neurodivergence & Clothing sensations
A little BACKGROUND to MY reserach
“the sensory world can scream so loud that you want to retreat ... (I) inhabit a body that simply stops responding when it reaches its point of overwhelm ”
The human race is neurodiverse, meaning that we all shape and are shaped by our environment in many different ways. Whether we are conscious of it or not, each of us are constantly searching for our own unique sensory equilibrium that enables us to make our contribution to the world. The human race thrives on this diversity. However, for people who are neurodivergent sensory inputs from their environments can more intensely impact the experiences that they shape and are shaped by. For example bright lights, loud sounds, strong smells and soft touch can be perceived as threats. These fight or flight triggers can result in the body being stuck in a state of chronic stress, disabling a person’s interactions with the world around them.
“I am too porous so too many and too much of the wrong sensations get through.
This is exhausting to process and very distressing for my body. ”
As a fashion designer I approach clothes as our most immediate environment. They are the most intimate artefacts that touch our skin. Every day our moving bodies are shaping and being shaped by what we wear. The sensations that unfold in this dynamic reciprocal dialogue are tactile, sonic, and kinaesthetic. Sensory overload, in the context of clothing, could be scratchy textures, itchy seams and labels, the sound of synthetic fabrics, forms that restrict the wearer’s movement.
“As I was talking the blazer was catching on the top of my inner arm. This catching made a sound. The longer I wore the jacket the smell of the fabric became more potent. I couldn’t find a way to decode the experience. It was eating me up. It was almost animalistic, like an animal on my back with the sound and the smell and the restriction to my arms.”
By the same token, the heightened sensory responses that disable a person’s interactions also enable pleasurable sensations to be felt more intensely. I do not approach these as special experiences, but rather, amplified universal experiences. I believe there is so much potential within these intimate artefacts to deeply nourish a person’s well-being.
“With clothing, I have sensory triggers, but I have glimmers too. With heightened sensitivities, the reward is high. When the sensory input is right, it is wonderful!”
I did not discover the connection between clothing sensations and the quality of life of my participants. They live with this awareness everyday. My role as a design researcher is to cultivate a collaborative dialogue, whereby, we can work together to develop ways to improve their own lives through my creative practice.