Body Sox and Other Sensory Pleasures

A person our family is lucky to know -- K.H., the autism specialist in our school district -- brought Benjy a gift today: a "body sock." For those of you who don't parent a child with what they call "sensory issues," this body sock thing will sound bizarre.

What the heck could a body sock be?

No, not that.

Yeah, that.


It's like a spandex cocoon that offers pressure all over -- and pressure is something kids on the autism spectrum seem to really like. Remember Temple Grandin's hug machine? She wants pressure but can't tolerate a human hug. So, being Temple Grandin, she designed and built a solution:

Benjy really enjoys his body sock. He says it makes him feel like a flying squirrel -- and the power to fly is high on his wish list. K.H. got us the body sock by reaching out to her network of families. One of these families had a body sock they wanted to donate to someone who needed it, and we were the grateful recipients.

What I love about disability families is the way we've got each others' backs. Okay, we may disagree on the whole vaccine issue -- and believe me, there's some vitriolic discourse out there -- but I firmly believe that when the chips are down, one disability family will help another. I know I relish the opportunity to give back, because we have received so much generous support from so many people.

And if any of those families are really lucky, they'll have a person like K.H. in their lives.