Summer. For many Australians, the word conjures up images of endless blue skies, visits to the beach, and long, lazy afternoons with friends and family. It’s romanticised in countless songs, and the weather presenter on the news seems giddy with glee to announce its arrival.

Yeah, nah. When I hear the word summer, I shudder in fear. For at least three months of the year, often more, I’m bloody miserable. I hate the heat. To me, summer is sleepy afternoons spent under the fan or air-conditioner, ice pack on my head and shooting a glare at the fierce sunlight outside. It’s something that a lot of neurotypical people seem to find impossible to understand.

I’m an autistic person with a hypersensitivity to heat. Because of the sensory processing issues I have, I feel the heat to an extreme degree. Temperatures 22°C or above are uncomfortable for me, and anything over 26°C has me relegated to the nearest horizontal surface indoors. You can imagine how I feel when it climbs to the high thirties… or higher. (Australia is not a fun place to live if you hate warm weather.) Let me try and explain how it feels.

When it gets warm, especially if I’m forced to be out in the sun, it feels like I’m standing in the blast from a furnace. Hot air moving over my skin hurts. My body tries to protect me, so I start to sweat. My forehead, my neck, my chest – I can feel beads of sweat rolling across my skin, yet another piece of unwanted sensory information. So now that I’m warm and damp, feeling all too aware of my body, my head joins in. I get headaches, nausea or dizziness in any combination depending on the day, and if I’m really unlucky, my nose starts bleeding.

With all of that unpleasant sensory input happening, my brain can’t function properly. I lose a huge amount of my executive functioning, particularly in regard to interoception (my awareness of my body and what’s happening to it). When it’s hot I don’t feel hunger or realise that I need water. My brain feels fuzzy, and making decisions feels like an impossible challenge. I lose my ability to look after myself. As a grown adult who generally has low to medium support needs, it is an incredibly frustrating experience. Bump the temperature up by a few degrees and I’m suddenly incapable of thinking and functioning.

I was diagnosed with autism a little over a year ago. However, I’ve despised summer for as long as I can remember. When I was 16, I went on a school trip to Central Australia in September, when the temperatures were regularly in the mid to high thirties. Needless to say, not my wisest choice. Within a week of leaving I was admitted to the emergency department in Alice Springs Hospital and sent home on a plane a day later. I couldn’t understand what was wrong with me. Why was the heat affecting me, and only me, so intensely?

At least I know now that it was due to my undiagnosed autism, and the corresponding hypersensitivity to heat. We autistic people frequently fall under two categories: hypersensitive, and hyposensitive. Hypersensitivity is an extreme level of sensitivity to a sensory input – for me, summer heat. Hyposensitivity is the opposite. For example, I’m hyposensitive to the cold, and will often be found wandering around Melbourne in the dead of winter in shorts and a t-shirt.

Oddly enough, my brother, who shares the same genetic material as me, has the opposite problem. He barely feels the heat, frequently standing on the cricket pitch in direct summer sun for hours, but has a space heater running in his room all winter long to defend from the cold. Some of my autistic friends are unlucky enough to be hypersensitive to both heat and cold, and have a very limited range of temperatures where they feel comfortable. Others are hyposensitive to any temperatures, which leads to difficulty in dressing appropriately and preventing illnesses like colds or heatstroke.

We’re a complex bunch. Every autistic person experiences sensory input differently. The important thing to keep in mind is that we rarely exaggerate. If an autistic person you love says they’re too hot or too cold, they’re experiencing genuine discomfort and might need help regulating their temperature.

With that said, here are some of the strategies that I use to manage my hypersensitivity to heat in the harsh Australian summers. Some of these may work for you, others won’t – trial and error is the best way to find out what coping strategies work best.

Ice packs

Ice packs are your best friend in summer! There are medical ice packs that you can get from a pharmacy, but even a lunchbox ice block from the supermarket, wrapped in a tea towel, works well. I hear some people use bags of frozen peas or put a damp towel in the freezer. Whatever you have on hand works, so long as you don’t put ice directly on your skin. I recently purchased a hot/cold pack that can be heated or frozen and sits around your shoulders. It has been an absolute lifesaver for those times when I need to duck outside to hang out the laundry, or for a quick cool-down if I’m already overheated.

Icy poles

Icy poles are a summer classic, and tasty too! I keep a stash of Zooper Doopers in the freezer to eat. If you’re someone like me who forgets to eat when they’re hot, icy poles are great because they cool you off and reboot your hunger cues. Bonus: you can use them as an ice pack in an emergency! Remember, it’s better to eat something than nothing at all, so if you coast through the day on icy poles until you can manage solid food, that’s okay.

Fans

‘Yeah, duh’, I hear you say. The power of fans is not to be underestimated. When we moved into our house, there was only one working air-conditioner. Using a fan, however, we were able to push cool air around half of the house, keeping nearby rooms significantly cooler. Fans are also great in the evening when it cools down – place one by an open door and let that fresh breeze in. I sleep with a fan on almost every night during summer. (If you’re particularly sensitive to noise or air moving, this might not work for you.)

I also count handheld fans here. One of my best investments was a $10 hand-held, battery-powered fan that I can pack in my bag when I go out. Just creating a little breeze to cool off some sweat makes a huge difference. Of course, old-school paper fans are also a great solution here, and double as a stealthy stim.

Hair ties and clips

If you have long hair like me, you’ve probably experienced the unpleasant sensation of your hair making your neck overheat. Hair ties and clips are invaluable for keeping hair off your neck and shoulders. I recommend tying or clipping it up at the start of the day, even if it’s cool, so that you don’t have to worry about it at all. When it’s really hot, I often leave my hair up in a messy bun for days on end so that I don’t even have to think about it. Bandanas, headbands and bonnets can also be great, particularly for people with denser hair types.

Water

Yeah, I know, another obvious one. The key with water is to have it in a container nearby at all times. I personally find that I drink way more water when I have a cup with a straw. I have no idea why, I just like straws better than having to undo the lid whenever I want a sip. Friends of mine use mason jars in their house, and many people prefer cups. Try a few different things and see what style works for you. Also, don’t be afraid to add some flavouring like cordial or ice cubes – it’s really important to stay hydrated, and let’s be real, plain water can get boring.

Resting

Humans, especially those of us on the spectrum, were built to rest during the hottest parts of the day. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do on a hot day is give yourself a break somewhere cool and refresh yourself. This is not always easy or practical, especially if you’re someone who works regular hours or attends school. One of the most frustrating things for me is having to cancel work shifts on really hot days, because my body simply can’t keep up with the demands. However, although it’s financially challenging, it means I don’t have to spend a few days recovering from the strain afterwards. You know your situation best! Don’t feel ashamed to ask for accommodations.

Cold Water

Showers are an absolute lifesaver for me in summer. A nice, cold shower does miracles for regulating my body temperature. I can always feel my mood lifting as soon as I’m under the spray, and I come out feeling like a different person. If you’re not a shower person, putting your feet in a bath – or even a bucket – filled with cold water is also great for regulating your temperature. Even a damp, cool cloth wiped on your skin can provide the cooling benefits, as can a quick spritz of water from a bottle. Our skin is designed to cool off as moisture evaporates, so use it to your advantage in whatever way feels most comfortable.

Those are just a few simple tricks that I like to use, and don’t cost heaps of money. Have you tried any of these? Do you have your own summer survival tips? Let us know below!