One of the things we’ve had to deal with as part of COVID is getting used to wearing a mask. Some children just don’t like them, some will have sensory issues with them, so what are you to do?
This has been an issue for us. Two of our children have gotten used to wearing masks with very little problems. Our youngest…that’s a different story.
Now our eldest didn’t like wearing a mask initially. We started through all of our normal steps for change. Talking it up, modeling the behavior for him, etc. He would wear a mask, but didn’t like to, and rarely wore it correctly at first, so we worked with him to learn how to properly wear it. It took lots of hands on effort, but it helped.
But what got him “liking” to wear the mask, was when we found some Superhero masks that he could wear. We ordered them, and soon he would proudly announce that he was The Flash, or Iron Man, or any of the other masks he has. We let him pick them out online so he had a say in it.
The masks were softer than the ones he had, and I think that helped especially since so many people on the spectrum have sensory issues. So that was a huge plus.
Now, even months later, we get comments when we go out to the grocery store, or other places. People will strike up a conversation with him about his mask.
I wish I could say our seven year old is finally wearing a mask properly, but that just wouldn’t be true. As a non-verbal, who doesn’t always respond to verbal commands, it has been a real task. We’ll make progress, only to lose it a little while later.
Part of the issue is masks for kids that small are hard to really find. We’re always having to adjust, and that doesn’t always work. Understand that despite your best efforts, you can’t always succeed. That doesn’t mean we don’t keep trying, but it doesn’t always happen, even after two years.
For us, we’ve opted to be careful as to when and where we go out, often leaving someone home to stay with the littlest one in order to keep him as safe as possible since he currently doesn’t wear a mask properly. Safety with our kids is a big concern, especially for our non-verbal son as he can’t tell us when he’s not feeling well. So we don’t know when he doesn’t feel well until we see either a change in behavior or outward symptoms. By this time, he is most likely contagious. So we limit his exposure to potential problems – eat out at off times and away from others, do outdoor activities and watch church online. Luckily his school class is small and we can drive him to and from school so he doesn’t have to ride the bus (one hour ride each way).
