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My son's internal thermostat is busted, which is not surprising; atypical sensory perceptions are common in but not limited to people with autism. Since Leo doesn't care about being cold and he's also sensitive to clothing textures, we've got ourselves a boy who prefers to be all naked, all the time -- and who, if we're not vigilant, frequently is. Even in near-freezing temperatures, even in a heated-but-still-not-warm pool, as we discovered while visiting his grandparents for Christmas:
Yes, it's Las Vegas -- but the temperature topped out at 51 degrees F.
As I sat by his grandparents' pool, shivering in my multiple layers and watching my naked boy frolic in the near-frozen wet, I wondered -- what do parents of children with miscalibrated sensory systems do during real winters or other air temperature-based challenges?
So I asked them.
Susan Wagner of Friday Playdate has a son who doesn't seem to feel cold, either:
My son, who is nine, has never once told me that he's cold; when the weather turns, he's liable to wander outside in his shorts and never notice the difference. Fortunately, we live where this isn't necessarily an issue (winter in Oklahoma can be very mild) but when it does get cold, we have to make a deal of pointing out exactly what layers of clothes he needs. And even then, the chances are good that he'll come out of school at the end of the day without his coat, no matter what the temperature.
This fall, when the weather turned, I told the boys at breakfast one morning that it was going to be "cold," and then sent them to get dressed. I meant cold like 50 degrees F, but Henry came down wearing a t-shirt, his uniform polo shirt, his school sweatshirt, and a fleece pullover. And then he put on his down coat, his hat, and his gloves. Because that's what we wear when it's "cold!" And then last week, when it was genuinely cold (15 degrees F), he went out to dinner with nothing under his coat but a short sleeved t-shirt.
He's not able to anticipate what "cold" will mean based solely on the temperature; even when he steps outside and feels the weather for himself, he can never figure out what will be appropriate to wear. I spend a lot of time listing for him what layers he needs for what weather. Fortunately, he's a rules kid and he'll wear what we tell him, but we have to remember to *tell* him.
Jennifer Byde Myers of Jennyalice (her son Jack has autism and cerebral palsy) is in the same boat, but her son's speech is limited so she has to be extra cautious:
Jack does not seem to notice hot or cold, generally speaking. He would happily play in our backyard well past the time a "typical" child would seek warmth. Because we have to be aware for him we try our best to clothe him in the most appropriate outfit for the cold. I try to wear a similar number of layers and fleece/wool combination so I can help gauge when he might be too hot or too cold.
Tarrant of Retro-Food.com has a son who senses the world intensely, though he is able to prioritize:
Boy doesn't care about cold weather as much as he does about not having to put on or deal with unfamiliar/uncomfortable clothing that violates his special clothing "rules" (e.g. no scratchy, stiff, binding, stretchy (like knit hats) clothing.
Kristen Spina of From Here to There and Back has a son who adores the cold:
I'm not sure if it is because he was born into cold weather, or because our lifestyle was such that I would simply bundle him up, plop him in the stroller and off we'd go for the day, but my son has never really been particularly sensitive to the cold. In fact, he seems to enjoy it. Snow, in particular. If there is snow outside, I can't keep him in the house.
We're also very lucky: He dresses appropriately for the weather. Again, maybe because it's been a part of his routine from infancy, he really has no aversion to cold weather gear. As long as what we ask him to wear is soft and fleecy next to his skin, he'll bundle up as much as the weather (or we) demand. I know some kids struggle with outerwear and gloves and hats, but
