Tactile Overresponsivity (Tactile Defensiveness)... So That's Why He Acts That Way!

The Tactile- Fighting The Battle  
Hi, the link below is a story about me, that I have created to give a glimpse of what tactile touch defensiveness can be like, and is like. It's something …

SPD and Scizoaffective disorder 
I have some tactile defensiveness. I don't like to be touched and I hate people behind me. I hated kisses and hugs id like to know is this normal in scizoaffective …

Chopstick  
Hello 😊 Mum with 13 year old home-schooled son in South East Surrey who has Tactile Defensiveness (clothing & weather) seeking friends & support:- email: …

Certain materials make me cringe out of control 
I don't know what to do anymore, certain materials make me cringe way too much, send shivers all over my body, make my teeth and nails hurt, and sometimes …

Bras and other tween issues 
My daughter has not worn underwear in years, only wears clothing that is very loose, soft and stretched out. She is now at a stage where she really needs …

Wish I'd known sooner 
I had extreme tactile defensiveness growing up (in the 90s); any dry, matte texture brushing against my skin was like nails on a chalkboard and would even …

Tactile Defensiveness 
I'm young. Not even in high school. And I have, these... things. It's supposed to be called " Tactile Defensiveness Disorder" (TDD) and misophonia. TDD …

HSP with SPD 
I am a Highly Sensitive Person, as I expect many of you whose stories I just read are as well. Look it up if you don't know about it. Dr. Elaine Aron …

A nightmare to get dressed in the morning  
My six year old daughter has MAJOR clothing sensitivity's. So bad that this morning she literally tried on every pair of underwear and pants that we own …

Hair washing 
I have a 5 1/2 year old and it has always been a challenge to wash his hair. He has Proprioceptive Dysfunction with no motor difficulties and has never …

Bath Time And Dress Time Nightmare Every Night 
My two year old daughter, dislikes it when i wash her hair, wash her body, rub cream on after ive bather her and dislikes getting dressed. She screams …

Can't get SPD child to wear headgear 
My daughter is almost 14 and has had braces for just over a year, and we can not get her to wear her orthodontic headgear. She has TS and SPD. She hates …

There is Hope... we found it for our son 
Our son is 8 now and is doing amazingly well with his SPD and we thank our Naturopathic Dr! It has been like witnessing a miracle! I knew something …

My Son is now 12. He has Cp and Spd. 
From BD in MI My son is now 12. He was diagnosed at the age of 2 with mild left hemiplega cerebral palsy and sensory processing disorder - mostly tactile …

Girls comfortable underwear for those with tactile defensiveness 
My daughter and may others that I know have had a very difficult time wearing under due to sensitivities issues. After trying underwear brand after brand, …

Getting Worse As I Get Older 
I've had tactile defensiveness my whole life, and I feel like it's getting worse as I get older. There were clothings that I used to wear that I can't …

"Every child is different" 
If my 4 1/2 year old son could live in his hoodie and sweat pants he would. I try to explain that it is 97 degrees outside and pants are out of the question. …

Am I odd? 
I have been experiencing tactile sensitivities for quite a while and it seems to be worsening. After I get my hands wet, I am unable to touch anything …

Doodlebugmomma 
My daughter is 8 and it has only been within the last year (specifically, finding THIS website) that I have discovered answers to all the "annoying" and …

Adults with Tactile defensiveness "What does it feel like?" 
My son has sensory issues and is undergoing the therapeutic brushing protocol. Since he is only one, he cannot vocalize what it feels like for him …

Tactile dysfunction 
I have a 6 yr old daughter who i have trouble each day doing the normal things such as getting dressed, putting on shoes an socks,she complains that every …

Hair cut panic 
Our son has tactile issues with clothing but also with the hair clippings on his skin from getting his hair cut. He goes in to "fight or flight' when …

2 year old toddler with tactile defensiveness/ Sensory processing disorder 
I have a beautiful son named kaiden who is turning 2 years old soon. I started noticing changes in him at 8-9 months old when he would not pick up anything …

SPD and clothing nightmare 
My daughter is 10 and has SPD and gets OT at school and did work with an outside OT 2 years ago. She has meltdowns every morning before school about …

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Clothing idea for SPD issues 
My daughter has not been officially diagnosed with SPD but has been exhibiting symptoms similar to this disorder since infancy. She's been showing increased …

Such a hard time with clothes 
My 10 year old daughter cannot find comfortable underwear. She is always telling me they are too small, but they are HUGE on her! She refuses to wear "hard" …

Weak gag reflex. trouble with clothing too close to neck 
I am looking for more information, similar stories, possible ways to support my child when it comes to what appears to be a sensory disorder. He is having …

Suddenly sensitive 
I am a mother of a 15 turning 16 year old daughter. I remember her having some symptoms of SPD as a kid. But it was very mild. She didn't like kisses …

Tactile defensiveness,Allodynia,SPD 
What do you do when your child refuses to wear clothes?? She has not worn underwear in 3 years. Only wears one outfit to school- over sized thin short …

My 7 year old daughter,is now being treated for ocd? through cbt. is sid and ocd alike?? 
Hi i have been having huge problems with my little girl,she is now being treated for ocd/phobias...Anxiety. I have looked into every disorder you can …

Tactile defensiveness 
I have a 7 year old daughter who showed a lot of resistance to changing clothes in the past 2 years, or even washing them. She is stuck on one particular …

Clothing etc 
My daughter now 10 has not been able to tolerate wearing any type of knickers since she was four, she also has trouble with feel of clothes even when she …

Son wont wear shirts 
My 7 year old son refuses to wear his school polos with out a t-shirt. At the start of the school year it was fine. Now it takes us hours to get dressed …

Adult Tactile Defensiveness 
I am nearly 40, happily married for 15 years with 3 children. I have never been great with hugs and kisses, but recently I have found it increasingly difficult …

Tactile scratching 
Do you have any strategies for a high functioning 2nd grade students with Aspergers who is scratching at school until bloody? She is on a brushing program, …

Won't Wear Tennis Shoes for PE-Need Help 
My 7 year old has major issues with clothing socks shoes etc. But our latest battle is tennis shoes for PE. All he wants to wear right now are Crocs. Are …

Concerned mom about my 5 yr. old wanting to wear the same pajamas for clothes everday? 
My son is 5 yrs. old he wants to wear the same pajama outfit all the time, only time I can wash it is when he's in bed-he will even sleep naked if i don't …

16 years old with Tactile Dysfunction 
Ever since i was about 4 years old i have had sensory issues and it is just getting worse. Underwear, seams on socks, itchy clothing, tight clothing, bras, …

Underwear/Clothing  
My daughter is 9 and I am having a horrible time trying to find her new underwear, I don't know how many packs I have gone through. She is down to one …

Living with clothes issues in children 
Hi I just wanted to tell you all about Becca's blog that tracks the daily challenges of living with tactile defensiveness, especially clothes issues. Feel …

I can not find ANYTHING that my 6 year old will wear 
My daughter has recently been diagnosed with tactile defensiveness. She is 6 years old and in first grade. She began having issues, now that I look back …

Appropriate Clothing 
My Granddaughter will not wear the appropriate clothing for the time of the year. She will not wear underwear at all which is an issue because some day …

Looking for shoes 
Hi, Does anybody know of a website that sells special shoes for kids with sensory problems and that are very tactile defensive? Thanks for your help! …

Annoying clothing 
I have a 7 year old son who up until a a year and a half ago was the most easygoing child who would wear anything. When he started school things changed …

Casey's mom 
My son refused to wear shoes when he was only 10 months old. He was able to wear socks until he was 12 months but then his daycare required shoes with …

We found comfortable pants for our very sensitive girl! Hooray! 
Our daughter is 11 years old. We have struggled for years during cold weather, we live in the Midwest, getting her to wear appropriate clothing because …

Tactile Issues 
A boy am working on , is always touching people in an irritating way. I have tried many things such as walking bare foot on the sand and grass. Use of …

Fussy dresser  
My 9 year old daughter, has had issues on and off for years, with the seams in socks and her underwear giving her (excuse the wording ) wedgies. She goes …

My daughter just turned 8 and she will not get new clothes 
She wants to wear the same clothes every day. When we do buy new clothes, she attaches herself to 2 outfits and we end up interchanging them over and …

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My teen refuses to wear a bra 
Does anyone have any suggestions? I would like to think that I've already tried every style of bra out there.... including tanks, cami's, and even the …

seamless socks 
My 3 year old is driving me mad, she wont wear socks! she says there inside out because of the seam. she has blisters on her feet because of it, and when …

Tactile Sensory issues and bad breath in 4 year old son 
My son hates anything invasive (teeth brushing, hair brushing, nail / hair cutting, ect) He croutons but OMG the onion garlic breath they leave him with …

TREATMENT FOR TACTILE DYSFUNCTION 
I NEED THE LOCATION OF A GOOD OT IN THE MASSAPEQUA, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK AREA. I BELIEVE MY 3YR. OLD DAUGHTER HAS TACTILE DYSFUNCTION AND IT SEEMS TO …

There is hope.... 
I am now an adult, but I grew up with tactile defensiveness. It was the source of many, many fights with my mother when I was a child, and in general made …

TACTILE DEFENSIVENESS 
Are there natural remedies for a little girl that cannot wear underwear or get her hair brushed or even be touched! she has been in therapy for years …

Going through this 
I am almost 20 years and I have been dealing with Tactile Defensiveness for all my life. It has been so hard because i am afraid of certain materials like …

UK Mum 
Living in the UK it's been extremely hard narrowing down why my daughter acts the way she does, but I need to say a massive thank you to the people who …

Tactile un defensiveness 
What do you do when an SPD child constantly touches other children?

Tactile hypersensitivity 
I have a 20 month old son who has always "over-reacted" to things. Recently however, bath time has become a nightmare! He used to love taking baths, …

Grandaughter, age 8 - HELP 
My granddaughter started showing signs of tactile defensiveness as a toddler, especially the socks issue. But we didn't know what we were dealing with. …

Mother 
My daughter is 10 and we have been battling severe clothing issues for years now,This year she wears Lands Ends Adult swim suit cover up with a tee shirt …

Tactile Defensiveness In a Young Adult 
I am a 19 year old male with (what I believe to be) Tactile Defensiveness. I never even knew there was something wrong until my early teens, and never …

Sudden onset of clothing aversion 
My five-year-old son has always shown some subtle signs of SPD, such as a very high energy level & craving for hard sensory input (pouncing on the sofa, …

Hair Washing a 4 year old boy diagnosed with SPD 
First, I sincerely thank all of those parents (mothers) that responded to my question about the fear of haircuts for my 4 year old grandson. His mother …

Grown Up Now!!!! 
My daughter was born with this disorder. It did not affect her brain at all. She is a great college student but socially it has its drawbacks. She went …

Tactile dysfunction 
My son is 5 years old and does not like to wear underwear, only wears jogging pants that are cut on both sides and won't wear socks. Help!!! We don't …

Help for Sloberers and Lickers 
I work with special ed children in a Life Skill classroom. We have a young lady in our class who is both deaf and legally blind. She has seem to get out …

Tactile defensiveness in adults 
For years I have had an extreme sensitivity to certain carpets, upholstered furniture, and certain cloth material. I become, for lack of a better description, …

Tactile Defensiveness 
I feel like my 6 yr old son may have tactile defensiveness. I have been dealing with this for over a year and it is very frustrating for both my son and …

Getting dressed a little easier. 
I have found one technique that tends to help my little 5 year old get dressed in the morning. Nothing feels right to him, socks, tags, pants, especially …

Bath tub nightmare 
My son around the age of three, started showing signs of tactile defensiveness, when I placed him in the bath, he would scream as if I was stabbing him. …

OCD and Tactile Sensory Disorder 
My 9 year old dislikes all clothing but will wear dresses. I recently read articles about Strep infections and possible links to inflammation of the …

Tactile Defensiveness & Mercury 
My 7 year old son has always fought putting on socks, shoes, and clothes that have tags or are too tight, especially underwear, which we discovered recently …

Adult with Tactile Defensiveness 
How can one modify the Wilbarger Protocol so an adult can do this themselves? I have had two college students seeking information on how they can work …

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Getting A Haircut If Tactile Defensive 
I have a family asking for any suggestions to help them trim/cut their 4 y/o son's hair without having to physically hold him down and have him get so …

Getting My Tactile Defensive Daughter To Wear Long Sleeves 
Hello, My 2.5-year-old daughter was recently diagnosed with SPD, and seems to mainly be oversensitive to touch and sound. We live in the Chicago area …

Can't Stand The Feeling Of Paper While Writing (Or Dry Materials) 
I am working with a child who is so sensitive to the feel of paper or anything like it with a "dry feel", he says. He uses a transparency paper to put …

Comfortable underwear 
Any suggestions? My son cannot tolerate the elastic in his underwear.

Is aggressive behaviour linked to tactile defensiveness? 
Our daughter is 7 and has always complained about clothing and in particular ,seams in socks. Her tantrums in the mornings to get ready for school have …

Waking my "Tactile Defensiveness" child 
My daughter has trouble waking up in the morning. She does not want to wake up. I've read it takes these SI kiddos longer to get all their senses in …

Mrs Jooste 
Hi, I only found out in the last week that what I have been dredding my entire life is called Tactile Defensiveness. I am a 32 year old and I can still …

Tactile defensive behavior --yet adores mess?  
My son has demonstrated flight or fight response at kindergarten. If someone jostled him, he can take offense momentarily. If he feels happy, safe, and …

Sons Clothing Sensitivities  Not rated yet
My son will only wear T-shirts and nothing else. He does not like anything with a collar and wears nothing with buttons, and wont wear dress shirts. …

Rough Surfaces Not rated yet
I hate everything rough the feel off it makes my me want to grind my teeth and my fingernails and the sight if it is a little better but still pretty bad …

Sensitivity to Soap and Bubbles Not rated yet
Our son has a rare chromosome disorder. He has developmental delay (about the mental age of a 5-6 year old, although he is 13). He has a real aversion …

Granddaughter loves touching cold skin Not rated yet
My 5 year old granddaughter loves to touch cold skin, especially ear lobes. She can't seem to fall asleep without touching and stroking arms and ears. …

Paper or plastic... Plastic please. Not rated yet
My thing is paper bags or brown cardboard the feeling has always been called "making my skin crawl"

Dry Fluffy Cloth or Tissue or Paper Towels Not rated yet
I have no idea how long I have had this, but I cannot stand the feeling of fluffy toilet tissue on my dry hands or fingers, and it’s the same with fluffy …

Somewhat better Not rated yet
I am currently 17 years of age and have been dealing with tactile SPD since birth. I was diagnosed at roughly 10 to 11 years old by a GP who recommended …

Can't stand the feeling of paper, help Not rated yet
Hi, my name is Capri, I have been struggling with a touch sensory processing issue for about 5ish years. I cannot stand the feeling of paper, it makes …

What to do if everything I use for tactile defensiveness doesn't help. Not rated yet
I am very sensitive to light touch in the form of tickling. As a matter of fact, all light touch is nothing but a torturous tickle that I find very annoying. …

Tactile Defensiveness... tickling anticipation Not rated yet
I have an issue where when I am around people, I anticipate being tickled by others even though I'm not. I can always tell when if someone positions …

Mom Not rated yet
My daughter daughter's tactile and audorory stimulus is to to'paper'. Does anyone else have this? If so, What techniques have you used? How did …

I suffered from tactile defensiveness  Not rated yet
I am 29 years old and have Asperger Syndrome. When I was little I had a severe case of this. Walking on grass and sand bare footed was extremely difficult. …

Mary Not rated yet
I'm 45. I just had surgery and am waking to the old familiar skin pain. It's really like fire. I know how to fix it. My mom recognized it as a child as …

Scared of grass Not rated yet
I'm just so curious about whether any other mum's have children who are afraid of grass touching them? Also sand and bugs.. My daughter is 5 and struggling …

My son is sensitive to water... can't tolerate drops of water Not rated yet
my almost 4 years old son(in few weeks)is diagnosed with autism recently, he has severe separation anxiety, he still cries when i drop him off at daycare(he …

Texture Not rated yet
i am here from my research. i have recently been googling what i feel is strange about the way i deal with textures and certain noises, and i found this. …

Realization  Not rated yet
I only realized that something was really different this year; I'm 16. Touching MOST fabrics (anything that creates friction) on my fingers/hands, …

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Washing my hands makes me want to break the sink. (ADHD, Irritable Depression, and SPD) Not rated yet
Washing my hands is a day ruining routine I avoid. My hands automatically clench up and I want to break the sink with them, only because pain feels a large …

13 year old with tactile defensiveness Not rated yet
Okay so I'm 13 and I've had tactile defensiveness basically all my life. When I was a little kid I refused to wear anything with buttons(or I had to have …

SPD Not rated yet
Hey! I have a friend who is tactile deffensive and is unable to touch certain things cuz of the way they feel. He also can't hug me back cuz of the way …

How to fix Tactile Defensiveness without OT Not rated yet
Have you been rejected from OT services because you are "over the age limit"? Maybe, you have been to OT for years and haven't gotten any better. Also, …

I NEED HELP!!! Not rated yet
I'm 13 and I don't know exactly what I have but I would love it if you helped. I cant wear ANYTHING but shorts and a t-shirt because pants, long sleeve …

SPD from child to now adult Not rated yet
I'm in my 30's and was diagnosed with SPD as a child. I would get into trouble for taking off underwear at school because it hurt my waist and around …

Dee Not rated yet
I'm 43 and this is getting worse....It started about 10 years ago with not being able to iron with dry hands but now I can't bear to walk on carpets with …

Is my 5 year old girl a tactile child? I'm confused plz help Not rated yet
Hi,my five n half year old daughter has some symptoms of a tactile child. She lives alone with me and gets bored easily with every activity. She is a tv …

Andy Cobden Not rated yet
I have only just come across SPD and it all seems to make sense to me when I look back on my childhood. For many years I believe I had some form of OCD …

Need help with hyper tactile defensiveness Not rated yet
Hi im occupational therapist ,,,,,,i have problem with 6 years old girl with hyper tactile defensiveness , she keep crying when she wear socks and when …

Alternative methods for stepping around sensory Not rated yet
Hey, guys. Decided to look this up just to see what people are saying about it, and thought I'd drop something here. I don't have much recollection …

Touching paper for a long time similar to hearing styrofoam rub Not rated yet
I was cleaning out a lot of old file cabinets and running all the papers into a shredder, one or two pieces at a time. After about an hour I felt pain …

So glad im not alone!! Not rated yet
My daughter is 6 1/2 She is the worst child to get dressed in the morning. Or so I thought!!! She wont wear Jeans her underwear have to be bought 2 sizes …

I think I am untreatable Not rated yet
I have tactile defensiveness, and I feel like my case is untreatable because: * I am hypo-sensitive to movement to a point where I never get dizzy! …

Finally! Not rated yet
I have suffered from this condition for over 29 years. I can remember as a small child screaming bloody murder because my socks did not "feel right" …

Relieved Not rated yet
My now 14 year old daughter had/has many of the signs of SPD. From age 2 to 7 years of age it was a problem 1st putting on socks along with issues putting …

I have a few of the symptoms...what does that mean? Not rated yet
I looked at the checklist that was provided on this website. I checked a few of the symptoms and wonder if I have a sensory processing disorder or is it …

Glad It's Getting Better! Not rated yet
I'm the mother of a 17 year old. We're so happy things have gotten better. Our son never sucked a bottle or pacifier. He had a feeding tube. We never …

Confused Not rated yet
When I was a child I had a lot of issues that didn't make sense. Now that I'm grown I've gotten over a couple of things,but realize there's new issues …

Tactile defensivness/fidgets unite!  Not rated yet
I am 45 and am becoming increasingly aware how much this condition impacts my daily living. Comments by parents of young children on this site strike …

Professor, Child Development Not rated yet
Every morning, while dressing, my daughter (40 years ago) would balk at putting on socks and shoes, regardless of the style or cut of the shoe or sock. …

Oral Defensive Daughter Not rated yet
I wonder if anyone can help me, I have a 9 year old daughter with Down Syndrome. She has a very limited diet, eats sausage for breakfast, tins of spaghetti …

Tactile defensiveness Not rated yet
My son's best friend has SPD and in particular, tactile defensiveness. My son really likes his friend but he ends up routinely with scrapes and bruises …

SPD in our house Not rated yet
My son has SPD and he is very tactile defensive to things like paper, wood, tissue, felt. He will not wear certain clothing like jeans. He is 8 now and …

Soft blanket for my cousin? Not rated yet
I have a cousin with Fragile X Syndrome. Is he likely to have a sensory disorder, and if he does, would a soft blanket be good for him? If you need more …

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Shoes for Sensory Integration Disorder Not rated yet
My daughter has Sensory Integration Disorder and she hadn't worn shoes for the last 2 years. When your kid won't wear shoes, as you all know, you have …

Seams in Socks Not rated yet
If you have to wear socks with seams, turn them inside out and it's not so annoying.

Tactile defensiveness Not rated yet
What interventions do you suggest for a middle school student who does not like the feel of paper?

Untreated Not rated yet
I was diagnosed with Tactile Defensiveness as a baby, but my mother never sought treatment. As a child I was very tidy with my things, strategically taking …

my story Not rated yet
Well, ever since I was little I have been tactile defensive. Im 14 now and still, some things bother me. Others I've had to learn to deal with, but some …

Daughter, 6, a month of OT so far, but going great! Not rated yet
She is afraid of anything "messy" and is extremely picky about foods - she wants "perfect" food - no little dark pieces, no small spice showing on cheese …

What clothing is best for a 4 yr old that has Tactile Defensiveness? Not rated yet
My 4 yr old son was just diagnosed with APD and refuses to wear clothing once he gets home from school. We normally indulge this when we don't have company …

rachael's story ( Adult ) Not rated yet
Touch is threatening to me and it hurts unless it's deep pressure only. Adhd as well in childhood with Petimal epilepsy. Still spd today. Prefers no shoes …

Tactile defensiveness Not rated yet
Hi, My Son does not like to wear shoes at all. He is in 1st grade. He wears sock inside out because he does not like to feel the seams of the sock. …

OT @ 39 Not rated yet
My tactile issues are opposite of those with tactile-defensivness. My skin is unresponsive to touch unless it is deep pressure. I do not feel when the …

"Dry Feel" Not rated yet
How do you desensitize "Dry Feel"? I wrote to you earlier asking about this! I am a Behavior Analyst working with him. How can I find him an OT who …

Is This Tactile Defensiveness? How Do We Help Her? Not rated yet
I'm very, very new to this whole SPD thing. But looking over the checklist (which I haven't finished yet), my 7 year old daughter is described perfectly! …