Teaching Personal Hygiene to Aspergers and HFA Children & Teens

While the typical youngster can usually master personal  hygiene skills by the time they are age 6, children with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism often struggle with these tasks due to sensory issues (e.g., smells, sounds and textures) that are related to these skills. Fortunately, as they become more familiar with the tools used for personal hygiene, these tasks will be much easier.


18 comments:

  1. my 6yr old is like this he hates brushing his teeth and having a bath

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  2. My 10yr old aspie boy luvs the smell of his skinky pits...takes pride in the fact that they still smell after the shower...no man in his life to help me teach this...so I force deoderant before he leaves every morning

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  3. Just a thoyfht, better food will help with the smells regardless of hygene. Course that may be a battle as well, but at least its one you can control. Good luck!

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  4. Everyday I ask if it was done, and everyday my kid acts as if it's the first time I ever suggested it. It gets done with a reminder, but if I don't nag daily it would NEVER happen :/

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  5. It's funny because my as pie teen son is just the opposite..Takes several showers and day...OCD about germs and body oils etc :/

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  6. Lol on a lighter note her lil sis does keep feeling her toothbrush and delights in snitching if it's dry!!!

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  7. I wrote a reminder to my 11 year old son on the bathroom mirror with lipstick that he needed to wash his face. It didn't work....

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  8. I don't know....we nagged and nagged our son when he was 11 and 12 to clean himself and wear clean stuff, now all of a sudden he takes 2 or 3 showers a day. It must be love...LOL

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  9. OMG. Are you sure my son is not at your house.

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  10. my son doesnt have aspie but has asd he has the same problem nearly 18 now and still have to supervise and remind him otherwise he would never have a shower etc. apparently i heard these children/teens dont like getting water on their head or face so maybe thats why i and you yourself struggle. hope this is ok and good luck

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  11. omg! This is my son. He just got braces so I now have to brush his teeth everyday :(

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  12. I think the visual reminders are very important for these kids. I'm off to make a list today!

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  13. I suggest to my aspie teen to have a shower and he flips right out. Washing his hair is another fight all together to the point I get fed up and shave his head. He will be 14 next month and still has problems with going to the bathroom in his pants and wetting the bed, and somehow claims he cant smell himself or he does not care. I make him shower everyday (or bath with lots of bubble bath) He is headed to high school in September and I worry he will be made fun of, but as bad as it sound, if he is, I wonder if it will be what it takes to get him to shower on his own and use soap not just stand under the running water. Either that or he meets a girl which could also change how he feels about his hygene.

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  14. I am already having these issues with my son and he is 8. It is a fight every morning and night. Hopefully we can resolve it or figure out a solution before it gets any worse. I think it is the sensory issues that make it such an issue for them. We have started OT and hoping this will help.

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  15. HAHAAH mine is 7 and walks around in shorts and no shirt already, I have gotten him to put on a shirt for dinner. but I don't know if that is aspie or just being like dad, lol

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  16. My daughter hates the taste of Mint toothpaste and that is about all there is, any suggestions?

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  17. It's comforting to know other families are struggling with these same issues, but I do feel like I've tried all these things and my guy still doesn't give a rip. Sigh.

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  18. It's comforting to read about other families with similar hygiene struggles, but I feel like I have tried all these strategies and my son still doesn't give a rip. His mind is on other stuff. I worry so much he'll lose his hard-won social gains because of stink...
    Sigh.

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