Dressing Skills

How to help:

• Practice undressing and dressing at times that are less rushed (typically bedtime).

• Provide positive feedback and encouragement for trying and effort.

• Work on taking off and putting on pajamas, which tend to be simpler and stretchier.

• Use a strategy called backwards chaining; get your child started with a step of dressing and have them finish the step. For example, help your child get her feet through her pajama bottoms and then have her independently pull them up. Once your child is able to do this consistently, help her get just one foot through her pajama bottoms and then have her do the other foot herself.

• Offer choices, such as, "Would you like to put on your shirt or bottoms first?"

• Provide "first/then" supports for tasks that are less preferred, such as, "First, get in your pajamas and then you can pick a song."

Sequence of skills:

• Child helps with dressing and undressing by putting her arms through the armholes, pulling pants down, etc.

• Child undresses herself

• Child puts on some clothing independently

• Child dresses herself except for fasteners

• Child dresses herself independently, with clothing on the correct way, doing fasteners by herself

Learn more about how to help your child be independent with daily routines by checking out this article: https://challengingbehavior.cbcs.usf.edu/.../TeachingYourChild_routines.pdf

Establishing a successful bedtime routine.

Goodnight Songs and Videos