Something that brings me much joy as an occupational therapist is how far we have come when it comes to adaptive clothing and accessories for children. Kids with physical disabilities or sensory processing challenges don’t like when they look or feel different than their peers. This is especially true for older children where fitting in and getting all the “in” things is important. I remember not too long ago there really weren’t a lot of options when it came to adaptive clothing and accessories and now there are so many options that are not only comfortable, but don’t look like they are adaptive. There have also been so many advancements in sensory-friendly clothing whether it be clothing without buttons, snaps or zippers or soft, comfortable fabrics that make dressing so much easier for kids and parents. Another benefit of of adaptive clothing is that they help children become more independent for self-care skills which leads to increased confidence and self-esteem. Below, I share some of the latest and greatest in the world of adaptive and inclusive clothing and accessories.
Skechers Hands-Free Slip Ins Sneakers-these slip on shoes are designed with their exclusive Heel Pillow™ that keeps your feet securely in place. The slip on design allows for people to put the shoes on without having to bend over which makes it great for children who have physical disabilities. They are also great for children who have fine motor, grasping and manipulation delays making tying shoes or using velcro straps more tricky. What I love about this line of sneakers is that they come in a ton of different designs and styles so kids aren’t limited with options. These slip on sneakers are great because they encourage independence in children which leads to increased confidence and self-esteem. This line of sneakers also come in adult sizes.
EzSox-I have been recommending these socks to parents for years and years. EzSox were originally created in order to promote independence and increase confidence in young children. The socks were also designed keeping in mind that there are a lot of children who have a lot of sensory issues with the seams of the socks so they don’t have any. The socks come with two loops on either side of the sock so that kids who are having a hard time learning how to put socks on by themselves have a kind of handle to grab onto to assist with pulling the socks over the heel. They started out with only socks but over the years have expanded to making adaptive underpants as well. There are few things about the socks that I love: the socks are made from a stretchy material making it easier for kids to manipulate and most of the socks have a face on the top of the sock to help kids differentiate between the top and the bottom. Both of these things promote independence which leads to increased confidence and self-esteem. While these socks and underwear are great for any young child working on dressing and undressing, they are particularly great for kids who have decreased grasp strength and manipulation skills.
Kozie Clothes-this line of clothing was designed by an occupational therapist in order to provide calming support to children with sensory and medical needs. All of their clothing is made out of soft, stretch, non-irritating fabrics and don’t have tags that often bother children with sensory issues. They offer an extensive line of compression clothing which helps children with ADHD, autism and other sensory challenges regulate their sensory system which can lead to improved focus and attention. In addition to the compression clothing, they also offer a variety of weighted vests, blankets and other sensory-based toys.
Kizik Sneakers-another line of sneakers with a comfortable slip-on feature. Designed for convenience and ease, the shoes feature a durable, stabilizing heel and are made from breathable fabrics. The heel stabilizer provides support and stability to keep the foot in place. As with other slip-on shoes, these are great for people with physical disabilities or fine motor delays who have trouble with putting shoes on. It allows for increased independence these individuals which will lead to increased confidence and self-esteem. There are many styles to choose from for toddlers, kids and adults.
Magnetic Me Clothing-I love when adaptive clothing not only promotes independence but also is cute and stylish. This brand has done a great job of making it easier for kids to dress and undress themselves by not having any buttons, snaps or zippers on their clothing. Instead, everything is magnetic making it easy for kids to put the clothes on and take them off by themselves. The brand uses a patented “SewSafe” magnetic closure system that is securely built into its garments made from super-soft, eco-friendly materials like organic cotton and modal so there is no concern about . They offer a wide range of clothing such as dresses, pajamas, boy’s dress shirts, jackets and much more and there are so many fun patterns to choose from. This brand of clothing is great for kids who have decreased grasping and manipulation skills and those who may have physical disabilities that makes it challenging for them to manipulate fasteners. They are also good for children who have tactile sensory defensiveness because they clothes are made with super-soft, organic materials without the feeling of buttons, snaps and zippers.
Stride Rite AFO-Friendly Shoes-many of the kids that come to our gym wear splints or other kinds of inserts in their shoes and it can be really hard for parents to find shoes that fit over them. As part of their Adaptive Collection, Stride Rite has designed a series of shoes that accommodate AFOs and other braces. In order to be able to accommodate the braces, the shoes have features like extra-wide widths, removable insoles and extended/adjustable hook and loop closure straps. They also have some features to make them easier to take on and off such as wider foot openings, pull tabs or specialized zippers.
Billy Footwear-BILLY is another brand of adaptive footwear that features their unique wraparound zipper which allows the entire upper side of the shoe to open up making it easier to put on and take off. They have many features that make them great for people with braces or orthotics such as the wide opening, the ability to remove the insoles or stackable inserts. The inside of the shoes feature a smooth interior lining and soft, non-binding uppers that make them more comfortable for kids with tactile defensiveness or other sensory sensitivities or limited dexterity or manipulation skills. We have recommended these sneakers to our kids who wear braces and they are always a big hit with the kids. They love that they be more independent which is always great for building confidence and self-esteem in kids. While they offer a whole line of toddler and kids shoes, they also have a large selection of adaptive shoes for adults.
Sense-ational You Clothing-so many of the kids that I work with present with sensitivities to a lot of clothing. Whether it be too stiff or they have tags that bother them, they become extremely limited in what they will wear. Sensational You Clothing features a sensory-friendly design using soft fabrics, flat seams, tagless labels, adaptive closures (like magnetic fastenings) that allow for increased independence. Some of their products even feature built-in fidgets with help with self-regulation and improve focus and attention. One of the products I love the most is their sensory friendly hoodie that features a built in sound reducing hood and an optional eye mask that can help children in more stimulating environments. All of the clothing is designed with accessibility and independence in mind with the hopes of making the dressing process more simple and with less discomfort for kids.
Target Adaptive Clothing-Target has a whole line of affordable adaptive clothing for children with sensory sensitivities and possible medical conditions. The line of clothing was designed with comfort and independence in mind. There is a whole line of clothing for children with sensory processing challenges that feature soft, stretchy fabric, flat seams and tagless labels making it more comfortable for kids with tactile defensiveness. They also offer a range of clothing for children in wheelchairs that feature a higher rise and more room in the hips, making them more comfortable and practical for children who use wheelchairs. I love that the clothes have a series of adaptive fastener features such as hidden zip closures, magnetic buttons or snaps on the side and back to make dressing and undressing easier for kids who might have fine motor, grasping and manipulation delays. Another feature of many of their clothes is adding hidden openings for abdominal access/tubes. By adding these features, children can be more independent which leads to increased confidence and self-esteem.
Cloud Nine Calming Hoodie-I am loving this sweatshirt that has a built-in stress ball in the sleeve. Created by someone who lived with anxiety and ADHD, he designed this sweatshirt to help others who have similar struggles. This sweatshirt, which comes in a variety of colors, has a stress-ball built into the sleeve for the kids to squeeze whenever they might need the sensory input. It’s made from a heavyweight material that helps provide a calming and grounding experiences for people of all ages. What I love the most about this is that many of the kids I work with who would benefit from this don’t like to look or feel different and needing a fidget toy would bring attention to them. The fact that the squishie ball is hidden in the sleeve makes it more discreet which might be helpful for a child with anxiety.
