Teaching Handwashing to Kids with Autism

Kids with autism face many challenges in life, from typical communication to social interactions to sensory processing as well. Since every child is unique, so, too, are the challenges that they may face if they have autism.

As a result of the developmental disabilities that they have, kids with autism may have particular trouble with some daily activities that others take for granted. For instance, something as simple as handwashing can be overwhelming to kids on the autism spectrum, for a number of reasons.

For one, some kids with autism may have trouble understanding directions to know how to wash their hands or have difficulty understanding the importance of handwashing.

In addition, handwashing can cause a sensory overload in kids with autism due to the many different stimuli that are happening at once.

The running of the water produces a strange sound. There are also different textures and physical feelings associated with the running water, the soap and the towel. Plus, there may be foreign smells with the different types of soap that might encounter inside and outside of the home.

This doesn’t mean that kids with autism cannot successfully wash their hands. It just means you may need to employ different strategies to teach them how to do so.

Below are some ways that applied behavioral analysis, or ABA therapy, helps with teaching handwashing to kids with autism.

Table Of Contents

Break Down the Steps

Oftentimes, kids with autism need to have multi-step processes broken down into each small, individual step before they can understand how to complete the task. Neurotypical individuals may not even realize how many steps are involved in something like handwashing, but it’ll certainly stand out to kids with autism.

ABA therapy takes this step-by-step approach to teaching communication, social and daily activity skills, including handwashing. By teaching kids with autism each of the individual steps one by one, they can get more comfortable with mastering each step before they have to put it all together to ensure they wash their hands properly.

So, for instance, ABA therapists will teach kids with autism how to turn on the faucet, then how to wet their hands, apply soap to their hands, scrub their hands back and front, rinse the soap off with water, turn off the faucet and finally dry their hands.

Each of these steps are taught individually one-by-one until they can put it together into one bigger task.

Make It Visual

Visual aids are a huge part of ABA therapy, because pictures resonate with kids with autism. ABA therapists can use pictures to help prompt kids with autism that it’s time to complete each of the individual steps.

This is part of Discrete Trial Training, or DTT, which is a teaching technique that ABA therapy relies a lot on.

The ABA therapist will flash a picture of the faucet, for instance, which should prompt the child to turn on the faucet. There will be a picture for each step, which will help to emphasize when it’s time to do each step.

Then, once the child has mastered the art of handwashing, ABA therapists can progress to showing their patients a picture of dirty hands, which will prompt the child wash their hands.

Read more about DTT examples

Pay Attention the Sensory Inputs

One way that you can increase the success of handwashing for kids with autism is to pay attention to all of the sensory inputs the activity involves.

Use soap that has a pleasant smell or no smell at all, and that is smooth. Don’t turn the water on too hard, or make it too hot or cold. Give them a towel that’s soft that they can dry their hands on.

By controlling some of the sensory inputs as best you can, you and/or your child’s ABA therapist can help them better manage their reactions to them.

Make It a Game

Most children respond well to games, whether they are on the autism spectrum or not. By making handwashing a game or fun activity, you can increase the chances of success.

This can be done by singing a song while you wash your hands or even count to 10. In this way, you’re incorporating other skills and things that children usually find fun.

When they’re done washing their hands, provide them with a reward or small prize, such as little toy or time to read a book that they like. This reward will motivate them to wash their hands properly, too.

Blue Gems ABA Can Help Your Child Improve Daily Activities

Teaching handwashing to kids with autism takes a different approach than teaching it to neurotypical individuals. Oftentimes, it takes a step-by-step approach that’s visual, fun and considers all the specific sensory inputs — and their possible reactions to them — of the activity.

At Blue Gems ABA, our licensed and experienced BCBAs work every day with kids with autism, helping them to improve their social, communication and daily life skills. We teach skills such as handwashing in a fun and relatable way, so that the approach can be replicated by family members and friends with the child long after sessions are over.

To learn more, please contact us today.