Clothing for children with poor hand function

[2tirednot2fight]

Hi, does anyone know of anywhere that specialises in clothing for children with poor hand function? My child has very limited use of his hands due to hemiplegia on one side of his body and what I view as neglect at birth on the part of medics which has left him with no muscle tissue on the non hemi side. Neither hand works properly as a result. Any suggestions really welcome he would love to be able to adjust his own clothing to gain independence.

[MrsWinnibago]

A quick google reveals very little. Would elasticated waistbands help? Which aspects of his clothing does he struggle with most? I suppose buttons and zips are hard....if you could envision the perfect outfit for him what would it include?

Could you adapt a shirt for him so that it had velcro at the front instead of buttons? You could have "show buttons" on top so that it looked "right"...or am I way off the mark?

[2tirednot2fight]

He doesn't have strength in his hands due to loss of muscle tissue. If he just had his hemi

[2tirednot2fight]

Plegia he would have a hand that works. I really don't know what the solution would look like but he's eight now and wants to be more independent mainly with toiletting so it's trousers mainly. Elasticated waists still require strength at the wrists to pull up or down. It's so frustrating for him I am sure there is a solution it's just finding it I guess. His needs are described as unusual if not unique by his consultant so the demand for a solution is possibly insufficient for a company to have explored.

[MeirAiaNeoAlibi]

I know he has arms & hands, but given their poor strength, do you think these old-fashioned tricks (developed by people who don't have one or both arms) might be useful to him? And shouldn't the OT be helping?

[davidsotherhalf]

my dd's friend had this problem, we got button fly trousers, put magnetic press studs on them, magnetic press studs on shirts as well but sewn buttons on top so it wasn't noticed. is that the sort of thing your looking for?

[2tirednot2fight]

Thank you all those are really good suggestions I will try them all :)

[LadySybilLikesCake]

Could you try braces and loose trousers? They may be easier to unfasten as he only needs to use his stronger hand. I agree the OT should be helping but I know how hard it is to get an appointment.

All in ones are a good idea too as all he'll need to do is zip it up, or you could replace the zip with velcro.

Pants and socks will be difficult though

[2tirednot2fight]

Thanks ladysibil another really good suggestion and I will try it for sure. I feel very inadequate not to have come up with these solutions! Thanks to everyone sometimes it's all so bloody hard I miss what should be staring me in the face :)

[LadySybilLikesCake]

No, you're not at all My son has problems with his hands and feet (joint laxity so they are not strong and bend too much), and life can be really tricky. I try to buy him trousers with elastic waists but I imagine they are quite difficult to pull up with one hand. I'm fairly sure there's some sort of aid to help with socks. This looks like a good site www.thewright-stuff.com/one-handed-dressing-aids/ Stretchy shoelaces are fab, he can just pull them and they are tied. There's specialist cutlery which is hooped shape, so will wrap around his hands, have a google

[LadySybilLikesCake]

//www.chasa.org/living/dressing/ This one has lots of information too.

[2tirednot2fight]

Thank you I will check out these links, he doesn't really even have one hand that works because he has no muscle tissue in his forearm on his non hemi side. He also has a problem with his growth plates due to the damage caused shortly after birth so that arm is shorter than the other side. He also has ASD so his patience and ability to concentrate to learn new skills is hampered, he gets so frustrated because his brain tells him that side of his body will respond but the lack of muscle tissue means it can't. He's a lovely, gentle kind little boy and I wouldn't change a thing about him, just wish I could make things less difficult and frustrating for him.

[LadySybilLikesCake]

I get it. He needs an OT's help really, they can offer suggestions for the day to day things. There's a way. It must be very upsetting for you, so sending you a huge hug

[2tirednot2fight]

Sorry Zzzzz I have no idea what you mean.

[2tirednot2fight]

Sorry haven't looked that closely yet it just seemed an incredibly random statement without having seen the reference, sorry zzzzz.

[CMOTDibbler]

If he can bend his elbows, then hand/wrist splints which then hold his thumbs out would let him use loops of ribbon sewn into the waistband of trousers/pants to pull them up and down.

My thermoplastic night splint has a rather long thumb piece (I don't have any function on that side) and its remarkably useful. I can even type with it

[MrsWinnibago]

That seems like an ingenious idea CMOT would that work TooTired? I dressmake a little and find this very interesting as I'm aware of a lack of nice clothing for people with disabilities.

I always remember Sue Townsend saying that after she lost her sight, she heard about a "Capsule Wardrobe" for people who had eyesight issues or were blind and she sent off for it....thinking it would be a stylish selection of clothing that all went well together. When it came, she realised it had things sewn into each piece so one could tell what each piece was....so the trousers rustled, the top had a little squeaker and something else had a bell! she was horrified and said she sounded like a toddler's book going down the street!

If I only had time, I'd love to start a range of affordable, nice clothing for children with disabilities.

[2tirednot2fight]

It might work for one side but the hemi side thumb wouldn't but I am determined to get this resolved so will try it, really good suggestion thank you CMOT. :)

[CMOTDibbler]

I can send you a picture of my splint if it would help - my thumb is totally held in the plastic, so you don't need any wrist/hand/finger/thumb function at all. It took the hand therapist 15 minutes to make, and can be adjusted with a hair dryer so could be played around with.

I had an assessment with a private orthotics/prosthetics clinic recently to get a specific cycling splint made, and they had an amazing number of ideas on how things could be done, and a lot of experience of things to help people with brachial plexus injuries, and the guy I saw works at the National Orthopaedics centre which is the centre of excellence for BPI (I don't have a BPI btw), and might be worth getting a referral to.

[2tirednot2fight]

Zzzz that sounds like a good idea, shame you ditched your dreams to enable the world and hope you resume them one day. We need people to enable!
CMOT could you on me the splint I would like to look at it please and thank you so much for your responses :)

[2tirednot2fight]

That did say pm me not on me!!