I am active in a lot of mom and special need parents groups. A question that comes up in both is when/how to get children (and in some special needs cases adults) dressing themselves.

My parent raised me that: “if you are able, you do” They never made me do something I was incapable of, but if I was capable they taught me and had me do it. I did my own taxes in high school, I checked my own oil (and I was the one to take it in if needed), I changed my own headlights and wipers blades, I mowed the lawn, painted dressers and changed out knobs. I take that mentality to with my children as well.

With Nolan being in ABA he had daily living skills that were goals that helped me realize what he was capable of and what we should be working on. Being an early childhood teacher, I knew at what ages they were expected to start doing parts of their dressing on their own. What I have come to learn is: around 2 children are capable to start learning how to dress themselves. Independently? No. With out instruction and a set up? No. But they can do it if you set them up for it.

Teaching Order/What to teach:

Narrate as you prep, help, and then as they do so you can eventually fade into verbal prompts and then independently.

This is in the morning. Potty, underwear, pants, socks. Mom will help with shirt over head, he puts his own arms in and pulls down.

Pulling pants down to change into pjs can help them develop the grip and fine motor skills.
Pulling own pants up from ankles to thighs (you can help over diaper) after a diaper change or getting dressed
Lay pants (underwear) out tag down. Child sits slides feet in, then stands and pull all the way up.
Teach child to put thumbs in socks and slide toes between thumbs to pull socks on.
Teach to do the whole bottoms in a line–underwear, pants, socks.
Pull the shirt over the child’s head and have them find and put arms in arm holes.
****Shirts independently are hard and this is the point we are working on right now. *****
Lay the shirt front side down with the back pulled up just a bit so they can see where to separate the two fabrics. Child will scoop arms in between the fabric and hold arms high above head. Then find arm hole like the practiced and pull head through hole as they lower arms.

Routine:

We set up the dressing routine at the point each child is ready for. Both our children are currently in the same place with their abilities to dress themselves.

Take their own clothes/pj pants off. Go the bathroom. When they get off the toilet, their clothes/pjs are laid out on the floor in order: underwear/pull up, pants, socks (if clothes), then shirt since I am at the end to help.

Outerwear

We took this thought process and applied it to dressing themselves for the Wisconsin winters, too.

Fleece (put on like a coat)
Snow pants like pants (we do have to then teach how to get the arms in the shoulder straps)
Step into boots and do the velcro (we do boots before coats so they are better able to bend and take care of their own boots)
coat (coat trick video-see below)
Hat (a lot like socks-thumbs in and separate, pull over head.
We help with mittens currently