Five tips to help an autistic child cope with masking after school

 If you have an autistic child who's been to school, here are a few tips to help them when they are home.

1. Have an area or room where your child can unwind and relax without any disturbances.

2. If your autistic child looks tired or stressed (can be both after having masked), let them relax in their own room.

3. If they want to stim or have fun with their special interests, let them.

4. When they are relaxed, then ask them if they have homework and when it has to be done by. Plan when they can do this.

5. Have a planner to hand to book these slots.

Here is a book that you can read all about autistic masking.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Helping-Identify-Understand-Autism-Masking/dp/B0858WJW2M/ref=sr_1_11?tag=juliedayautho-21

I hope you have found this helpful.

Autistic masking at home

 I have been recording videos about autistic masking and what it is and how we mask. If you haven't listened to them yet, please do. They are on myYouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@julieday9517

As I am tired today, I thought I would continue with the series but with this blog. I am going to talk about autistic masking at home. Here are my thoughts.

Do I, or have I masked, at home? When I thought about this for the blog, I felt that my answer was, no, not when I was with my family indoors. When someone visited or we visited them, that was a different matter. Looking back over the years, I don't recall having to mask when I was at home with my family. If someone came to see us or stay with us, usually relatives, I think I did mask. Having to say hello, be cheerful to them. Or if we went and visited them, which I am thinking of years ago as a child when we visited an aunt and uncle on my dad's side, I definitely did mask. I remember I would play with my cousins for a while, then after enough time I would find my mum and be with her. Either sitting down in the lounge area or in the kitchen where she was helping my aunt. It was always when we went out anywhere that I masked. To the shops, to relatives, to hospitals. Any where with other people. Not when I was indoors with my own family. I feel that it was as an adult, especially after I was diagnosed with Asperger's, that the mask slipped and I would sometimes reveal my autism self. It would be when we had visitors and the noise of the chatting got too much for my brain and I sensed it becoming an overload so would go to another room to keep calm and quiet.

So, as an autistic, do you mask at home?