Therapeutic clothing having sensory strips and stress relieving components incorporated therein

#The present patent application is generally related to clothing, and is more specifically related to therapeutic clothing having discrete sensory strips and stress relieving components incorporated therein.

#Autism is a neurological disorder characterized by symptoms including impaired social interaction, poor verbal and non-verbal communication skills, and restricted and repetitive behavior. It is believed that autism affects how information is processed in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize. The signs of autism usually appear within the first two years of a child's life.

#Each person who lives with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a unique case, unlike any other. Currently, societal awareness and understanding of ASD is not widespread. As parents, caregivers, teachers, and physicians learn more about autism, they are better able to identify and diagnose individuals displaying autism characteristics. In effort to provide the best quality of life, early detection and diagnosis of ASD is key.

#FIG. 1A shows pants having sensory strips attached to the outsides of the legs, in accordance with one embodiment of the present patent application.

#FIG. 1B shows a right side view of the pants shown in FIG. 1A.

#FIG. 1C shows a cross-sectional view of the pants shown in FIG. 1A taken along line 1C-1C of FIG. 1A.

#Referring to FIG. 1A, in one embodiment, pants 20 have a waistband 22 located at an upper end and first and second legs 24, 26 that extend down from the waistband 22. The first leg 24 has an inside surface 28A, and an outside surface 30A that extends from the waistband 22 to the lower end 32A of the first leg 24. A first sensory strip 34A is secured to the outer edge 30A of the first leg 24. In one embodiment, the first sensory strip 34A extends from the waistband 22 to the lower end 32A of the first leg 24. In one embodiment, the first sensory strip 34A may extend only part of the way between the waistband 22 and the lower end 32A of the first leg 24. In one embodiment, the first sensory strip 34A has an inner edge 36A that is sewn to the outside surface 30A of the first leg 24, and an outer edge 38A that is free to move. Thus, the first sensory strip 34A is a flap of material that extends outwardly from the outside surface 30A of the first leg 24. In one embodiment, the first sensory strip 34A has a width that is greater than the thickness of the first sensory strip. In one embodiment, the first sensory strip 34A has a width W1 of about one-three inches, and more preferably about one inch. In one embodiment, the first sensory strip 34A has a thickness T1 (FIG. 1B) of about 1/16th-¼th inches and more preferably about ⅛th of an inch.

#In one embodiment, the pants 20 desirably include a second sensory strip 34B that is attached to an outside surface 30B of the second leg 26, which faces away from an inside surface 28B of the second leg. In one embodiment, the second sensory strip 34B extends between the waistband 22 and the lower end 32B of the second leg 26. In one embodiment, the second sensory strip 34B extends only part of the way between the waistband 22 and the lower end 32B of the second leg 26. In one embodiment, the second sensory strip 34B preferably has an inner edge 36B that is sewn to the outside surface 30B of the second leg 26 and a second free edge 38B that extends between the waistband 22 and the lower end 32B of the second leg 26. Because the second sensory strip 34B is attached to the second leg 26 along only one edge, the free edge 38B of the second sensory strip defines a flap of material that is able to move freely relative to the outside surface 30B of the second leg 26. In one embodiment, the second sensory strip 34B has a width and a thickness that is similar to the dimensions for the first sensory strip described above.

#FIG. 1C shows the second sensory strip 34B sewn to the outside surface 30B of the second leg 26 of the pants 20 (FIG. 1A). The second sensory strip 34B has an inner edge 36B that is sewn to the outside surface 30B of the second leg 26 and a free outer edge 38B that is not sewn to the pants and that is free to move. In one embodiment, the free outer edge 38B defines a flap of material that may be engaged by the hands and fingers of an individual. The second sensory strip 34B has a width W1 that is greater than the thickness T1. In one embodiment, the width W1 is about 0.5-3 inches and more preferably about one inch and the thickness T1 is about ⅛th inch.