Marvel and Mum was created by a 9 year old boy.

The term Marvel is a commonly used for children with additional needs. Our story started many years ago when our Marvel was only very little. He began his journey through life all very normal, but as he grew we noticed small difficulties he was having with processing the world around him. At around 18 months old our first meeting was happening, there will be many more as the years go on, however nursery were noticing difficulties, as first time parents we just thought this was all quite usual, he was a very healthy active little boy. As time went on it was noticeable that he needed additional support to get through the day at pre-school, all the time in the background we as parents were doing our best to research and find out what we could do to help him. It became apparent over time that we were certain he had autism, however its not that simple at an early age to get him the correct support. Now hes starting school and he has to wear a school uniform, the clothes are itchy, scratchy and just unbearable for him to wear, this is where we began to see more of his sensory needs. Hes getting older and we are still going backwards and forwards between school meetings, Drs appointments, school nurse, psychologists, and meetings with the local authority about schooling. All the time he is struggling with clothing, we are forever buying him clothes, spending a fortune trying to find something, anything that he can bare to wear without it causing him distress. After the hours of meetings, research and appointments we finally receive a diagnosis of ASD, ADHD, and Sensory Processing Disorder. We were right and the emotions were high, we were finally going to get the help he so deserved to just be able to process and cope with the big world around him. Our journey is nowhere near finished but we didn't know that. Trying to find a suitable school for him is another story, the world around him was just too much, too many people, too many noises from the buzz of the lighting to the ticking of the clock.

 

As time continued to move on so his needs became more apparent, he was able to communicate with us his needs, it became less infuriating for him as he was starting to be able to actually tell us what was wrong. He is now 7 and beginning to open up, getting him dressed for the day is still a massive hurdle for him, he puts on his clothes and starts to come downstairs, a few steps down and hes becoming "fidgetated" (i so love that phrase) he begins to moan, he starts squirming, suddenly his t shirt comes flying down the stairs, next his trousers and by the time hes at the bottom of the stairs hes naked. Hes in tears, hes uncontrollably shaking with frustration, he cant talk, he can hardly move, he explodes and runs back to his room sobbing. We comfort him, he runs into Mummy's arms for that much needed reassurance and that ever so loving cuddle. He begins to calm down and talk, the t shirt felt itchy and the label scratched him. The label was removed and we tried again, the stitching was too scratchy. T shirt number 2 came out and that one wasn't soft enough the material wasn't right. After an hour or so and several attempts to get dressed we were finally there, he was ready for the day. A few months have passed and we have piles of clothes that just aren't suitable for his needs, we keep buying different clothes in the hope we will finally find something he is comfortable in. We find an outfit that doesn't cause distress and its the only one he will wear, so we wash and dry the same outfit day in and day out. He's now 8 and coming up to 9 and clothing is still a big issue, we have found clothing that he likes and will wear. The problem is the clothes are plain and boring. Our Marvel and his Mum have spent months discussing what to do, so they start to personalise the clothes to make them more appealing and fun. Hes getting older and asks his Mum if they can start to make clothes to help others like him, hes such a kind and caring little boy. So they create Marvel and Mum, the home of soft personalised clothing, each peice is hand customised and designed to each individuals choice of design and colour. Every item of clothing is made with the same love and enthusiasm that goes into making them for our very own Marvels.