Mask and Autism: Help 4 Special

Mask and Autism

31 March 2022
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COVID-19 has been heading up headlines around the world, while anyone with intellectual disability, moderate to severe developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder, muscular dystrophy, or brain disorders like cerebral palsy may also be more vulnerable to severe illness from COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Schools are closed, connections with service providers are lost and everyone is concern about contracting the virus.

Think about the special need souls who sometimes react too much when parents make them follow the protocols of COVID-19, out of all wearing a muscle to children with Autism or sensory issues has been a task for a parent and a big matter of concern but at the same its a need or demand for the current scenario.

Model for your child how and when to wear a mask. If you are asking your child to wear a mask, you should be wearing one as well. As children are the best observers even if didn’t too but make sure when you are telling your child to wear a mask you yourself to wear a mask. As media, government newspaper social media are making us aware of what to do what not do but for children, especially children with special needs we
( parents, society) principal taker of the children!
Allow the person with ASD to choose among different types of fabric face masks to find one that is most comfortable. Use and experiment as much mask your child needs to get in comfortable. we too need comfy durable sustainable for breath in and out, we check too many features to get comfortable with a mask .think about children while sometimes you need to understand their gestures which tells and reflect that mask is appropriate for them . for example child will make the mask for a longer duration if he like everything about but another child who didn’t like the mask he may get off the may every moment he may scratch his mouth some time to you, he may feel clingy, irritated, annoyed yelling. These are some signs you need to check!
Try for the cotton mask to make sure with a maximum of 3 layers, as synthetic and other masks cause allergy to baby skin.
Don’t use vibrant color masks as sometimes it may cause hyperactivity to children sometimes they didn’t like the masks.

Show pictures of other children who are the same age wearing masks out in public to help them feel comfortable and decrease “stereotypes” for wearing a mask. Show them different pictures of children wearing masks or you can make video calls with other children by wearing masks

Pretend to play masks: use dolls and teddy bears. Make soft toys wear masks and pretend to walk with toys into the house.
Take time to introduce and acclimate to a face mask. Remember that you don’t want to introduce a mask to a hesitant child or teen on the spot. It might be helpful to have them do this while engaging in a preferred activity such as watching their favorite television show or playing on the iPad.
Play peek-a-boo like the one who hides will ear the mask different color mask the one who searches will wear a different color mask
Limit their access to media which often presents a sense of being out-of-control. If your child senses that you or the community is anxious and stressed, they are more likely to display similar behavior.
After wearing masks make a habit of moisturizing your child’s face as they might be faced crackles on skin.
Provide lots of opportunities to practice at home before heading out of the house.
Take a drill - which means before heading out prepare your child about wearing mask is a must all the members wear a mask before stepping out , the child will adjust to wearing the mask too
When your child is ready to take a trip out of the house while wearing his/her mask, keep it short. Reinforce, reinforce, reinforce!

Step by step method of wearing a mask :