I started StimSensory just over a year ago now. A lot has happened since then, and I thought I’ve done in that time.

In the past year…

• I was accepted into the University of Bath

• I moved into University

• I made a load of new friends from my course

• I have written lab reports and essays and done presentations… which still applies today

• I have engaged with the autistic community more than ever before

• I’ve learned more about the challenges autistic people other than myself face

• I have researched autism for many hours (for fun!) and have applied autism to practically every piece of coursework I could

• I have met some incredible people online (both autistic people and parents of autistic people)

• I have received countless kind, lovely messages from autistic people and their parents, and people with different connections to autistic people. Every one of these brightens my day and encourages me to keep going, keep writing, keep learning

• My room at home has been filled with sensory toys (unfortunately not all for me, mostly to sell)

• My room at university has also been taken over my sensory toys (mostly mine this time!)

• I’ve spent hours at my desk making new chewable necklaces (whilst watching Netflix)

• I have had over 99 tabs open on my phone with various research and studies into autism (after 99 tabs my phone gives up and just displays a :D symbol). I’m only just starting to go through these and decide which to delete or put on an Excel file to read later

• I have had 125 orders

• I have written 36 blog posts (if I counted correctly)

• I have started selling outside the UK, and am still working on selling elsewhere

All of this would not be possible without so, so many other people.

My parents, who helped me during my gap year, enabling me to save up so I could start the business. They are still helping so much now! My mum packages and sends off deliveries whilst I am at University.

My aunts and uncles and cousins who share my business and tell others about it, reaching those I cannot, such as teachers.

All of the people who have ordered from me, left comments on my blog posts or Instagram, or sent me lovely messages about how the blogs or stim toys have helped them.

Over the next year, I am planning to work on selling to even more countries, stocking even more stim toys, and creating more ‘stim toy bundles’. I am looking forward to the second year of StimSensory, and hope you are too! :)