Masks can help stop the spread of coronavirus not just by protecting the wearer, but by preventing the wearer — who could be an asymptomatic spreader — from breathing and spitting their germs everywhere.
It may be scary for some children with ASD to start wearing a mask. Here are some tips to help them through it.
1. Use Reinforcers Strategically
Limit your child’s access to reinforcers such as his/her favorite toys and food for a few days, and use them as a reward for practicing wearing a mask. Choose a time when you and your child are calm, instruct your child to wear a mask at home and provide reinforcers for practicing. Gradually increase the time that the child needs to wear the mask. If successful, you can practice outside your home.
2. Be Progressive and Systematic
Use a timer that your child is familiar with. Set the time to 1 second and encourage your child to wear the mask. When time’s up, he/she can remove the mask and receive a reinforcer immediately. You should then extend the required time to 2s, 5s, 10s, 1min, 5min and so on systematically, to get your child used to wearing a mask.
3. Make Wearing a Mask a Routine
Some of the children with ASD love to follow routines. Parents can make wearing mask a routine and present it in the timetable of your child’s for him/her to follow.
4. Desensitization Training
If your child refuses to wear mask because he/her can’t stand the feeling of having things covering his/her face, parents can first practice with your child to cover the nose and mouth with a tissue, and provide reinforcers. Gradually extend the time and use thicker tissue. When your child can bear to cover his/her nose and mouth with a thick tissue, you can switch to a towel for practice. After success, he/she may try use a thinner mask and gradually move on to practice with a regular mask.
5. Cater for Your Child’s Preferences
Some children with ASD refuse to wear mask because they don’t like the color or look of the masks. According to your child’s preference, you can choose a mask with the color that he/her likes. Put a sticker on the mask, or even choose a mask with cartoon print on it.
6. Embedded into Games
You can use the mask as a toy and play assorted imaginary games with your child. Fox instance, use the mask as a towel for the doll, make a tunnel of masks for the toy trains to pass through, and make the mask into a superhero mask for Ironman and Spiderman.
A step-by-step guide video:
Information provided by:
Raymond Fung, M.S. ABA, BCBA (Autism Partnership Training Director) |
Raymond Fung Raymond is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with a Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from St. Cloud State University, and currently pursuing his doctoral degree at the University of Bristol in education. Raymond was the clinical director of 2 AP international offices, a conference chair of Hong Kong Association for Behaivor Analysis (HKABA), and a part-time lecturer of a master program of ASD in the Open University of Hong Kong. For over 20 years, Raymond has been teaching individuals with ASD of different ages and functioning levels in 1 on 1, group and school settings at Autism Partnership under the on-going training from Dr. Ron Leaf and his associates. Since 2004, he has been specializing in professional training for therapists, supervisors, schoolteachers, and parents internationally. In 2014-15, Raymond developed 6 mobile applications for individuals with ASD. He consults in China, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Korea, South Africa, and Russia. Currently, he is the training director of AP Hong Kong, and the voluntary consultant of AP Foundation. Raymond has been actively promoting autism awareness and effective treatment by conducting workshops, writing articles for his 2 columns, and hosting a radio program. |
Related Events:
Please share to let more people know about ABA Therapy Skills.
Facebook: APautism
Wechat: AutismPartnership_HK
Learn more about our ABA Services
[:zh]新型冠狀病毒肺炎疫情還在蔓延，戴口罩已經成為我們日常生活的一部分。但是部分患有自閉症的小朋友不肯或未能適當地使用口罩，令不少家長大感頭痛！
各位爸爸媽媽不妨試試這些方法，教小朋友保持戴上口罩的好習慣，做好個人衛生防護措施！
1. 善用強化物
保留小孩喜歡的玩具和食物數天，作為練習戴口罩的獎勵。然後選擇一個家長和小孩心平氣和的時間，在家中指示小孩戴上口罩，並給予獎勵。練習時間可以慢慢加長，若成功，便可以外出練習。
2. 循序漸進
向小孩展示熟悉的計時器，把時間調校至1秒，然後鼓勵戴上口罩，當鐘聲響起，小孩便可以除下口罩，並即時得到獎勵。之後循序漸進，把時間逐步延長，例如：2秒，5秒，10秒，30秒，1分鐘，5分鐘等，讓小孩慢慢適應佩戴口罩。
3. 把戴口罩變成一個常規
一些自閉症小孩特別喜歡跟隨常規。家長可以把戴口罩編為一個行常活動，用圖片或文字展示在日程當中，讓小孩跟隨。
4. 減敏訓練
若小孩因為敏感和侷促，拒絕接觸口罩，家長可以首先跟小孩練習用紙巾蓋上口鼻，並給予獎勵。之後慢慢延長時間，並加厚紙巾。當小孩能忍受用厚紙巾蓋上口鼻，便可轉用毛巾練習，成功後再用較薄的口罩嘗試，最終以一般口罩練習。
5. 投其所好
一些自閉症小孩抗拒戴口罩，可能是因為不喜歡口罩的顏色或模樣。家長可嘗試因應小孩的喜好，在口罩外貼上小孩喜歡的貼紙，或選擇小孩喜歡的顏色，甚至印有卡通圖案的口罩。
6. 融入遊戲
家長可以嘗試把口罩當作玩具，跟小孩玩不同的假想遊戲，例如：用口罩為洋娃娃抹身；弄一條口罩隧道讓玩具火車駛過；把口罩變成超級英雄的面具，例如鐵甲奇俠或蜘蛛俠等。
課程教學示範
相關教學分享：
資訊提供:
馮耀文 應用行為分析碩士, 國際認證行為分析師 (Autism Partnership 行為分析治療培訓總監) |
馮耀文 馮耀文(Raymond)為國際認證行為分析師 (BCBA)，擁有聖克勞德州立大學「應用行為分析」碩士(M.S. ABA)學位，現正修讀布里斯托大學的教育博士(EdD)課程；他曾任2所AP海外支部的臨床總監，香港行為分析學會 (HKABA) 會議主席，香港公開大學自閉症碩士課程兼任講師。Raymond自2000年香港大學畢業後便加入Autism Partnership (AP) 成為行為分析治療師，同時繼續進修並接受自閉症治療權威專家Dr. Ronald Leaf 和其顧問團隊的培訓。Raymond治療不同程度患有自閉症的兒童、青少年及成年人超過20年，不僅為本地個案、小組及學校提供支援，亦定期前往世界各地培訓治療師及提供諮詢服務，包括新加坡、日本、南韓、菲律賓、中國、馬來西亞及南非等地。 他現正擔任香港AP的行為分析治療培訓總監，愛培自閉症基金義務顧問。2014-15年，Raymond開發了6個以「應用行為分析」(ABA) 概念而設的iPad互動學習應用程式。2016年，開發了一個專為中學生而設的到校社交課程 ACTION! 。近年，Raymond積極推廣關顧自閉症，曾為香港電影擔任自閉症顧問，並為《親子頭條》及《Oh!爸媽》定期撰寫專欄。2018年與幾位自閉症成年朋友製作廣播節目《星球人有話兒2》，節目於香港電台廣播。 |
相關活動:
請分享，讓更多人了解自閉症及學習更多應用行為分析（ ABA）的治療技巧。
Facebook: APautism
微信號: AutismPartnership_HK
