Help me keep DS warm in winter!

[MedusaIsHavingaBadHairday]

DS2 is 17 but the teen section is a bit quiet..
He has autism and LDs, and has real difficulty understanding that he needs different things in different weather. He also doesn't seem aware if he is hot, cold, ill, etc He likes to wear the same things all the time.. we have multiples of identical t shirts and trousers and I have to replace the same jacket every year (that's been tricky now he's adult sized!)

This year at SN college his taxi picks him up after I leave for work.. this is fine, as he can be left for 30 mins and the taxi people (who are fab) knock for him and make sure the door is shut ..mostly!! However he is leaving in just a t shirt with a very thin jacket (won't wear anything else) and he is blue when he comes home. Some days he works at a garden project which is outdoors. I leave his hoodies out for him, I remind him every morning but he just doesn't remember or think. Half the week his brother is here so that's fine but the other half ..I need a way to ensure he is dressed properly.

It's an ongoing issue with everything. He follows a strict routine (which means I CAN'T get him wrapped before I leave.. that would distress him too much) and I want him to learn to do this himself if at all possible! (gloves and hat would be even better )

Any suggestions on how I can do this?

i do feel for you on this one, my 21 year old ds is an aspie and he never seems to notice temperature changes either. in the end, i took him shopping on line [ he hates 'real shopping' ] and over short sessions 10/15 minutes, he chose a new jacket, couple of hoodies and some trainers at least he is warm now when he goes out. he is pleased as he chose them, so is keen to wear them. would your ds wear a baseball cap of a favourite football team or the like, a scarf and gloves to match ?

I was going to suggest sending hoodies/fleeces to college too but polter beat me to it (funny how we so often think along the same lines).

Failing that I wondered about a base layer or vest under his tshirt.

Body warmers can be less restricting than coats and the down ones are very warm.

Dd1 was the same until she turned 20 and then suddenly she bought herself a coat! We were all amazed.

All of these traits ring so true for my eldest, who's 18. I suspect AS though he's undiagnosed (we're working on it). Clothes are a big issue for DS, he's very body concious (doesn't want to wear thick clothing which he believes make him look larger) and has sensory issues, so he can't stand wearing gloves, hats, scarves or anything which irritates his skin.

Personally, I'd work on the hoodie first as it might make the most difference. Does he feel okay wearing it when prompted or reminded, or does he really dislike it altogether? If he does, could you find one which is better suited? Maybe he'd be more inclined to wear something really plain or which matches his coat.

Perhaps you could leave it right next to the front door or hung on top of his coat; somewhere he absolutely can't ignore it on his way out of the house?

When DS was on work placement, I used to put his safety goggles and gloves on the kitchen table beside his breakfast plate to ensure he wouldn't forget them (he hates carrying bags and mostly refused to wear a coat so I couldn't even out them in his pockets!).

I also tried bright-coloured post-its for other reminders (on the back of the front door worked well). Veiled texts, when I could time them well (a few minutes before he was due to set off out) also worked, such as "hope you stay warm today, I was freezing on the way to work". DS knew I was thinking about him and often remembered to wrap up without my directly reminding ("nagging" as he'd say) to put on his coat.

DS hates it when I remind him about things as he feels independent and doesn't want to be "babied", but often forgets to do things when without prompting. Working on one thing at a time until it becomes habit, or part of his routines, works better for us.

Uniglo do very soft thermal stuff in their heat tech range. They also do really light but warm soft down jackets (actually polyester), which they sometimes have at half price and work really well.