Building Tolerance for Mask Wearing

Young children and children with developmental disabilities may struggle with learning to wear a mask. For some children who are sensitive to different textures and sensations, the feeling of wearing a mask might be overwhelming, other children may struggle to remember not to move or touch the mask, and others may just find it challenging to adjust to something different. With California and many other states now implementing a mandatory mask order, it is more important than ever to provide the supports that children need to successfully wear a mask out in the community. A good starting point is to figure out what aspects of wearing a mask seem to be most challenging for your child.

If your child struggles with change or just doesn’t understand why they have to wear a mask try:

Giving calm & clear explanations- “We want to keep ourselves and other people safe from germs. When we wear a mask around other people it can help keep us safe”

Give frequent reminders: Wearing a mask should never come as a surprise. Give simple reminders ahead of time: “When we go to the store, we will wear our masks.” Putting a visual reminder by the door might help everyone remember the expectations when you leave the house!

Model- Make sure that other members of the family are wearing their masks. Point out other children and adults that are wearing masks when in public

Use a social story- You can create your own social story or try this one: Staying Healthy By Wearing a Face Mask

Use if-then statements- “If you want to get ice cream then we have to wear a mask in line.” Try to start with activities that your child really enjoys, so that there is a clear reward for mask-wearing. Some children might need a visual reminder.

If your child struggles with sensory overload from the mask or doesn’t know how to wear a mask try:

Start small and slow and build up to wearing the mask- Have your child get used to the mask by holding it, feeling the fabric, touching the mask to their face, putting on earloop on, putting both ear loops on, and finally wearing the mask for a very short amount of time.  Depending on the child each of these steps may need to be worked on several times before they are ready to move onto the next step.

Practice at home- Once your child can wear the mask, start working on wearing the mask for longer periods of time at home. You can use a visual timer or practice wearing a mask during a fun task like a game. 

Provide praise and rewards- Learning to wear a mask can feel really overwhelming and tough for some kids, so make sure that you are giving praise and rewards for each step they make towards wearing the mask.

Try different types- There are lots of masks available these days. You can try different fabrics or find masks that stay on your child’s head without pressing on their ears. For example, some masks tie behind the head or button on to a hat. This might be helpful for children who are very touch-sensitive. You can also find masks with fun characters, topics, or colors which may help your child feel excited about wearing a mask. Give your child a choice of which mask they want to wear.