Baby blankets, stuffed animals, t-shirts, fidget toys, lovey blankets..etc. Comfort is comfort, no matter where the person seeks it. This is something I need to stress. A comfort object is sacred to anyone, whether they be *neurotypical or neurodivergent. I'm not speaking for all autistic people, but for me, my comfort objects are indeed sacred. I still sleep with a stuffed animal, I enjoy going to Build-A-Bear and 'building' a new friend, and I've even made a couple security blankets, the one pictured above is my current project. My husband doesn't question when I want to bring a stuffed animal out on a walk, or when I need to lay down with one of my security blankets. No, it's not creepy. It's not infantalization of a 'disabled' person. It's comfort, which is something everyone needs. Mocking someone based on what soothes them emotionally is practically like punching them in the face, except their wounds aren't shown physically. Taking away a comfort object is damaging behavior and causes the person to feel lost, exposed, and even helps the victim develop trust issues. So let's say this together. Comfort objects are sacred. Help the person protect their comfort if it's put in danger or questioned, defend their right to this freedom and accept it. You don't need to understand this part of their life in order to accept it, you just need to know it's for their benefit and not yours. It won't directly impact your life, nor will it damage it, but it can destroy theirs if you take this from them. Don't even joke about taking this from the person, either. Being cruel to another human being solely for their difference, is awful and disgusting. My cousin, who will be left unnamed, did this to me as a child. I was no older than 8 when he, while at our family cabin, told me he had taken my security blanket (which was something I had from birth until then), off of my bed on the second floor, and thrown it into the wood stove. I sobbed. I begged him to tell me that it wasn't true, I couldn't sleep without the blanket. My whole sleep schedule revolved around having that, and my stuffed animal. He laughed at me, and kept silent on the subject, until one of my other cousins, who was closer to my age, told me he had sneaked upstairs and found it hidden under my pillow, right where I left it. He didn't tip off the first about this, and that helped calm me down. The older cousin wasn't going to go looking for it, he just enjoyed tormenting me, the child who was an undiagnosed autistic. Pretty shitty, huh? Well, I still have that blanket, and have since guarded it with my life. That single moment ruined my trust, and respect for my older cousin. That's the moment I realized I could never like him, let alone stand to be near him. I loathe him for that moment. That might seem petty to some people, but to me, it's the day I learned he's cruel. When a child's eyes are opened to the cruelty of others, especially relatives, is the moment part of their innocence dies. I suppose that is the true basis as to why I loathe him. Anyways. Imagine experiencing that as an adult. You've gone your whole existence depending on this one object, and suddenly it's gone, and not by your own doing. It's just gone. Don't ever do that to someone. It's torturous and like I said, awful. Let that person exist happily with their comfort item, and accept it. It's not that hard.
*Neurotypical: A person who does not have any sort of "condition" that affects their brain, such as Autism, Bipolar, ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia..etc.
