Tag: neurodiversity

Does Santa have autism?

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to take a lighthearted look on whether or not our favourite bearded man may in fact by autistic- yep, I’m talking about Santa Claus!🎅

I know it seems crazy but hear me out, as many people have observed Santa’s autistic traits:

  • Restrictive diet– Santa’s diet is known for being very fatty and restrictive, mainly consisting of milk, cookies and other holiday treats like mince pies. Many autists can relate to this tendency towards beige foods
  • Christmas is his specialist interest– For us mere mortals Christmas comes but once a year. Santa’s entire life however, revolves around this single calendar day and his efforts to make it the best day possible for children all over the world
  • Tendency towards sameness and routine– Santa wears the same clothes day in day out which are loose fitting and comfy (which could be indicative of sensory issues). Moreover, his choice of red clothing is interesting as red is a colour often dismissed by autists, meaning he could have diminished sensitivity to the colour red making it an ideal colour choice for someone with colour sensitivity. Santa also works on the 25th of December every year without fail, completing the same working routine in children’s homes across the world
  • Black and white thinking/rule orientated– Naughty and nice list, need I say more?
  • Repetitive behaviours– Lining up and naming out his reindeer over and over, repeatedly saying Ho Ho Ho, and checking the list twice are all classic repetitive behaviours
  • Avoids social interactions/unaware of social rules– He slips into our homes in the dead of the night, but never engages with us, just get’s the job done and moves on to the next house. Similarly, he is completely oblivious to how casually breaking into someone’s home to deliver presents in the middle of the night isn’t exactly a socially acceptable behaviour 😂
  • Santa is an introvert– Santa prefers to live in his own space in the North Pole far away from the prying eyes of the world with only Mrs Claus and the elves for company
  • Creative thinker- When the whole world bullied Rudolph for his nose, Santa found a way for him to be useful, highlighting neurodivergent creative thinking at it’s finest

So there you have it Earthlings- do you agree that Santa might be one of the most famous autists in the world? 🤔

Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas and every blessing for 2025!

Aoife

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Autism 10 years on

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week marks a bit of a milestone in my autism journey- the 10 year anniversary of my diagnosis. It’s mind boggling how fast these years have flown by, not to mention how much my life has changed in that time.

In September 2014, I was a complete wreck. I was suffering with social anxiety, my mental health was a mess, and I was struggling with work and the social dynamics of my workplace. I had never been so stressed in my entire life (which is saying something given that I was bullied in school) and was at breaking point. Out of nowhere, I found myself tricked into an autism assessment (kudos to my parents for that 😛 ) and my entire world flipped- but in the best possible way.

Admittedly, things were rough for the first year as I learned to adjust to this newfound knowledge, and it took an additional year to relax enough to not mention the diagnosis every 5 minutes, but my life has ultimately changed for the better. I spent my first 24 years on this earth feeling like I didn’t belong, like a wonky puzzle piece that couldn’t slot into society. Everyone misunderstood me, but I guess when I didn’t even understand myself, how could the rest of the world? Most twenty somethings will have a quarter life crisis on their journey of self discovery, but I had the ultimate one. One little word held the key that allowed me to fully embrace the person I was always meant to be.

10 years later, I barely recognize myself. I’m in a job that I enjoy, I have amazing, supportive friends, and a (very) busy social life. Looking back on my past through the lens of autism, I have become a lot kinder to my younger self, learning to laugh and channel my experiences to help others like me. I feel less self conscious of my differences, know my triggers and how to sidestep them. This has enabled me to grow in confidence to a point where I have never felt more comfortable in my own skin.

Before my diagnosis, I was always shy and introverted, but by fully understanding myself, I’ve been able to unleash my inner extrovert, comfortably smiling and chatting with strangers wherever I go. Having a name for my differences normalized my feelings and gave me ownership, allowing me to overcome my anxieties and manage my sensory issues. I have autism, but autism does not have me.

If you had told me ten years ago what this one little word would do to my life, I don’t think I would have believed you.

I find it quite hard to imagine what my life would look like now had I not received my diagnosis. I have previously discussed if parents should tell their child about their diagnosis, and while the decision depends on the individual, based on my experience I would highly recommend divulging. It was initially a tough pill to swallow, but my life is better for it.

There’s so many things I wished I knew about autism before I was diagnosed, even now I’m still learning every day, but I suppose the biggest thing was to know that I would still be me at the end of it all- just a shiny, happier model. As I’ve discussed on many occasions, while an autism diagnosis shouldn’t change anything in theory, knowledge changes everything for the autist. It’s a lot to process, and it can be hard to see beyond the label, but you will emerge from the chrysalis a fully fledged butterfly. Initially it seemed like autism weighed me down, but that was just my wings poking through ready for flight 🦋

So for those of you working through your diagnosis right now, cringey cliché that it is to say, it does get better. To quote ‘The Middle‘ by Jimmy Eat World:

“It just takes some time
Little girl, you’re in the middle of the ride
Everything, everything’ll be just fine
Everything, everything’ll be alright, alright.” ❤️

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings! 🙂

Have a lovely weekend!

Aoife

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Autism and AuDHD

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Leading on from my previous post about autism and ADHD, this week I’d like to expand on the topic by discussing the concept of AuDHD- aka autism + ADHD.

ADHD has been getting a lot of online attention in the last couple of years with many adults getting late life diagnoses as knowledge of the condition has advanced. Up to 10 years ago, it was thought that both autism and ADHD were completely separate diagnoses with no overlap. Now, it’s thought that 30-80% of autists also have ADHD, with many discovering they had autism during an ADHD diagnosis and vice versa.

When I previously wrote about this topic, I estimated that I was mildly ADHD, but the more stories I have been hearing about the experiences of female ADHDers, I exhibit a lot more traits than I originally thought. Because I wasn’t fitting the classic impulsive/hyperactive model of ADHD, I never thought to dig much deeper, buuutttttt, just like autism, it turns out that there are differences in symptoms between men and women. The original research observed more men than women (there’s a whole history of women being under researched in medicine) and so it was believed to impact more males than females, but, as with autism, sex differences and masking behaviours have made it very difficult to diagnose ADHD in women. ADHD also operates on a severity spectrum which can make it difficult to pick up on.

@adhd_chatter_podcast

How to spot ADHD in women ❤️ #adhd #adhdwomen

♬ Emotional Cinematic Sad Violin and Piano – ISAo

With all this overlap, enter the concept of AuDHD.

One of the most fascinating aspects of AuDHD is it’s paradoxical nature:

  • Autists like routine, but ADHD makes it difficult to maintain
  • ADHDers crave stimulation, but autists get easily overstimulated
  • Autists are rigid with rules, timekeeping and planning, but ADHDers suffer from time-blindness, impulsivity and hyperactivity making it difficult to follow plans and rules
  • ADHDers can be messy and chaotic, but autists like order and systemising

Effectively in AuDHD, the paradoxes can camouflage each other, making it much harder to diagnose either disorder. It’s like having 2 different brains fighting for control, but only one or the other will win out at any given time. For example, today you might do a weeks worth of work, tomorrow you might struggle to find the dopamine to do anything.

@speechdude

#adhd #audhd #autism#neurodiversityaffirming #speechtherapist

♬ original sound – Chris Wenger, CCC-SLP

At other times, the symptoms are symbiotic. For example in my case, I can have complete time-blindness when I’m in the middle of something, but if I need to keep an appointment, the social rules governing lateness force me to be on time. AuDHD is a constant seesaw between the two conditions, a separate presentation in itself.

While it’s not a separate diagnosis yet, given the prevalence of comorbidity, who knows what the future will hold as neurodivergent research increases.

Hope you liked this post dear Earthlings! 🙂

Have a lovely weekend!

Aoife

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Autism in ‘Geek Girl’

Greetings Earthling! 😀

This week I’d like to talk about the new young adult series Geek Girl on Netflix (they’re really on the ball with neurodiversity the last few years!) and it’s accurate depiction of the struggles of an autistic teenage girl.

Based on the Geek Girl books by Holly Smale (which I have purchased and will write about eventually), the series follows awkward “geek” Harriet Manners who’s life completely changes after being scouted by a modelling agency. Mercilessly bullied at school, she sets out on her modelling journey to reinvent herself. You can check out a trailer for the series here:

But you haven’t mentioned anything about autism yet Aoife?

So- the author Holly Smale wrote these books based on her own experiences of being an awkward teen model, BUT Holly was diagnosed with autism at the age of 39 and has retrospectively described Harriet as autistic. As such, it seems that the TV series is planning to incorporate an autism diagnosis down the line, as lead actress Emily Carey is autistic, and there have been many hints to her neurodivergence including a conversation between her agent and her father about seeking a professional and not wanting to label her.

So what did I make of the show?

Well I absolutely loved it- a lovely wholesome show with an authentic portrayal of neurodivergence, I was hooked! Harriet’s autistic traits were subtle (as they are for most high functioning autists)- stimming, coordination issues, minor issues reading social cues etc. What really sets the series apart from others though is Harriet’s narration. We get to see her internal monologue, how she thinks and processes, which really helps to give an insight into what we autists go through on the inside (though I will say that my internal monologues speak waaaaaaay faster than Harriet’s 😂). Harriet’s friend Toby is also clearly on the spectrum, albeit he presents far more like the traditional autistic oddball that we often see in media depictions of autism- which while a little stereotypical, really helps to show how different male and female presentations of autism can differ.

One of the other things I found most interesting was how Harriet’s dad also appears to be neurodivergent. He seems to struggle with work, is quite nerdy and eccentric (he drives Harriet to school in his PJs one day) and is described by his wife as very childish. At one point during an online job interview his wife holds up flashcards for him coaching him on what to say, reminding me of how people have tried to guide me in certain social situations. Very often with on screen portrayals of autism we focus on the child or the oddball single adult, we don’t tend to see neurodivergence in the wider family like between parent and child 0r other spectrum siblings. Autism is highly genetic with many parents discovering their neurodivergence after their child is diagnosed, and there can often be multiple autistic children within a family (I once came across a family with 5 sons on the spectrum).

My one criticism, again like Dinosaur, was Harriet’s stereotypical love of dinosaurs and desire to be a paleontologist, buuutttt as a real autist wrote the show, I can’t really argue with lived experience 😜. I’m really starting to wonder- did I miss the autism memo that you need to be obsessed with dinosaurs cause I have never really seen the fascination 🤣🙈 Dogs are much more my vibe!

Interestingly, many critics have branded the show an “inauthentic” representation of autism… to which Holly Smale had the following to say:

“It’s based on books written by me (autistic), about me as a teen (autistic). I wrote all of Harriet for the show (still autistic) and the lead actor is autistic. It’s the DEFINITION of authentic. I think people are so used to seeing inauthentic representation they don’t recognise it when it’s in front of them.”

You can’t get more authentic than that folks! 🤣🙈

All in all I highly recommend this show and look forward to seeing Harriet’s journey in future seasons!

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings! 🙂

Have a lovely weekend!

Aoife

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Autism in ‘Dinosaur’

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

As autism awareness month comes to a close, this week I’d like to talk about autism in the new BBC Scotland sitcom Dinosaur.

So what exactly is Dinosaur about?

Dinosaur follows autistic palaeontologist Nina (played by autistic actress, comedian and show co-writer Ashley Storrie) who is content with her life in Glasgow, but finds her life upended by her sister’s impulsive decision to marry a man she has known for only 6 weeks. Cue hilarious chaos as Nina tries to navigate this transition whilst balancing the pressures of work, love, and being her sisters maid of honour.

You can check out a trailer for the series here:

So what did I make of it?

Aside from the fact that Nina’s dinosaur obsessions is ever so slightly stereotypical, I loved this sitcom and found it a refreshingly honest portrayal of life on the spectrum. Too often scriptwriters tend towards the hyperbolic when it comes to autism, but this show hits the mark perfectly for what life is like for a high functioning autist.

The show is highly self-aware tackling common stereotypes head on in humorous fashion. When Evie’s fiancé Ranesh starts talking about Nina’s autism, Nina pre-empts his stereotypes muttering “Don’t’ say it!” under her breath, before Ranesh describes having autism as a “superpower!” Another episode see’s Nina’s boss, (while reprimanding her for saying that Jurassic Park should have been named ‘Cretaceous Park’), tell her that they don’t want to give the impression of paleontologists as being “rigid and a bit autistic” for her to respond, “But I am autistic!” leaving her boss completely mortified.

More importantly, Nina doesn’t take herself too seriously. In one conversation with her sister (in an episode where everyone was pretending to be something they were not for Evie’s soon to be father-in-law), Nina gives Evie a pep talk telling her that she can keep up the pretense if Nina can and ” [she is] literally autistic”! This particularly made me chuckle as I have often made this remark with regard to neurotypicals claiming they aren’t able to do some basic things that I as an autist have no issues doing! 🙈

Nina’s unfiltered moments land casually without the need for exaggeration. Her stimming is subtle, like playing with her necklace, and tapping and fidgeting with her fingers when she is getting overwhelmed. No stereotypical hand flapping or head banging here! I particularly liked how they showed Nina having a meltdown when trying on bridesmaid dresses- shopping being a situation where I often get overwhelmed. The pressure from the salespeople, being under pressure for time after she arrived late, the heat of the shop, the itchy fabric, being told a dress is fabulous on her that really does not suit her etc. Nina promptly had to exit the shop and scream into a bush from the pressure of the task- a feeling I know all too well.  In a later episode they showed Nina crying and struggling to breathe during a meltdown- finally showing a realistic portrayal of how most of my meltdowns manifest.

Another positive aspect of the show was the portrayal of Nina naturally pursuing a relationship. Often these types of storylines are forced like ‘I want to have/should have a girlfriend/boyfriend, so I’m on a mission to get one and here’s how I’m going to do it’, buuuuuuut that isn’t exactly realistic. In the show, Nina starts to connect with her new barista and bravely decides to ask him out. Her autism is casually discussed, it’s not a huge issue like in other shows- she’s just a neurospicy girl going out on an awkward first date like anyone else. Moreover, the show doesn’t portray her as a sexually inept weirdo as many shows tend to. In a particularly humorous moment during a spicy confession game at her sisters hen party, Nina’s mother tells her to cover her ears, only for Nina to boldly tell her mother that she’s done it 13 times (much to her mothers surprise)! 🤣🙈 The show truly does Nina justice by showing the world that we’re just out here living our lives like everyone else; we just think a little bit differently.

While it would have been nice if Nina had had a slightly more ordinary job, especially given that it tends to be more male autists that obsess over dinosaurs than women, all in all this show is an excellent depiction of autism with some great laugh out loud moments to boot.

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings! 😊

Have a lovely weekend!

Aoife

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Autism in ‘Friends’?

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to take a quick look at some likely spectrum characters in the beloved TV sitcom Friends. Now I know what you’re thinking, autism was never mentioned during the 10 season run (likely due to a lack of general awareness of the condition during the 1990s), but many people have retrospectively noticed some autistic traits in the gang.

For those of you who have been living under a rock (or are so young you have yet to see the show), the TV series follows 6 friends in their 20’s/30’s living in New York, charting their friendship and the hilarious antics they get up to. Here’s a compilation video of the iconic intro across the seasons to give you a flavour of the show:

So let’s get to autism. First up- let’s take a look at Ross Geller (David Schwimmer).

Ross displays many traits of a high functioning autist. He’s a quirky, highly strung palaeontologist (do I smell a stereotype?) who is intensely passionate about science.

He is often socially awkward, misses out on social cues and sarcasm, moves with an unusual gait, and shows signs of sensory issues (he thinks that ice-cream is too cold). Ross is also prone to impulsive decisions, obsessive tendencies, and outbursts of rage that border on meltdown-like behaviour as you can see in the clip below.

Ross’s sister Monica (played by Courtney Cox) on the other hand, while not as overtly quirky as Ross, also displays some traits. Her OCD and control issues are often centre stage in the show with many comedic moments drawing from this. She can be an obsessive overthinker and fiercely competitive, often fixating on certain topics in her pursuit of perfectionism.

Her compulsive overeating in her teen years could also be considered an autistic trait. She may not be quite as neurodivergent as her brother, but she could fall under broader autism phenotype as do many siblings of autists. The iconic dance scene between the brother-sister duo really highlights their quirkiness and possible neurodiversity in their complete blindness at how ridiculous they look.

Finally, let’s take a look at the iconic Phoebe Buffay. Portrayed by Lisa Kudrow, Phoebe is the quintessential outsider displaying many autistic and ADHD traits. Brutally honest and hyperactive, she unashamedly marches to her own beat, completely oblivious to how others perceive her (or her terrible singing). She also flaps her hands an awful lot in the show and has been known to chew her hair in earlier seasons which are signs of stimming behaviour.

Interestingly, neurodivergent individuals tend to stick together in real life (I’ve spoken to many spectrum friends and you tend to subconsciously attract each other 🤣), which could explain why 3 out of the group of 6 display autistic traits. This is perhaps the most realistic aspect of autism that the show unconsciously portrays.

Now obviously we will never know if these characters are on the spectrum, but it’s still nice to see clearly neurodivergent characters marching to the beat of their own drum for us to identify with 🙂

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings! 🙂

Have a lovely weekend!

Aoife

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Autism on Screen- The Assembly

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to talk about a new TV interview show on BCC called ‘The Assembly’. The format of this show involves a celebrity being grilled by a panel of journalists over the course of 3 hours (30 minutes of which are broadcast). Sounds simple enough, however, the unique thing about this TV show is that the panel is comprised entirely of 35 neurodivergent novice journalists! Bucking the growing trend of highly scripted, edited, agenda driven interviews, the show is an un-filtered breath of fresh air where no question is out of bounds.

The Assembly is carefully recorded with autists in mind to prevent sensory overload, such as recording in a room with lots of natural light (to avoid fluorescent artificial lights). This show is the UK adaptation of the popular French show ‘Les Rencontres du Papotin‘ where many French public figures such as Emanuel Macron were interviewed by a neurodivergent panel run by the newspaper Le Papotin. In honour of Autism Acceptance Week, the BBC broadcast an interview with Welsh actor Michael Sheen on Friday the 5th of April. There are no further episodes currently scheduled, but showrunners have lots of eager celebrities wishing to be interviewed should The Assembly be picked up for series. You can see a trailer for the series here:

The show is a very heartwarming and wholesome affair that has had reviewers raving about it. The questions are so unexpected (ranging from Michael’s opinions on the royal family to the age gap between him and his partner) with delightful results. Michael is such a kind and patient interviewee providing insightful and hilarious answers to the delight of his audience. In one particularly touching moment, a very shy interviewer named Leo is struggling to get past his nerves to ask his question, but Michael is patient with him, allowing him the time and space to ask a very insightful question about Michaels favourite poet.

All in all the show is a wonderful change to your regularly scheduled BBC interview, with the added bonus that the show provides visibility and creates opportunities for the often marginalized autistic community.

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings! 🙂

Have a lovely weekend!

Aoife

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Learning and Autism

Greetings Earthlings! 😀

Leading on from my previous posts about autism and memory, IQ, and studying, this week I’d like to talk about the topic of autism and academic learning.

First things first, autism is NOT a learning disability. It’s a neurodevelopmental disorder which impacts how our brain develops and the rate at which it develops having an impact on motor learning, social learning, language learning etc. That being said, ASD‘s can be co-morbid with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, ADHD and dysgraphia.

Everyone’s academic learning journey is unique, especially among autists. Autists can have problems concentrating in classrooms due to sensory sensitivities, issues with social skills can make it harder to interpret teaching cues, and difficulties with executive functioning and information processing can make it hard to process new information.

I’ve always had a passion for academic learning, but even I’ve had my struggles. I struggled hugely with maths in my teenage years. Once letters came into equations I regularly had meltdowns and got overwhelmed when I couldn’t immediately make sense of the topic. One of my most enduring memories of school is throwing my maths book at the wall mid meltdown while doing my homework 🙈

Buuuuuttttt I would usually be able to make sense of the exercises once the meltdown had passed. My teachers unfortunately didn’t understand this (the joys of being undiagnosed) which often made my learning journey challenging. Had I been given the opportunity to work slowly 1:1 with maths, I would have picked topics up a lot quicker.

Everyone’s learning style is different, especially when considering the challenges of autism. There are several different learning styles:

  • Visual learning– where learners take in information better visually through pictures, graphs and mind maps to help make connections
  • Auditory learning– where learners listen to information for optimal processing
  • Verbal learning– using verbal approaches like reading out loud and mnemonic devices
  • Reading/writing learning– classical learning approach by reading and writing
  • Kinesthetic learning– physical learning by doing tasks or needing to move while learning
  • Logical learning– where logic and pattern recognition skills are used to connect concepts
  • Social/Interpersonal learning– where you learn best by observing others, and talking and communicating with a social group
  • Solitary/Intrapersonal learning– where you just need to be by yourself to learn on your own with no distractions

Sometimes a mix of learning styles can be the best approach- I have employed all of these styles at different points in my life, but I would largely fall into the visual and kinesthetic learner categories. Seeing things drawn out and or doing tasks is often the best way for me to process information. For example, I tend to take notes using coloured pens as the visual stimulation from the colours makes it easier to process and retain the information.

There are so many different ways to learn, it’s just a matter of sitting down and figuring out what kind of learning style works for you, or working out a plan to limit classroom issues like sensory challenges that can derail your learning process. Lot’s of apps and supports are available for autists these days that can help make learning a lot easier.

The key thing is to not get discouraged. No two autists are the same and it can take a while to find what learning style works for you. When I took maths and biostatistics in college, the lectures were overwhelming, but once I sat down to a tutorial session where we worked hands on with the sums in an intimate environment, I flew through the work and got excellent marks in my exams. It takes time, but once you find the right approach, learning can be a breeze 😊

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings! 🙂

Have a lovely weekend!

Aoife

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Autism and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to talk about another co-morbid condition with autism and ADHD– rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD).

So what exactly is RSD?

RSD is an intense or overwhelming emotional sensitivity to rejection and criticism (both perceived and real). This can cause intense emotional pain that can be difficult to bear.

Looking back over my childhood, I really struggled with RSD. Whilst I am well versed in the art of rejection now that I’m in my thirties, growing up as an undiagnosed autist did not make for an easy ride. Even the slightest rejections could trigger meltdowns as my brain struggled to process the situation. Something as simple as someone not immediately having time for me, a passing comment in a raised tone, even constructive criticism could set me off. Once at a family event in a hotel I had a bad meltdown because my uncle was short with me for requesting a different flavour of ice-cream to the one that I had been given. Cue me hiding out in the toilets followed by 3 hours doodling in the back of the car instead of joining the party from my RSD over-reaction (I was 13 by the way! 🙈). I can’t even blame sensory issues for that over-reaction, I just didn’t feel like eating raspberry ripple that day! 😂

So is there any scientific reason for RSD?

RSD, like maladaptive daydreaming, is not a clinical diagnosis so it’s hard to underpin how it works. There isn’t exactly a scientific way to measure rejection. However, as it has been observed in patients with autism and ADHD, psychologists believe that it is caused by alterations in brain structure in the regions that regulate and process emotions such as the frontal lobe and the amygdala- both regions where structural changes have been linked to autistic symptoms.

As discussed previously, autists often have a warped sense of perception and logic so it can be very easy to misconstrue and over-react to rejection. The tendency towards perfectionism and black and white thinking in particular can make us far more susceptible to such negative reactions. For example, if someone told me that they didn’t like my shoes, even though it’s only one component of my outfit and just a passing comment, my younger self would have spiraled.

Life is often all or nothing for an autist, so if someone rejects one small thing, it may skew our entire perception of ourselves.

You don’t like my shoes = you don’t like me.

The shoes are wrong, I chose the shoes, the shoes are on my body, therefore, I’m wrong. The world is black and white so if I’m wearing the wrong shoes, everything else about me has to be wrong by extension- you’re either wrong or right, you can’t be both.

RSV can be pretty exhausting for an autist, so understanding of our responses to rejection is vital to supporting us. If you’re struggling with RSV, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help you learn how to better process feelings of rejection, but medication such as ADHD drugs and anti-depressants can be useful for more severe cases.

Hope you enjoyed this post dear earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife

1

Autism and Clothing

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to briefly expand on something that I touched on in my previous post about skin sensitivity, -the importance of clothing and autism.

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No, I’m not going to talk about fashion, but function!

For many autists, it can be quite difficult to pick out clothes. A stray fiber, an itchy label or a prickly seam can unleash a storm of sensory discomfort. Gene mutations cause the nerves in our skin to be extra sensitive to certain stimuli. This coupled with hyperactivity in the cortex and the amygdala (both regions involved in sensory processing) don’t make for the happiest of bedfellows.

But what if the clothes that irritate us could in fact be used to manage autistic symptoms?

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Clothes are now being designed and adapted to cater for the different needs of autists. Companies are now producing  seamless socks and underwear, looser fitting clothes made from softer materials, and most interestingly, weighted and compression clothing.

Based on the research of the great Temple Grandin and her hugging machine, both weighted and compression clothing provide calming, deep pressure stimulation much like a soothing hug. The pressure switches off the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) to the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest), promoting the release of “feel good” neurotransmitters. Based on this, it’s thought that autists are better able to cope with sensory issues, hyperactivity, motor skills and sleeplessness when wearing sensory clothing.

It’s a really interesting premise- there’s even been an inflatable sensory scarf produced that’s designed to provide soothing pressure in addition to emitting calming aromas! Check it out:

https://www.wired.com/2015/08/odd-looking-clothing-designed-help-autistic-kids/

In reality however, the results are mixed. Scientific studies indicate that weighted and inflatable vests do not appear to be effective and are not clinically recommended, yet the personal testimonials of families across the globe beg to differ. One testimonial claimed that a child’s meltdowns went from 12 a day to having none in 3 years!

Either way, nothing ventured nothing gained, so if you think that sensory wear may be of benefit to you or a loved one with autism, why not give it a shot? 🙂

With the variety of sensory wear available, you’ll at the very least look fabulous! 😉

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Enjoy the weekend everyone! 😀

Aoife

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