Let's Talk Sensory

I love Disney. One of my favorite rides is Pirates of the Caribbean. However, my husband knows that when we get on boat rides and there is a wet piece of paper (anything - a receipt, a park map, a napkin) on one side of the boat, he has to be the one to sit closest to it. I cannot physically handle being near wet paper/trash. When I went recently with friends, I had to sit closest to a piece of trash because they did not know about it. It was my second time on one of the newest rides, Tiana's Bayou Adventure, and I could not enjoy it at all. My body was convinced that I was being chased by a bear. That's how some senses feel to those with Autism. A pair of socks can feel like literal sandpaper, or mac and cheese can feel like glue in the throat.

Showers don't bother me, and neither does swimming. It's the moments after, when I am wrapped in a towel. I have to put on the same one of two t-shirts when I get out of the shower until my body is completely dry because everything else feels uncomfortable on my body if there is even a droplet of moisture.

This doesn't mean that I don't often seek out sensory inputs. I love a good cup of slime, and only sleep with my weighted blanket and weighted stuffed animal.

Here's to more trips to Disney, and continued listening to my body's needs.