Thread by @shannonrosa

Autism versus Face Masks and Maskholes: A thread about why you shouldn't jump to conclusions about people who don’t wear masks, and what people who can’t wear masks—like my autistic son—can do to protect themselves from #COVID19. Adapted from:

squidalicious.com/2020/05/pandem… 1/

It’s several months into mandatory pandemic face masking, & my son still can't wear a mask—even though he knows he's supposed to wear one, & we talk about how they help protect people from COVID-19 & why it is a deadly & contagious virus. A good guide: gmsavt.org/wp-content/upl… 2/

When I put my mask on, he puts his on, too. And then, because the feeling of a mask on his face is intolerable for autistic sensory reasons, he takes that mask right off again. I don't know if he'll ever be able wear a mask for more than sixty seconds. 3/

And this is why I am highly irritated by other parents of autistic kids saying that “if my kids can do it,” then other people can’t complain about wearing masks: It sets a dangerously ableist precedent for forced mask compliance. Which I’ve mentioned before, but still, grrr. 4/

And for those arguing, “those parents are talking about denialist maskholes, not making other autistic and disabled people to wear masks,” you don’t understand how compliance contagion works in the autism parenting sphere. 5/

Stories about autistic people who can wear masks get weaponized by ABA providers & others who work with people like my son. Those examples WILL be used to force autistic people to wear masks. (LIke this ABA/masks article which doesn’t allow opting out: mayinstitute.org/news/acl/asd-a…) 6/

And yes, of course, some autistic people can wear masks given practice and patience. But others will never be able to, for a variety of reasons (some of which I wrote about in the Washington Post a couple of months ago: washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020…). 7/

Still other autistic people totally get why they should wear a mask, while simultaneously struggling with wearing one—like @epballou:

https://twitter.com/epballou/status/1282851755143954433?s=20

8/

If you are responsible for supplying an autistic person's masks, then it's a good idea to try them on yourself, first, and try to determine if they are scratchy, or rough, or pull in weird ways. 9/

I personally can tolerate masks that go over my ears, but dislike those that cinch my skull. Gaiters may work for some, but they are also more permeable than a face mask and so reduce protection. 10/

Other autistic folks, like @semispeaking, find that mask brackets help reduce a mask's sensory assault:

https://twitter.com/semispeaking/status/1286369706803367938?s=20

11/

I tend to go with the standard blue disposable medical masks: They go over our ears, the interior is soft, and my son can put them on himself. But the ear straps do break easily, so I always have a backup mask with me just in case. 12/

I fret about my son getting in trouble now that non-wearers can be fined, even though CA law gives people with I/DD an exemption from mask wearing, & It's usually clear that my son's not wearing a mask because he can’t—as when we're in public I have one on though he doesn’t. 13/

I worry about law enforcement making first-glance assumptions about why my son is not wearing a mask since his disability is not a visible one, and that leading to an encounter in which my son's unpredictable autistic behavior might be misinterpreted. 14/

I am also upset about jerks using fake ADA cards to get out of wearing masks: It's total BS: The U.S. DOJ says, "The ADA does not provide a blanket exemption to people with disabilities from complying with legitimate safety requirements necessary for safe operations.” 15/

While the ADA does say disabled people need to be “reasonably accommodated” when working with employers, public businesses and the government, it does NOT allow mask exemptions "without replacing it with another measure in line with public health requirements.” #COVID19 16/

Last in my list of mask grievances: maskless joggers who blast through other people's social distancing bubbles. This is a blatant health code violation. So what if taking the time to safely distance interrupts exercise rhythm or heart rate or whatever else they're tracking. 17/

This is a pandemic, we're all having to make changes for the greater good. Runners: Pull up your GD mask for five seconds, run around the other people if possible, or stop until you can pass the other person safely. FFS. PANDEMIC. FFS. 18/

We're handling my autistic son's inability to wear a mask by diligent handwashing and application of hand sanitizer, and by avoiding any spaces in which safe social distancing isn't possible. 19/

To be very clear, safe social distancing means:

1) At least six feet between us and anyone else

2) Being outdoors, away from enclosed spaces with shared or recirculated air

3) Ideally, a good breeze

20/

Those last two points are important because we're learning that good ventilation may be as crucial as hygiene in preventing COVID-19 transmission:

theatlantic.com/health/archive…

21/

Staying safe mean we are taking lots & lots & lots of hikes in remote local areas, in open, breezy spaces with wide paths.

Shout out to Peninsula Open Space @POSTLandTrust, whose maps now highlight trails wider than six feet in bright green: openspace.org/sites/default/…

22/

Staying safe while not able to tolerate a face masks during a pandemic means that, with the exception of essential medical appointments—in which all staff take maximum precautions—my son doesn't go indoors ANYWHERE except in his own home. 23/

I’m relieved we have safety measures besides masks, because it’s crucial to keep my son healthy. Research indicates that people like Leo who have intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are four times more likely to get #COVID19, and twice as likely die from it. 24/

I am also terrified at the thought of my son and people who share his disabilities being hospitalized under pandemic conditions. My autistic con struggles with hospital environments, even in ideal times. 25/