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These Bamboo Socks Are Perfect If You Have Sensory Sensitivities

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What to Know: One Irish mom got tired of clothing that wasn’t comfortable for her autistic son, which he often told her “hurt,” according to Evoke. Mom Polly began designing sensory-friendly socks using bamboo, a material that she found was actually very soft. Her company, Polly & Andy was born, and they make seamless socks for all ages for maximum comfort.

He loves the socks, he loves the fact that all of his friends are wearing his socks, his favourite colours are red and green and so we have red and green socks for Andy. — Polly

The Frontlines: Sensory sensitivities can impact many people, from those with sensory processing disorder to chronic pain and people who are neurodiverse.

  • You can experience sensory sensitivities related to any of your five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste or touch
  • When you have a sensory sensitivity, the experience may be overwhelming, uncomfortable and can cause pain
  • Understanding your sensitivities can help you plan ahead for situations that will be triggering. For example, if you’re sensitive to touch, you can find soft clothing or if you’re sensitive to loud sounds, wear headphones at the mall

A Mighty Voice: Our community member, Kerry Magro, explained how challenging clothing can be for kids on the autism spectrum. ” Growing up on the autism spectrum … one of the things I often shared with my parents was the uncomfortable sensation of shirts with tags. They would often have to cut the tags off my clothes before presenting them to me to try on for the first time.” You can submit your first person story, too.

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From Our Community: 

My Fav sensory – Touch, what is yours? #SensoryOverloads #Sensory #Autism #AspergersSyndrome

Add your voice: Join The Mighty’s Chat Space group by downloading our app or comment below.

Other things to know: More companies of all sizes — small businesses and mega retailers alike — are starting to design and sell more inclusive clothing for people with sensory sensitivities. Here are just a few examples:

Where to get yours: To pick up your own pair of Polly & Andy socks, which cost between €6.95 and €9.50, you can check them out here. According to the website, Polly plans to expand her sensory clothing line to include vests and underwear.

Header image via Polly & Andy/Instagram

Originally published: May 22, 2020
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