Wearing a face mask on the Autism Spectrum
We’re in a global pandemic. The Covid pandemic has caused many people’s lives to change drastically. This has been one of the biggest health threats since the Spanish Flu pandemic of the 1910’s. Whoever thought we would be doing one thing in a million years during this pandemic. Wearing a face mask on a daily basis everywhere we go. There has been political heat on wearing face masks in America. That’s not where I come into this issue. Where I come in is with autism. People with autism have trouble wearing a face mask. And that doesn’t mean they have trouble putting it on. With sensory issues and not liking their face touched, it can be difficult for a person with autism to wear a face mask. It’s been all over the news everywhere. How do we fix this issue with corporations and small businesses around the world? Do you think autism is a legitimate health reason for not having to wear a face mask? Well, businesses can take into account that autism is a health issue even though it’s not physical. But I also think that some people with autism should take this pandemic into account and wear a face mask if they can. But if they can’t, I think some businesses should at least serve but only for a limited period so no one gets sick. If curbside service is available, the person with autism should use curbside service or delivery. If it’s a travel service, I think they should allow the person to take it off every now and then but not the whole time because they need to keep others around them safe. I don’t know if there’s an exact answer to this particular issue. But there’s definitely ways to advocate for it and ways to make it a little easier for a person with autism to not have to wear a face mask all the time if they can’t so they don’t have to. Autism is a health issue just like any other. It’s not physical and Covid is dangerous. I personally don’t mind wearing a face mask but I want to advocate for people who have trouble wearing one.