Clothing for Handicapped Children
For parents caring for a child with a disability, there are many key factors to consider in general child growth and development. One area of concern, often overlooked, is the need for quality clothing, available to the disabled child for ease of dressing and undressing. As a parent, finding clothes for your disabled child often results in creative modifications of traditional clothing.
Because disabilities are varied across a spectrum, it is difficult for a clothing designer to make clothing universally fitting for all disabled children. Therefore, learning to modify and acclimate to the clothing styles, is crucial to ensuring proper growth and development in the disabled child.
For children confined to a wheelchair, the use of choice fabrics is key to optimal health outcomes. Because wheelchairs, generally, restrict movement, the child who is confined to a wheelchair will require easy-care fabrics that are soft and absorbent. Most often, this child will feel most comfortable in a pair of pants, with an elastic waistband, with pullover, Polo-styled, tops.
Children who require the use of crutches or braces, will require a different line of clothing. Because the brace or crutch is usually rubbing against the area of the body in which it is being used, such as the underarms, the clothing for this child must provide additional soft, absorbent, padding with reinforcement to endure the wear and tear of crutch and brace friction. These children also prefer clothing that is loose and more free flowing so as to allow for ease of movement with the crutches or braces.
Children with impaired vision also carry a unique disability in terms of fashion and clothing. To aide the visually impaired child in gaining some degree of independence, clothing should be modified to provide for wider openings than normal, as in zipper replacements, with belts that are sewn or attached to the clothing. Parents of visually impaired children can place fabric ribbon, of differing textures, to the front and back of the clothes so as to allow the child to determine which way the clothing should face and to avoid front-to-back confusion when dressing. Braille strips, attached to ribbon, can also be sewn to the inside of the clothing to provide the visually impaired child with the freedom and independence to choose colors.
As with any fashion trend or style, children are constantly seeking out options for the latest and greatest look. For those with disability, the interest in fashion is no different and, therefore, must be accommodated by the parents to ensure proper fitting and use. When considering a modification to clothing for your child, discuss the changes with the child so as to create a team approach to fashion, style and independence in dress.
Clothing for the Handicapped Child
Book (Disabled Living Foundation)
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