Published on 12, July, 2020
My little girl is 3 and has been diagnosed with autism a few months ago. Recently we have been having major problems getting her washed and bathing her. When she was younger we couldnt keep her out of the bath! she sometimes had 3 a day if she wanted. But now it turns into a nightmare. She gets anxious upset screams and hits out. She needs washed. She's a active girl! Does anyone have any experience of this and any tips or techniques to overcome this?
Not really but you have my sympathy!
My youngest is 3 in January, isn't dx yet (language delay and autistic flags, assessment beginning early next year, my eldest is 9 and dx ADHD/ASD) and he is similar. He used to LOVE the bath, but now he screams the place down. I don't know what changed but i suspect it's to do with the soap - up until about May he was fine with most textures, and ate most foods, then suddenly he began to struggle with "slimy" textures in food and on his skin. He gets hysterically distressed if his nose runs, can't stand "wet" foods (lives on crackers, cheese and crumpets just now) and won't touch things he used to like (fingerpaints etc.). I had a lightbulb moment a few months ago when i was getting him out of the bath and the bubbles (from bubblebath he used to LOVE) were stuck to his belly and he was freaking out but obviously couldn't bear to brush them off either.
I don't have advice. It's annoying too because potty training will be well and truly stalled until i can get him over his bathroom phobia! I am just hanging on, putting him in a plain-water (no bubbles) bath every few nights for five minutes (and cuddling him a lot to help him feel better afterwards) and using baby wipes (which he hates but screams about for a much shorter period) to get actual visible dirt off him. Hair washing is down to once a week or less (nobody can tell - i've asked!) as it's such an ordeal. SLT has suggested we try a "first and then" board where you put something they love as "then" and the bath as "First" so they get the idea that okay, first we have to have a bath, and that's distressing, but THEN we can nurse (yes, he's still breastfed, don't ask!) which is nice, so they can feel a bit less end-of-the-world about it, knowing something nicer is coming. I'm not sure how well it'll work with him, his speece is still pretty poor (10 words) but his communication is coming along so maybe he'll be able to understand.
My 9yo did go through this at this age and by about age 4 had completely overcome it, the shower is now her safe chill-out space (provides its own issues!) so deep breaths, this will pass, eventually.