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Oversized T-Shirt or Overstretched Collar? Try This

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We all have that old t-shirt or sweater with a collar that’s hanging so loose it could fall off your shoulder. Or maybe you bought a sweatshirt online, only to realize it’s too baggy when you try it on. To some folks, those could be more than minor irritants. A typical quick fix: fold the excess material in and secure with a safety pin on the inside. But that “safety” pin will leave holes in the fabric, and might open up and prick you when you least expect it!

A safer solution is an alligator shirt clip (pictured above). They’re tiny, usually transparent, plastic clips used to keep shirts neatly folded when they leave the factory. If you’ve ever bought a business shirt, you’ve experienced the fun of searching for and removing these. Well, don’t throw them away! If you did, they can also be bought from haberdasheries or online. To use them, just fold in the excess material as usual (usually at the front or back of a slack round collar, or the bottom sides of a baggy t-shirt), then slide the clip on where you would have stuck the safety pin. When you put the shirt on, the clip should be virtually invisible on the inside, and only a crease will show on the outside.

The 90-Second Rule to Fight Anxiety

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Translucent abstract form with colorful glowing lines on dark background

According to neurological studies, our body’s anxiety-inducing response to negative stimuli only lasts about 90 seconds. You get some bad news, your body releases chemicals that trigger the physical symptoms of anxiety such as a racing heart and a feeling of panic. But those chemicals flush out of your body within 90 seconds – unless you keep re-living the negative experience in your head, which triggers a new flood of chemicals. Long story short, try not to dwell on the negative, especially by re-playing traumatic memories over and over. Instead, try and put the past behind you and move on in constructive ways. For more on the 90-second rule, check out this article in Psychology Today.

About this blog

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This is a blog about design from my perspective as a person with autism (self-diagnosed with Nonverbal Learning Disability and ADD). I cover both design issues for users with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), and particular designs I happen to like, while trying to give reasons why they may appeal to someone with autism. I’m not a professional designer, just someone who likes what he sees as good design. My perspective as a design-minded person with autism may be of interest to others (particularly those with ASD and anyone designing for them).

A New Way to Avoid Under-Performing Under Pressure

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Sensory room with hanging chair, beanbag, soft lighting, and calming toys
A softly lit sensory room combines cozy seating, gentle colors, and calming activity tools.

Anxiety is a common accompaniment to autism, and can manifest itself as ‘choking’, under-performing when under pressure to achieve a goal. Examples include under-performing in an exam or job interview due to anxiety at not getting the grade or job you want, even though you had the potential. A new study suggests that you can perform better in such circumstances by thinking you’ve already achieved the goal, and are performing to keep it rather than get it. For example, in an job interview, you can assume that you have the job, and are being interviewed for the right to keep the job. In an exam, assume you already have the desired grade, and are taking the exam to keep the grade. Read more about the study here.

The Mobicase for the Roving Typist

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I can’t touch type, and issues with hand-eye coordination or poor memory puts touch typing beyond the reach of many with ASD. So I end up looking down at the keyboard and up at the screen repeatedly, which puts a strain on the neck and back. It’s worse with a laptop, because the screen is usually below normal eye-level, so you’re constantly looking down, while jiggling your head up and down to glance at the keyboard.

I found that raising the laptop and placing it at an angle helps to move the screen to eye level, with the keyboard just below. By propping up my forearms on a raised support in front of the keyboard, I found I could type comfortably with less strain. The Mobicase by Rovingwork makes it possible to adopt this position on the go. The laptop case has a mechanism that tilts the laptop to your preferred angle.

Video from Rovingwork

No More Sloppy Collars

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Many on the autism spectrum find it annoying when certain things are not ‘just so’, including their attire. For me, the ‘sloppy collar’ was a minor irritant, especially if I’m wearing a polo shirt or other soft fabric. Thankfully, there’s a couple of tricks that may help with that. One is a collar shaper like the one in the video below:

Video credit: Stiff Collar Stay

To buy, go to www.stiffcollarstay.com

A good addition to the collar shaper are collar stays to keep the collar tips from curling. For collars that don’t have built-in pockets for stays (e.g. polo shirts), you can use stick-on stays.

No More Tying Shoelaces

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Tying shoelaces can be a challenge to children with autism, and shoe-wearers of all kinds find it odd that we’re still fastening our shoes with bits of string in the 21st Century.  Zubits has revolutionized the process with their magnetic closures, which you lace into once, and then fasten and unfasten with the magnetic buckle. They come in a variety of colors and work with any standard lace-up shoe.

Video by Zubits

Fight Negative Thoughts with the ‘Three Good Things Diary’

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Negative thoughts are a recurring problem for anyone, but especially for many on the autism spectrum. Research has shown that keeping a daily record of positive things that happen to you (even small things) can help counter-balance negative thinking. In the video above from happierdotcom, Dr. Martin Seligman explains more about the Three Good Things Exercise.

Not Your Mother’s Fitted Sheet

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Two big problems with fitted sheets:

a) Lifting the mattress to get them on/off. This is worse if your bed is against the wall, especially in the corner!

b) They don’t fold neatly away. Which is a problem if you’re obsessed with everything having straight lines, or at least not looking like a scrunched-up rag.

Thankfully QuickZip has the perfect solution. It’s basically an extra-secure fitted sheet with a top that unzips for changing, and folds neatly away. You have to see it to believe it!

Video from QuikZip’s YouTube channel.

Visit QuickZip to find out more.