How One Mom Created Clothing to Enhance Life for Kids With Autism
Smart tech and the world of wearables has been expanding to just about every aspect of our life over the last year or so. Now, one mom is bringing both together in a new line of clothing for kids that’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before.
Meet Lauren Thierry, a former CNN anchor who left the TV biz after a decade to take care of her son Liam, who has autism. During that time she also produced the documentary, Autism Every Day, and discovered that many families who have children with autism face an interesting daily obstacle: getting dressed in the AM. To address this issue, Lauren launched Independence Day Clothing, a line of easy-to-get-on clothes that cuts the typical dressing time down from 30 minutes to three AND is fabricated with a GPS tracker. That’s right, these kiddy clothes are GPS-enabled.
The women-and minority-run company enables young ones to dress themselves more easily. Thanks to the smart designs of the clothing — it is reversible inside + out and backwards + forwards — there is no chance of putting the outfits on incorrectly. The pieces also include faux flies + buttons, hidden elastic waists and pants with no snaps or zippers.
The clothing is also way comfortable, constructed with cottony-soft fiber and stretchy fabric. The inspiration for that came from Lauren’s childhood ballerina days, when she danced in stretchy leotards and costumes with secret panels. The brand, which has everything from tees, skirts, tanks, dresses, boxers, pants, socks and jackets, implemented the performance-wear aspect of those leotards to make even the most sensory-defensive wearers comfortable throughout the entire day. Not only is the clothing line’s fabric stretchy and soft, but there’s no scratchy tags or shiny polyesters, making the attire even more comfy.
While comfort and ease of dressing are fascinating aspects of the clothing company, its inclusion of a GPS tracker makes it a true standout. The clothes have strategically placed slots for a Empower GPS Tracking Device that can be inserted without being distracting or annoying to the wearer. This feature allows parents to go about their day without having to worry as much about where their child is.
Let us know your thoughts on this innovative clothing line in the comments.
(h/t Observer, photo via Rob Loud/Getty)