These clothes are comfy and stylish and can make life much easier for kids with autism.
"Revolutionary? No, just 'mom sense.'"
Like every parent, Lauren Thierry wants her son to be independent.
That includes the ability for him to dress himself without getting frustrated.
"A lot of people with autism have issues with fine and gross motor skills," Lauren, whose son, Liam, has autism, explained to ABC News.
"I know it sounds like such a non-issue. And yet, if your kid can't get dressed, they can't get out of the house. You start to realize mom is not going to live forever."
Lauren and her son, Liam. Photo courtesy of Lauren Thierry.
That's why she created a clothing line designed specifically for kids with cognitive impairments and physical disabilities.
It's called Independence Day Clothing. And it's awesome.
Photo courtesy of Lauren Thierry.
They may just look like a stylish group of kids. But their clothes are unique in subtle and important ways.
Because of those issues Lauren mentioned above, some common features on clothing — things like buttons, zippers, tags, and lace — can make it difficult for children with autism to get dressed by themselves. So, you won't find any buttons, zippers, tags, or lace on Independence Day clothes.
Lookin' fly, guys! Photo courtesy of Lauren Thierry.
Essentially, there's "no way to wear it wrong," Lauren says.
The clothing line is filled with items made with super-sensory-smooth (aka very comfy) fabric and without a clear front or back so that kids can put them on whichever way they please.
Many items are also equipped with GPS devices.
Having a child wander off unsupervised can be a nightmare for any parent, but it can be especially troublesome if that child has autism. Independence Day Clothing includes tracking technology in several of its items, putting moms and dads at ease.
"Anytime I want to know where my child is, I whip out my iPhone — there's an app right there," Thierry told HuffPost Live in March 2015. "Four seconds later, I know exactly where [my son] is."
These clothes aren't just easy and stylish, they keep kids safer too. Photo courtesy of Lauren Thierry.
Lauren also has other cool items in the works, like sweaters, unisex shorts, and socks with no heel or toe seam.
Seriously, we want to see these designs rocking a red carpet soon. Photo courtesy of Lauren Thierry.
These clothes may be innovative. But to Lauren, her work comes down to simply wanting what's best for her kid.
While some may consider Independence Day Clothing "revolutionary" — as one media outlet proclaimed — she told Upworthy she sees it otherwise:
"What I did was not revolutionary. It was simply something that had to be done. Like the moms in the 1960s who safety pinned mittens to their kids coats before there were mitten clips. The moms did it because those 'kittens' might lose their 'mittens.' Revolutionary? No, just 'mom sense.'"
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."