For me and probably millions of other people with autism, comfort is very important. When we are forced to wear things that we don’t want to, such as a dress to a wedding, a school uniform, or just a nice dress shirt for a nice occasion, it can be a sensory nightmare. Tags, uncomfortable fabric, you name it, we don’t like it.
So when an event comes up, like a wedding, and we want to just go in a comfortable outfit we get scolded or looked at as weird. But that’s the thing, we are not trying to be lazy, we are trying to survive the event. Social events are already a nightmare for an autistic person, but add fabric that makes you itchy, shoes that are hard to walk in, and a tag that is digging into your neck, and we just want to run away and hide.
When we walk around the house in PJs or sweatpants and a shirt with our favorite character on it, it’s not us being lazy; we are just making it easier to survive the day, especially if we work from home. I know that I have to wear cotton and hate silky clothing. Tags don’t bother me personally, but I know it’s a nightmare for others. Sometimes it’s frustrating when people don’t understand the aversion to certain fabric types and how it can drain us, especially at social events.
What is even worse is when the outfits are mandatory, such as a uniform for school. I know personally I never had to wear uniforms, but I know for certain I would not like it because of the skirts that would probably be mandatory. I would feel too exposed, extremely uncomfortable, and awkward.
Being comfortable should not be seen as lazy, whether you are working from home, watching TV, going to school, or attending a social event. Social norms should not make us feel guilty for us to feel less stressed and guilty that they just want to be who they are and not what the world wants them to be.
