Autism and Wearing A Face Mask

How is your child handling wearing face masks, and is there a better solution?

With the current COVID-19 pandemic continuing to evolve and change across the United States and around the world, many businesses and governments are requiring the mandatory use of face masks to help prevent the spread of the virus. Regardless of whether you have autism or how old you are, wearing those face masks for any length of time can be extremely challenging.

With COVID-19 becoming a pandemic, many governments and local communities have enforced or recommended the use of mandatory face masks. During a pandemic, the government has a lot more freedom to implement any measures they deem beneficial to stop the spread of the disease or virus.

The difficulties of wearing face masks for any length of time for people without autism is challenging enough. Now, add in impaired social and communication skills, repetitive behaviors, insistence on sameness, and primarily sensory intolerances, and you’ll start to get a clearer picture of what people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are facing.

Below, we have some tips and advice to help you make the transition to wearing a face mask. However, it is still going to be extremely challenging for anyone that has severe sensory intolerances. There is also a range of high-quality sensory-friendly protective fabric masks, which may help make the transition a little smoother.

Tips for Introducing a Face Mask!

Try demonstrating the use of the face mask on yourself or other people in the home, stuffed animals, or a doll.

Let your child choose a face mask that they would like. Try a few different styles or colors.

Don’t wait until you arrive at a store to try the face mask. Start practicing wearing it at home for short periods and then gradually increase the times.

Start small. Try low impact environments for short periods and work your way up to more prominent places with more people and for more extended periods.

Printed photos showing the face mask make great visual cues to demonstrate when it’s time to wear the face mask.

If you have come up with any different ways that made the transition to wearing face masks, we’d love to hear about them. Please comment below, and if you have any questions, then don’t hesitate to contact us.