Introduction
You have been directed to this information because your child is having difficulty with buttons, zips and other fastenings.
If you use this advice and don’t see any improvement after 6 months, please contact the Children and Young People’s Therapy Service for more help.
Why do some children find fasteners difficult?
Some children may find it hard to do up buttons and zips for many reasons. They might have trouble using both hands together, have weak muscles, find it hard to use their fingers, or have problems with their visual perception.
Strategies and advice
Buttons
Start by using large buttons on a doll, a jumper worn by someone else or a toy.
Use the ‘backward chaining’ technique. This means that you break the activity down into steps. You carry out most of the steps but leave the last step for your child. When your child has mastered that step, you allow them to do the last two steps and so on until they can complete the whole task. This will ensure that your child finishes the task every time. For example, you may start your child off with the last stage of the task, which is to pull the button through the buttonhole.
Once your child has mastered large buttons, move on to fastening items with smaller buttons.
For easier buttoning, reattach the buttons with a thick thread, leaving about half an inch of thread between the button and the fabric.
Make a button box for a fun and interesting toy. Use a shoe box and make slots on the top (horizontal and vertical). Let your child post buttons or coins through the holes.
Make a button board out of fabric and large buttons. Make the buttonholes at least a quarter of an inch larger than the button. Sew the button on loosely with strong thread. Place a picture on the button board under the fabric so that after the button is unfastened, it reveals the picture.
Use threading cards, games and activities. The same skills and principles in threading are used when fastening buttons.
When teaching your child to fasten shirt buttons, remember to start buttoning from the bottom to the top to ensure the button and buttonhole correspond correctly.
Encourage your child to check themselves in the mirror.
Top buttons are often very difficult and can be replaced with stick-on tape or a popper (sew the button on permanently on the outside). Alternatively, all buttons, including sleeve buttons, can be replaced with stick-on tape fastenings or poppers.
Zips
Demonstrate how to fasten and unzip a zip by pulling on the tab. Allow your child to assist you by pulling the zip up or down with you.
Zip tags can be adapted by attaching a piece of ribbon, a zip ring or a large paper clip. This makes it easier to grasp.
Start with heavy-duty large zips which have big tabs or rings as these slide more easily.
Practice unzipping a purse or pocket to reveal a surprise.
Stick-on tape tabs can replace zips to encourage independence.
Resources
Last reviewed September 2025