us properly, festively, decked out once again.

I was kind of sad when The Bead Phase was over. :-)

Just as unusual, but not quite as endearing, has been his issues with clothing. He has always leaned toward soft, loose-fitting clothing and when he was a toddler, those were the types of clothes I picked out, anyway. But as he grew older, he started having serious issues with certain types of clothes, especially socks and shoes.

He wouldn't wear anything that was scratchy, or had a texture he didn't like, or t-shirts with that rubbery-feeling backing from an applique on the front. He wouldn't wear a shirt that would "bunch up," couldn't wear one shirt on top of another, and couldn't stand to tuck in his shirt. We have cut hundreds of tags out of the backs of his shirts. He couldn't stand underwear that was snug or pants that weren't loose-fitting, soft, and with an elastic waistband. He once wore the same pair of sweatpants over and over because it was the only pair he could tolerate.

And the socks. Ohmigosh, the socks. He absolutely COULD NOT STAND the feeling of the seams on the tops of the socks. The feeling was enough to drive him to distraction. And if the tops of his shoes pressed down too hard on the tops of his feet, he couldn't even bring himself to pull them on.

He also has been rather sensitive to sound. At one time he just couldn't tolerate loud noises, like the blender. Loud restaurants would make him hyper.

I have to admit, this was a characteristic we didn't understand for a long time. We've had scenes in the past where Luke was in tears because he just could not bring himself to put on his socks and shoes and we were just trying to get him to school on time and could not understand what the problem was. Or times when we've begged him to please put on a different pair of pants. He would try something on and then quickly peel them off as if they disgusted him, because he was unable to stand how they felt.

Now, I know that there are other kids out there with the same issues. Some of the names I've seen for it are "sensory sensitivity" or "sensory processing disorder" or "sensory integration dysfunction." Lots of kids have it even worse; they can't stand to be touched or hugged or to have their hair brushed. Apparently, the condition can sometimes be associated with ADD and autism.

I never dreamed this trait might be linked to Luke's food allergies. I assumed it was just another part of life with a strange and wonderful child. But then I listened to a CD of Dianne Craft, a special education teacher who started to notice the link between food and behavior, and became a nutritionist. In the CD, she mentioned a list of symptoms of food allergy that sounded exactly like Lukas---right down to her description of sensitivity to clothes.

Listening, it was one of those moments where I was SO relieved because I finally understood, finally had confirmation of why this was happening.

As we've gotten Luke's diet under control, and have figured out a regimen of supplements (like acidophilus) that help his digestive system, his sensitivity has moderated. This year is the first year he's been able to tolerate wearing jeans (soft ones, to be sure) and khakis on a regular basis, as long as they have elastic waistbands. He will wear long-sleeve shirts. I finally found seamless socks that he can stand that didn't break the bank ("Sof Sole bamboo lite," which I found at Famous Footwear) and shoes that actually feel good to him (New Balance). We haven't had any clothes-related tears or frustration in a long time.

He still hates tags, seams, and clothes that are too tight, but I can understand that. He still comes home and kicks off his shoes, peels off his socks, and climbs into lounge pants, and that's okay. And I'm more than happy to avoid loud restaurants in favor of something a little more sedate.

It's something other parents take for granted, but seeing Lukas neatly dressed in a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and socks and shoes never fails to make me feel good. Now, all he needs are some beads...