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Sensory stuff

Goalkeeper

I'm interested to find out what sensory challenges other autistic people have. Here are some of mine:

Temperature - My brain always tells me I'm cold. This results in me wearing too many clothes and often a coat indoors. I really struggle to choose the right clothes to wear, especially in summer. And if one more person says to me: "aren't you hot in that coat?" I'll feel like being rude to them :)

Touch - I've never been able to wear any form of jewellery or a watch. Used to wear a watch at school but it felt like it was burning a hole in my arm. Spent a lot of time walking around looking for clocks. Before I got married my very understanding wife-to-be said to me: "no point in getting you a ring, is there?"

Taste - I'm vegetarian. Sadly this is not because I really care that much about animals (though I do like bears) but because I literally can't stand the taste and texture of meat. Unlike people who became vegetarian when it became trendy in the 1980s but couldn't stick at it, I've had no such problem. I also like really hot, spicy food and I like eating lemon slices (honestly, I love lemons).

Sound - Sudden noises freak me out (no surprise there) but there are also certain sounds like running water that seem to be disproportionately loud

People - This is the really awkward one. Certain people freak me out. This tends to be non-verbal communicators. Some people don't say much but communicate loads with their eyes, facial expressions and body language. This just confuses the hell out of me and makes me anxious so I avoid those people. You know who they are instantly as it starts with eye contact.

Smells - sudden smells have a similar affect of provoking anxiety but then there are others that are really, really nice. Please tell me there are other people who have to sniff a coffee packet immediately after it's freshly opened?

Parents

  • Temperature - my default setting is being too cold and I tend to layer up but I don't realise until I'm far too hot that I've got warm. There is a very small window in the summer that I feel the right temperature and then it gets too hot. 

    Taste - really sensitive to taste and texture. I have a very bland diet with an unfortunate preference to unhealthy foods - sugar, fatty, fried. I hate the concept of wet food and don't like any kind of sauce. Not keen on food touching but I think I have improved with this.

    Touch - hate being touched (there is a small minority of people I'm ok with it from). Don't like certain materials of clothes but really like others. Prefer loose clothing and like to wear my hood up. Hate any kind of jewellery or similar - can't stand anything on wrists or fingers etc and don't like the cold feeling. For some reason I have a tendency to touch things as I walk past them like the leaves of hedges - I'll just run my hand along it as I walk.

    Sound - hate ridiculously loud sounds and I hate the vibrations that come with really loud music. Don't like really sudden noise. But my most hated is squeaky noises - they make me want to run. I also find repetitive background noises annoying like clocks ticking or workmen outside etc.

    Smells - I seem to be really hit and miss with this. There are certain smells I'm very sensitive to and hate like certain perfumes, vinegar and coffee. But then there's others that I don't notice at all. I sometimes also dislike the smell of a room when I first walk into it but will be ok with it after a little while.

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  • Temperature - my default setting is being too cold and I tend to layer up but I don't realise until I'm far too hot that I've got warm. There is a very small window in the summer that I feel the right temperature and then it gets too hot. 

    Taste - really sensitive to taste and texture. I have a very bland diet with an unfortunate preference to unhealthy foods - sugar, fatty, fried. I hate the concept of wet food and don't like any kind of sauce. Not keen on food touching but I think I have improved with this.

    Touch - hate being touched (there is a small minority of people I'm ok with it from). Don't like certain materials of clothes but really like others. Prefer loose clothing and like to wear my hood up. Hate any kind of jewellery or similar - can't stand anything on wrists or fingers etc and don't like the cold feeling. For some reason I have a tendency to touch things as I walk past them like the leaves of hedges - I'll just run my hand along it as I walk.

    Sound - hate ridiculously loud sounds and I hate the vibrations that come with really loud music. Don't like really sudden noise. But my most hated is squeaky noises - they make me want to run. I also find repetitive background noises annoying like clocks ticking or workmen outside etc.

    Smells - I seem to be really hit and miss with this. There are certain smells I'm very sensitive to and hate like certain perfumes, vinegar and coffee. But then there's others that I don't notice at all. I sometimes also dislike the smell of a room when I first walk into it but will be ok with it after a little while.

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