Babywearing and Autism
Charlie will be 4 this month. Going out can be challenging because Charlie isn’t able to follow directions yet. One of his current targets in therapy is to stop when we say “stop” and he’s actually getting pretty good at it. Though when we’re in a “real-life” situation, it’s always harder for Charlie to put into application what he’s learned in therapy. When we go grocery shopping, Charlie can get very overwhelmed by the world around him due to too much sensory input. For children with sensory issues, processing the sounds, images, and people around them can be overwhelming.
Also, Charlie could potentially get super excited about something totally random and just take off running towards it. It’s really scary and dangerous and it’s always in the back on my mind. So when we have to go out, I want things to be as smooth as possible. Babywearing has been a great solution for us. Obviously, all autistic children are different but this is our experience.
5 Great reasons to use a baby carrier with your child on the autism spectrum:
1 – Bonding time and feeling of closeness.
Charlie will be 4 in two weeks and he still loves to be carried around. I think he likes feeling close to me. It’s been proven that babywearing is a great way to bond with your child.
2 – Deep pressure and compression.
Being in the carrier gives Charlie the soothing compression he needs without needing to wear a heavy-vest or other weighted “devices” suggested by his therapists.
3 – Reducing over-stimulation.
Our carrier has a hood that can block out noises and visual stimuli. Charlie can also bury his face into me if things start to get too overwhelming.
4 – Safety.
It’s so nice not to have to worry about Charlie possibly running away. It stresses me out when we’re in public. I don’t want him to run away and put himself in danger. When he’s in the carrier, he’s right there with me. I’m not losing him!
5 – Convenience.
It makes going out less stressful and it’s super convenient because both of my hands are free!
Which carrier do I use?
Charlie is 39″ and 33lbs and we use a LÍLLÉbaby Carryon carrier and LOVE it! It fits babies from size 2T and above. More precisely, it fits kiddos from 20lbs to 60lbs. Charlie can ride on my back or I can do a front-carry. My husband and I can both wear Charlie and it’s pretty amazing. LilleBaby carriers are also beautiful!
We have this Anchor Carryon (Toddler Size) and their mint carrier called “I Love You To Pieces”. You can find both of these as well as their full collection here: LÍLLÉbaby”
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11 Comments
Mindi Johanna
2017-03-18 at 5:40 PMI think it’s awesome that using a babycarrier helps Charlie, stay safe and feel protected. While we don’t have experience with a child who has autism, I do believe that baby carrying is a great way to keep your children close and and convenient! I enjoy reading your blog, and seeing just how far Charlie has come over the last couple years, when I had first “met” you on IG. Charlie, and Jude are lucky to have such an amazing mama ❤
Brooklyn
2017-03-18 at 6:01 PMI miss wearing Bronx. Every time we go to Disneyland I say why don’t they make carriers for toddlers?? Now I know!!
Kristin
2017-03-18 at 6:53 PMI had never thought of using one with Luke. He’s only 28lbs right now. We just started weighted lap pads in therapy last week and are working toward weighted blankets (if he will ever leave a blanket on) This is a great idea for pressure when we are out and about!
Alyssa
2017-03-18 at 8:10 PMLove this article. My son is not on the spectrum but I still see this being super helpful for him for quite a while. He is almost 15 months and is so very attached to me and shy. He doesn’t mind strangers looking at him, but if they get too close he instantly clings tightly and buries his face. Baby wearing is a huge comfort to him and he won’t fit in our carrier much longer. I’ll definitely be looking into this.
Mercy
2017-03-18 at 9:23 PMI have been looking for a toddler carrier but haven’t decided which one to buy. We used to baby wear our sin until he got too big and didn’t fit in his carrier anymore. I’m glad I found this article it’s been really useful.
Danielle
2017-03-18 at 10:12 PMI can totally see the benefits of babywearing for a typical and atypical child. We use our Lille baby carriers everytime we go out, in fact we just used them for our most recent Disney trip, the baby walked around while I wore my nearly 4 year old. It was a life saver!
Kristina
2017-03-19 at 4:38 PMSo glad that baby wearing has helped him! I’ve always loved babywearing my girls too. Love the closeness that it brings!
Natalie E
2017-03-19 at 5:36 PMI have a friend that has an boy with autism as well and sent her this article. I baby wear and have had a wonderful experience with it as well. My three boys all loved to be worn.
@stitchesbynatalie
Stephanie Clark
2017-03-22 at 3:18 AMThis is awesome! I am needing a larger carrier for my 2.5 year old but both kids could use this one!
Saschele
2017-03-22 at 12:36 PMThis seems like such a perfect idea for any child… I always worry about the exact same thing with my son Atlas when it comes to being in crowds and anywhere public. He’s at the age where he wants to establish his independence which causes him to sometimes run away from me when we are at the grocery store and etc. Hes always loved being carried in his carriers though, so I think he would take to this so well. It’s beautiful to me that there are tools like this for older kids and That you guys are able use with Charlie to keep that physical/emotional closeness that passes too fast with every child. I love that you nurture his needs from so many angles. It really is enjoyable to hear about and to see on your feed. XO
Stacy Miller
2017-03-25 at 5:06 PMOur son was diagnosed with ASD around age 2 and now 3 is still non verbal. He is a very lovey boy and loves to be held. He is a very solid boy and both my husband and I get tired often while holding him and can’t usually hold him as long as he would like us too. This carrier would definitely be wonderful to use for him as well as his younger sister who also loves to be held! 🙂