Autism T shirts

[Cariad]

Has anybody ever bought one for their child? I have ordered two for the DS, I have gone out with his sisters to a few parks and they have rode their bikes and the DS his scooter. He has been so loud and angry and abusive towards me and the looks I get are awful.

 

I had a man tut a few times when the DS wouldn't except I didn't have my purse for a snack at the cafe, it's awful when they are having a meltdown, you just don't need the added attention of onlookers stares!

[wishingwell]

Hi

 

In this world people will always find fault!!!

 

It's their ignorance that needs highlighted!!!!

[pearl]

I believe you can get cards to hand out to peeps too.

I thought long & hard about this when JP was younger but never actually did it.

[Juney]

I've got the cards which I've used a on a couple of occassions, it gives me a little more confidence that should someone start tutting and staring I can give them the card. ( more to try and make them realise they shouldnt be staring etc than anything else) All it does is make you feel 10 times worse and then everything is so much more difficult to handle)

[Juney]

Hi

 

In this world people will always find fault!!!

 

It's their ignorance that needs highlighted!!!!

 

 

very true wishingwell

[dooday24]

i havnt brought 1 but a friend of mine did she said it was gr8

love donnaxxxxxxxxxxxx

[NikkiSmith]

My 5yr old wears them all the time!

They are fab is if he's having a huge meltdown - people tend to leave him alone rather than thinking they can magically calm him down. Also he has very limited language that's actually understandable and the t-shirts/sweatshirts help answer the puzzled faces of people who try to talk to him!

 

He has various slogans, like: I'm not naughty, I'm autistic; Autism with attitude; I'm autistic, what's your problem.

But I also love his ones which say "I (heart) being me" and "Hard to find, lucky to have!"

 

Several of my friends have said that they don't like them as they are labelling the child, but I think I'd rather he was labelled as autistic and not just as a monster who's mother cannot control his off the wall behaviour!

 

Never been brave enough to hand out the cards though.

 

I hope your DS is happy to wear them and it helps you feel less stressed when out and about.

 

 

Nikki.

[ellisisamazing]

I don't really like the sound of the tee shirts, again I think it labels the child and encourages stares and attention WE don't want! Also I think if people do notice the slogan, that you're bound to get some ignoramus claiming, "OOOh, but he looks so normal!" , and at that kind of comment I am afraid I would retort in a very strong manner! (and then you also get the people that don't notice what the child is wearing, so the tee shirt wouldn't make a difference...the number of times I've been told, " What a lovely daughter you have!", whilst Ellis is wearing army style, spiderman dressup and typical boy stuff!

 

I find the cards more discreet, I used them a few times, and they were helpful. If anybody overstares or comments nowadays I just say "He's Autistic, nothing to worry about, ok?!" (soon shuts em up!) or my fave from a few weeks back....."The special needs show is over now, thanks for looking/judging/interfering...Bye!"

 

At that, nosey parkers will beat it!

[Pets74]

ok where do i get this stuff please?

[pixie]

ok where do i get this stuff please?

 

There is an eBay seller that sells lots of this type of stuff including T-shirts, badges etc.

 

Here's her eBay shop:

 

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Autism-Awareness-...sQ3amesstQQtZkm

[slaphead]

There is an eBay seller that sells lots of this type of stuff including T-shirts, badges etc.

 

Here's her eBay shop:

 

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Autism-Awareness-...sQ3amesstQQtZkm

 

 

Just taken a look, VERY Impressive! Many thanks for posting this here!

[Juney]

You can get the cards from NAS website.

[Cariad]

The one from the Ebay shop came through today, 48 hours, I'm very impressed with it and he wore it today

[wishingwell]

my fave from a few weeks back....."The special needs show is over now, thanks for looking/judging/interfering...Bye!"

 

This was my favourite

Good for you, and it didn't cost you a penny!

 

My son is older now and at times we still get strange looks when he gets things wrong in public. We laugh! I love him and wouldn't have him any other way!

[CEJesson]

Thanks for the link, my only association with 'autism awareness' so far is on its facebook group, but I have been considering NAS merchandise for a while and will now consider this, which seems to be a far wider range.

[lil_me]

Personally I wouldn't buy anything. I would prefer to make my own. Granted she's made a pretty big business from it with a great deal of profit some months, but not for me.

[Pets74]

i have ummed and ahhed about this for a while, and today decided to get them for me. i don't know what i think about him wearing the t shirts i can see both sides. so i decided that as i can make the choice of what to wear then i would do it.

[ellisisamazing]

I think that's a good way of going about this, Pets!

 

I would be the wearer too, if we were to buy......

 

Lisa xx

[Cariad]

I think that's a good way of going about this, Pets!

 

I would be the wearer too, if we were to buy......

 

Lisa xx

 

I understand some people would never even entertain the shirts, I was in two minds, I do think "they" have the problem being ignorant and impatient but I'm sick of saying "He's autistic", I have the other one from the NAS. If I start feeling uncomfortable about him wearing them I'll stop putting them on him, he actually really likes the one alot. This one is actually quite trendy and funny "I'm Autistic whats your excuse". So far people think they are very funny.

[Pets74]

I understand some people would never even entertain the shirts, I was in two minds, I do think "they" have the problem being ignorant and impatient but I'm sick of saying "He's autistic", I have the other one from the NAS. If I start feeling uncomfortable about him wearing them I'll stop putting them on him, he actually really likes the one alot. This one is actually quite trendy and funny "I'm Autistic whats your excuse". So far people think they are very funny.

seen some crackers today "i am naughty.....and autistic" with a devil on it. sums up my lad anyway.

[ellisisamazing]

I understand some people would never even entertain the shirts, I was in two minds, I do think "they" have the problem being ignorant and impatient but I'm sick of saying "He's autistic", I have the other one from the NAS. If I start feeling uncomfortable about him wearing them I'll stop putting them on him, he actually really likes the one alot. This one is actually quite trendy and funny "I'm Autistic whats your excuse". So far people think they are very funny.

 

 

That's brilliant, Cariad! If they work for you and your boy that's great!

 

Each to their own, and all that! <'>

[LizK]

I dislike the ones along the lines of 'I'm not naughty...I'm autistic' as I think they give out the wrong message. I want people to understand my son's autism and the effect is has on his behaviour but I don't want to use his autism as an excuse for poor behaviour because sometimes he can be a little s*d autism or not! I personally don't feel comfortable publically displaying my son's diagnosis as a slogan on a t shirt, I know he's only five but I sort of feel he should make that decision, like I am breaching his confidentiality. I also want people to see him as Adam first not just as an autistic child, I think the public still have an awful lot of misconceptions about autism and not sure having a label slapped on him advertising this fact will actually help. Saying that I can understand why parents would choose to use them and only this week was talking to a lady who found they had been a life saver for her son and her family this holiday. I do have an Autism Awareness phone charm (that keeps breaking ) and I quite fancy a T shirt for him with a small logo saying 'It's ok to be different' or something along those lines. I'm not that much into slogan t shirts anyway tend to avoid them for the boys if I can which isn't always easy

 

Lx

Edited September 2, 2007 by LizK

[ellisisamazing]

LizK,

 

You summed my feelings entirely!! I wholeheartedly support wearing a badge or some small acknowledgment even the NAS umbrella (I will order that!), I just don't like the label idea, it's a bit too "in ya face" for me and El, and I find a lot of them tee shirts are..." I am cute and AUTISTIC too! , a little bit much I think, and again will provoke unwanted attention for us. I want him to turn heads for his good looks, nothing else!!

 

Again, I respect we all have different reasons for using them and NOT using them!

Edited September 2, 2007 by ellisisamazing

[oxgirl]

I quite like the general idea of t-shirts but I find some of them a little confrontational for me and it feels like it could alienate people and is somehow setting down a challenge, not sure I'm explaining myself really. Some of them are really sweet though and perhaps a bit less argumentative, iyswim.

I like the little keyrings you can get that say 'I love someone with autism' and that kind of thing.

 

~ Mel ~

[elun1]

Can't really make my mind up about the t-shirt thing for O really. He rocks from foot to foot (sensory issues) whenever we're out and sings/chants to himself a lot so I think people know pretty much straight away that something is different about him so not really sure t-shirt woukd help. That said, I still constantly seem to be explaining autism to others (or perhaps that's because we've been out more than usual with it being the holidays) He keeps running up and hugging strangers really hard and grabbing hold of their cheeks at the moment and shouting 'I AM O' in their faces and in a way it might help people to understand if I'm not quick enough off the mark to stop him. Anyway W the eldest (undx as I think) tells people loudly - please don't stare at my brother he is autistic, would you like to know what that is? ...and he can tell them, at length!

Elun xxx

[pixie]

My daughter bought her own as she liked them (she's 21)

 

One said "Heavily Medicated For The Sake Of The Masses"

 

Another was " I heard voices before it was trendy"

 

There were several others but I can't remember what they were now.

 

She didn't get them from the eBay seller but just in regular shops.

[Cariad]

OK first bad sign of wearing the T shirts. DS has started hitting his sisters then pointing to his T shirts saying he can't help it

 

I might give them a break for a week

[Pets74]

OK first bad sign of wearing the T shirts. DS has started hitting his sisters then pointing to his T shirts saying he can't help it

 

I might give them a break for a week

sorry but that made me laugh out loud.

 

mine came today.

[pearl]

Clever lad

[ellisisamazing]

OK first bad sign of wearing the T shirts. DS has started hitting his sisters then pointing to his T shirts saying he can't help it

 

I might give them a break for a week

 

 

Cheeky but clever!

[brooke]

my mum said i should get the t-shirts but i didnt want to decide who knows for my son but i did get a badge that said something like "im not ignoring you im autistic" and then if lost please look on the back for contact details. Now this was the main reason i got it because i was so scared he was going to do his usual runner and get lost and have no way of telling someone who he was etc. I also have a sticker for the car that says autistic person aboard or something like that so if we were in a serious accident then the paramedics would know. A bit morbid i know but i would hate for him to be on his own in a situation where noone realised.

[Bard]

* bump* for Wardie

[pearl]

Well done Bard I was searching fruitlessly for this myself.