I Have Asperger's

Well, the other day it was pretty cold (in the low 20s or the teens, and I'm taking Fahrenheit!) and when I was at work my hand almost froze to the doorknob!  Literally!  It started to stick and I had to quickly pull it away so it wouldn't completely freeze!  I don't like to wear gloves, but I never really noticed this fact until that day.  I also never fully understood WHY I don't like to wear gloves.  It's not because my hands are not cold, but it's because of sensory issues that I have which are part of the Aspergers.  See, when I wear gloves, then I get hair in my face.  So I go to brush the hair out of my face and then there's static, which makes my hair go right back into my face again.  THIS tickles my face, which makes it ITCHY, and since I'm wearing GLOVES, I have no fingers to scratch the itch, and it's just a mess and complicated!  So I stopped wearing gloves quite a few years ago.  I only ever wear them when I actually need to shovel snow or something and be holding onto something REALLY cold for a long time. 

But, then I met this friend on facebook.  She told me that she had this spare set of fingerless gloves.  Not just the kind with a hole for each finger, but literally just a hole for the thumb and then one BIG hole for all four fingers.  I realized that I'd never tried something like that before.  So she sent them to me, and guess what?  THEY WORK!  No more static!  No more itchiness!  (And if I do have an itch, I have the fingers to scratch it!)  But best of all, NO MORE FROZEN HANDS!

I'm not saying these gloves are PERFECT.  (I still get fibers everywhere, and I still have cold fingers.)  However, considering the fact that my hands are not literally freezing to things, it's a step in the right direction. 

Here are some other issues with clothes that I personally have due to sensory issues:

Socks:  MUST be the right height, otherwise it feels strange.  CANNOT have any uneven fuzz or seams on the inside (think of the feeling of a rock in a shoe).  I usually end up getting the exact same brand and type and color, and that way if I ever lose one, it doesn't really matter.  I don't even put them in pairs anymore, since they are all exactly the same.

Shirts:  MUST be the right material, and the neckline must be the right style.  Shirts ALWAYS have to have short sleeves.  (I wear my hoodie over top if I get cold.)  No lace (too itchy) unless it's on the outside ONLY.  No cuffs on the arms.  No button-ups (too tedious) and no zippers (too cold).