A guide to underwear for children with special needs
Getting your child dressed isn’t always easy but if your child is sensitive to tags, specific materials, and buttons it can be distressing for them. Specialist underwear can make dressing your child a lot easier and prevent irritation. Here are our top tips to consider when choosing underwear for a child with special needs:
1. Quality Fabric
As with all-over clothing, we recommend that you stick to specific fabrics. Certain man-made materials are clingy and can cause skin irritation. As with the rest of your child’s wardrobe, quality is essential. Be sure to do plenty of research, so you know that the products you invest in are the right fit for your child’s needs.
2. Sizing
Alongside the quality, the sizing is essential too. Sizing needs to be ‘just right’ so that your child isn’t uncomfortable. This is particularly critical if your child smears as any wiggle room in underwear will allow them access to their rear.
A common problem with underwear is that it can be itchy due to designs that include buttons, ruffles, and labels. Not only can this be irritating for your child, it again can encourage smearing.
As well as investing in comfortable underwear, purchasing adaptive clothing like bodysuits can be a big help. They restrict access while being comfortable and sensory-friendly clothing.
3. Incontinence
A factor to consider might be incontinence issues or problems like bed wetting. Children with and without special needs, especially younger kids, may have bed-wetting problems or lack of control over their needs.
This can happen for several reasons, including:
- An overactive bladder
- Constipation
- Emotional stress
Depending on your child’s age, nappies may not be appropriate. However, there is underwear on the market that is created for children with special needs. Again, we recommend researching to make sure you’re buying the best products for your needs.
Absorbent or specialist underwear for children with incontinence issues are often designed like regular underwear. The difference is they have added protection, pads, or are made with thicker material to handle leakage. If your child wets the bed, it’s worth spending the time looking into underwear that is created for bedtimes. If your child is a deep sleeper, this can be another explanation for nighttime incontinence. The body is in such a deep sleep that the brain doesn’t register that the body needs to go to the bathroom.
Sometimes it can feel as though mainstream clothing lines don't acknowledge particular needs. However, it isn’t impossible to find specialist products for your children. As well as our brand of adaptive clothing, several other fantastic clothing companies are highlighting special needs and creating products like underwear that is suitable for a range of requirements.
At Special Kids Company it’s our mission to spread awareness of the issues facing children with special needs. If you need help to find clothing, accessories, and more that are sensory friendly and make your child’s life easier, check out our range of adaptive products.