One of the most difficult parts of raising a child with #Autism is the sensory issues. With three boys on the spectrum,  we have our share of challenges.

One that’s proves to be consistently challenging is Emmett’s fear or dislike of getting dirt on his shoes?

He’s made some progress lately,  with the arrival of his puppy,  Bella.  However, he still struggles and will completely meltdown if he gets his shoes dirty.

A few days ago,  I decided to try something.  It was really simple and I didn’t hold out much hope for them working. Despite the odds,  I tried it anyway.  What I did was very simple and it seems to actually be helping.

I explained to Emmett that the dirt on his shoes was called fun dirt.  I told him that the fun dirt goes for a ride on his shoes when he’s having a lot of fun.  I know,  it sounds pretty lame, right?  But guess what?  It’s working,  at least for now.

If he starts to get upset,  I just remind him about the fun dirt and he begins to relax.

His favorite part is what I showed him next.  Before we walked into the house,  I wiped my shoes off on the mat outside the front door.  He soon realized that even the fun dirt can’t hide from the dirt mat.  He likes the idea of being able to clean his shoes off and see that they are still okay.

Like I said,  it’s working for the most part but that doesn’t mean it will work for you or that it will work for Emmett indefinitely.

Being a special needs parent requires one to be creative in order to find unique solutions to very unique problems.

I hope this helps some of your out there.  🙂

Posted from WordPress for Android so please forgive any typos as auto-correct and I don’t see eye to eye. 🙂