SPECIAL
PARENT
creative collaboration
have nothing to wear.” How many
of us have heard our children say it?
Most parents who have engaged in
this daily battle with their children
have never considered how much
harder those discussions would be
if their child was differently-abled and
could not wear clothing typically offered
to peers their age.
When we think of all of the obstacles
and challenges that face children with
special needs, this is probably not one
that immediately comes to mind. How-
ever, if your child wants to be able to
dress like everyone else and can’t, it is
a constant worry, a constant reminder,
of how different your child feels.
Well, necessity is clearly the mother
of invention. Mindy Scheier, whose son,
Oliver, has rigid spine syndrome,
a rare form of muscular dystrophy,
was determined to “reinvent” clothing
that could fit her son and other
children who require adaptive
ADAPTING TO
THE MARKET
T
arget’s Cat &
Jack kids’
clothing
line
now offers a
limited selection
of sensory-friendly
pieces, available
exclusively at target.
t.
com. The line features
ures
heat-transferred labels
abels
(instead of tags),
flat seams, and
one-dimensional
graphic tees.
12
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 | (201) FAMILY
WRITTEN BY LESLIE PERLMUTTER
“THERE IS A DIRECT
CORRELATION
WITH CLOTHES
AND A CHILD’S
SELF-ESTEEM
AND CONFIDENCE.”
MINDY SCHEIER
COURTESY
I
“
ADAPTIVE CLOTHING FOR CHILDREN GETS FASHION FLAIR