Some places are doing mandatory temperature checks before entering the smallest of shops, even on small children.
Coronavirus talk can be scary, and for some, it has been extremely difficult adjusting to our new way of life with masks, the different textured hand sanitiser and now some places are doing mandatory temperature checks before entering the smallest of shops, even on small children.
And for some kids, particularly those with additional needs getting a temperature check can be a pretty terrifying experience. For example, children with sensory defensiveness won’t react well to having a stranger put an object in their ear, mouth or near their face for that matter. It can be anxiety-producing.
However, now, illustrator Tara Tuchel of Autism Little Learners has created a social story printable to help ease anxieties around temperature checks. Social stories are clear and inviting images and text which are made into a short story to explain social situations mostly for children with sensory processing difficulties and those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Using bright, colourful images across nine-pages, the free printable illustrate the different methods of how temperature might be taken. For example, it could be with a handheld infrared machine, a thermometer that touches your skin directly and moves across the forehead or one that goes in the mouth and sits under the tongue for a minute.
The clever social story then goes on to explain what might happen if the child does have a temperature and its importance, in the hope to settle anxieties around Covid-19 and what some children can expect in the weeks and months that lie ahead.
In her archives, Tuchel has created an array of social stories and on topics including the importance of coughing into your elbow, a song choice board for washing hands, getting a Covid-19 test and another on masks, shields and gloves.
These invaluable resources are free to download, print and display from www.autismlittlelearners.com, and we hope you find them useful.