Help getting dressed
Getting dressed independently is a goal, but the road there usually goes through help. The visual support below shows a person getting help pulling down a top and gives your child a way to ask for support with the one item that is tricky, without giving up on dressing altogether.
⚲Help with clothes
A man helps another person pull down a red shirt.
About this visual support
Getting dressed is made up of lots of small motor steps: finding the right hole for the head, pulling the top down over the tummy, doing up buttons and zipping a zip. One step that will not work can bring the whole morning to a halt. For children who find motor skills or asking for help difficult, it often ends in either chaos or the adult taking over completely. Neither builds independence.
A picture showing someone getting help makes it clear that asking for support is fine, and that the support covers one part, not everything. Your child can point at the picture and then at the item that is causing trouble. The adult helps with that one thing and then hands the rest back. Over time the help can shrink: first the adult does the whole step, then half of it, and finally just holding the edge is enough.
The visual support works just as well for adults who need help, for example in care settings or after an injury. It gives a clear and respectful signal about what the person wants help with. Place the picture next to the clothing cards in the morning schedule so it is always close at hand. In the Routined app you can set up dressing step by step and mark where help is usually needed. You can try the app for 14 days before deciding.
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