Having just become a victim to that classroom classic 'the stomach bug' I have been reminded again how important washing hands is for EVERYBODY!!
However for many children and young people with autism, severe learning difficulties or profound and multiple learning difficulties this routine can present challenges.
For some children with sensory processing difficulties who may be hyper sensitive the sensation of hot/cold or running water can almost be painful making hand washing in the sink intolerable. I use anti-bacterial wipes to support these children to clean their hands in the bathroom.
Offering children other opportunities to experience water on the skin such as water play, using spray bottles in sensory stories or even experiencing the rain can help some children with sensory processing difficulties regulate the feeling of water on their skin.
Other children struggle with the routine of hand washing which sometimes results in adults having to do a lot of hand over hand support. Taking time to model and teach this important routine will help as well as using visual supports such as a visual timetable specifically for this routine. Check out my example timetable here.
Supporting children to take part in regular daily routines such as washing hands helps them to access other, less regular, routines and activities in their day and environment. Clean hands may mean less bugs in the classroom so it's worth taking the time to teach and learn this routine!
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