Tips to Make Independent Dressing Easier for Your Child

Little changes can make a big difference in limiting your child’s frustration while dressing. Check out these tips to make getting dressed

• Dress your child in front of a mirror so they can see what’s happening.
• Use loose clothing with no fasteners (think t-shirts and sweatpants) and start when you have plenty of time and patience.
• Lay the clothes out in order or stack them with the first thing to put on at the top. Lay them out in the shape of a body to help with visualization or create a picture board so your child can see each step and knows what to do next.
• Place your hand over theirs to help guide their movements (hand over hand technique).
• Offer a choice, “You can wear the green shirt or the red shirt”.

Tips for socks and shoes:

• Ankle socks are easier to practice with than regular socks because they have less material.
• Colored heels help your child put on socks the right way.
• Draw a smiley face on the shoe tongue and tell your child they need to see all of it, even the smile, to get the shoe open enough to put their foot in.
• Start with slip-on or hook and loop shoes. If they already have lace up shoes, use no-tie elastic laces.
• Trouble getting shoes on the correct feet? Cut a sticker in half and put half against the inner side of each shoe. Now your child can match them up to make the smiley face, puppy dog, or whatever favorite character you choose.

Here are helpful visuals for dressing: