The "Do You Think I Am On The Autistic Spectrum" (MG) Poll.

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What about textures that you can't touch with your hands?
Or textures you love to touch for comfort, with your hands?

For example, I can't touch water. I can't sleep with any fabric besides cotton (no wool, knit, weave, flannel, corduroy, buttons, pleats, lace, ruffles, denim ... the list goes on forever). I just can't touch it.


Do you have issues wearing certain fabrics, even if the style of clothing is comfortable?

Something also strange comes to mind. I have always tried to avoid colouring or painting whee red and green touch each other. I will do it if ai have to like on the train in the photo. The front is fine as I have black inbetween. But the back of the locomotive, if the red and green were not on different panels, I would have to paint a thin black line between the two or I would not be happy. It is only post office red type of shades and British racing green and slightly lighter shades which I have not been able to have them touch.
I am not ultra keen on one or two other colours touching... But red and green just grind...


Clothing. Wool and certain heavy clothes... Thick jumpers.... No! And people keep giving me them... Ummm. But because I soo appreciate the work that goes in I will wear some wooly things. But "Friendly" ones. Like ones my Mum has made.
I am quite selective with clothes. I hate designer clothes. I prefer plain clothes. I also much prefer half worn clothes. Most of my clothes are worn out and have holes in them.

Textures with my hands... Well. Usually I am find. But I do suffer from issues with petrolium type products, and certain protective gloves.. I had to compromise towear the regularion gloves in work. I always in the past just not wear them, but they became stricter. I found the gloves tollerable when I cut all the fingers off. No one noticed! But workinb with fingered gloves! I couldn't do that. I NEED to feel. I NEED to touch. I can't do my job properly if I don't feel.

Wool bedclothes have to go on top. If there is a fold or a crumb in my bottom sheet I would hardly sleep.

Socks. I need loose fitting socks and pants. Socks. I am fussy with socks. Have to be comfortable. Pants. I wear pants a few sizes too large and I only wear pants for the whole day that are older pants. New pants I usually have to wear an hour or three and then change to older pants... This way I can slowly wear them in.

The highest concentration of sensory receptors are in people's hands, feet, and mouth.

Mouth:
It sounds like you have oral texture issues with food. You also bite your fingers and skin, etc. Do you put pens or pencils or other non-food items in your mouth to bite / chew? Some autistic people actually purchase chew toys as stims because they need / enjoy that sensory input. I chew pens to pieces until they fall apart. I can't use a pen without it ending up in my mouth.

Hands:
It sounds like you have some texture aversions with your hands or your skin in general (clothing and gloves). Do you have textures that you like to touch? For example, I stroke a piece of satin which I've had since I was a baby. The same piece. I tickle with it probably close to 10 000 times a day. I'm not exaggerating. If I don't have it (e.g., on my hell day on Tuesday I couldn't take it with me), I have to tickle with the edge of my blouse.

Feet:
Your feet have thousands of sensory receptors. Do you have feet issues? Do you have problems with socks? Some autistic people can't tolerate the "toe line" on socks (the seam), or the sensation of socks in any way. Some people are barefoot as much as possible, to feel the floor with their feet. Some people can't stand being barefoot for sensory reasons . Some people play with their feet or have to sleep with them covered / uncovered, etc. There just seem to be lots of strong preferences about foot sensations for people on the spectrum. Myself, I get extreme claustrophobia if my feet are enclosed in anything (bedding, footwear, tights), for very long. I will go into a rage until my feet are "free". I spend nearly all my time at home being barefoot, even when I'm really cold. I'm very picky about shoes, socks, boots and slippers.

Sleeping bags!! ! ! ! OMG yes. One of my earliest meltdowns that I remember, was being forced to sleep in a sleeping bag at a friend's house. I went berserk and had to go home in the middle of the night because I was hysterical. I couldn't have my feet enclosed. I wrote about it in my Developmental History.

Is my head and face I don't like covering.

Thank you Isabella. You have made me think of a few things I had not considered.

Actually when I am eventually assessed, it will be interesting to see who guessed correctly. I could just have a few traits which share with another condition like anxiety.

Anxiety. Was only about two weeks ago with the help of Kraftiekortie that I realized what anxiety was and I have had most of my life. I would not say it has alaays been thee daily every day... But it is like depression in that it comes and goes like a season. I can go through months or years of having it but then for a whilw it would subside...
Why didn't I know what it is? Well. Two reasons. One was I had never con ected the feeling with a name. The second is that I often get several feelings at once which mix into a mixed up plasticine ball of feelings where to pick an individual feeling out is hard. Certain feelings I can pick out without issue. Depression and sadness. Angry... Happy.

I'm glad Korts and I have helped you a little. Regarding anxiety, please realise that it isn't just a physical feeling. You can also recognise it because it's a "behaviour". If you are avoiding situations, overthinking situations, or ruminating about them after they happen, it's considered anxiety -- even if you don't feel a physical sensation.

Also here is a strange one. I don't know if it is connected to anything you mentioned before (Isabella) but though these days I have less of an issue then I used to have (Or my Mum and others who know me are far more used to my ways?), but I tend to seperate my food out if I can. I used to be very fussy about this where I would not eat one food if it touched another. I am not so silly as I used to be in this way... Probably as I aas told off too many times for being so fussy! Haha. But I just would not eat it. I would be starving and still not eat it. As I child at one time I became very thin due to this.