Re: Personal hygiene (or shoud I say lack of)

October 18, 2010

Hi ,

Noah pretty much sounds like my son's twin! AJ is 13 dx'd bipolar and Sensory

Itegration Issues and is currently on Lithium for depression.

He too HATES brushing his teeth. It's as if every morning and evening I'm asking

him to do something he's never ever heard of before. He has his adversions to

showering but not because of sensory issues but because it's a waste of time as

far as he's concerned, however once he's in there he'll sit in there on the

floor of the shower playing w/ toys until the hot water runs out. I have to go

in there and remind him to wash " with soap " and not to forget his hair " with

shampoo " . Then when he gets out he'll mosey in w/ his pj bottoms on top half of

his body completly wet.

Another thing I've noticed and it drivs us nuts is his messy eating habits. He

can't stand his fingers getting sticky or dirty but his face can be dripping w/

ice cream and he'll never notice. He's even gotten little cancer sores in the

corner of his mouth from not wiping or licking away bits of food. He doesn't

seem embarrassed by it and when I tell him to wipe his face he just gets upset

and acts like I'm a tyrant.

His variety of foods he'll actually eat are so few that I try not to drag the

whole dirty mouth into it as much as possible.

He knows that taking showers and brushing his teeth aren't an option here, even

though it's a fight we demand he do it.

Good Luck!

>

> My 11 yo AS son seems to have a greater aversion to cleanliness than my other

> non-AS kids. We make him shower Sunday, Tuesday and Thursdays, and on other

> days, if he gets exceptionally dirty. He tries his hardest to get out of even

> his scheduled days by pleading and sometimes trying to avoid us until bed

time.

> Then, he huffs and puffs his way through it. We also must tell him everyday to

> brush his teeth. If he is not watched, he will try not doing it at all, or

doing

> it without toothpaste. Again, with much complaint.

> Most of the time, when he gets out of the shower, he's quite proud of how good

> he smells, but getting there is a battle every time. Is this all AS, or not?

If

> anybody else has the same issues, how do you deal with it?

> Thanks!

> , mom to Noah

>

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