• Home
  • About Us
  • Work With Us
  • Social Media News
  • Privacy & Terms
  • Thunderbolt Social Media
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Dangerous Cupcake Lifestyle

  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • Food & Wine
    • Wine
    • Cupcakes
  • Disney
  • Marvel
  • Crafts, Cars & Cool Things
    • Crafts
    • Cars
    • Cool Things
    • Technology
  • Home & Life
  • Dogs
  • Business
You are here: Home / Autism / Sensory-Friendly Face Masks Giveaway for Autism Awareness Month

Sensory-Friendly Face Masks Giveaway for Autism Awareness Month

March 23, 2021 By Donna Biroczky 6 Comments

Tweet
Share
Pin
0 Shares

Did you know that April is Autism Awareness Month? Autism presents a whole list of challenges, or differences, and many people on the autism spectrum have some form of sensory/sensory processing disorder. That can result in extra discomfort, or difficulty, in wearing a mask. During a pandemic, where masks are required, it can make getting out of the house even harder than it already is for a person with autism, so Easterseals Southern California has partnered with socially conscious lifestyle brand Rafi Nova, pioneer of the clear Smile Face Mask, to develop a Sensory-Friendly Mask!

sensory friendly face mask

Easterseals Southern California sent me a few masks for us to wear and I have to say, they are super-comfortable! My glasses didn’t fog up, it left room for my glasses (which are a little bigger, like the trend right now) without bumping and it was more molding to go under my chin without any pulling. Definitely easier than other masks, and the adjustable clasp is a game-changer.

sensory friendly face mask giveaway

Why is it hard for people with autism to wear masks? Lots of reasons! People with autism can have a difficult time with clothing fabric or tags on a good day, so imagine what they must feel with a scratchy, stiff tight fabric over their nose and mouth, or tight bands pulling on their ears. They can rely on expressions to understand communication better, so not seeing a person’s face can be confusing or anxiety-inducing. Having additional stimuli or input to control or ignore while still focusing on everything we all take for granted can easily put someone into overload. (Learn more about autism spectrum disorder below, and visit the Easterseals website directly for more information about autism and the Easterseals organization.)

Keep reading — I have a sensory-friendly face mask (3-pack) giveaway below!

This new mask addresses all of these issues for everyone, child and adult. They have a soft 100% mulberry silk lining and they clasp behind the head, rather than behind the ears. The patterns and colors are muted yet pretty, and the nose band allows for a snug fit to help alleviate fogging of glasses. The exterior cotton fabric is breathable and the design lifts the mask off of the mouth to minimize that feeling of something sitting directly on your face. (I’m not on the spectrum myself — though I have a child that is — yet I hate masks that suck in when I speak or breathe and sit right on my lips.)

They’re also reusable and washable, with a strap long enough to hang around your neck when not in use (to prevent loss) yet it easily becomes snug when wearing over your face. They also have an antibacterial layer, so you can see where these masks go above and beyond the basic mask.

sensory friendly face mask

Already available for purchases HERE, this mask costs $14 for children and $16 for adults, and comes in several colors: light blue, light pink, hunter green and black, with an extra “over the moon” pattern for children. When you place your order, please use CODE ESSC so that a portion of your purchase goes to Easterseals Southern California. Easterseals over all helps over 1.5 million people per year through their network of services to those with disabilities and their families. Very worthy cause you’re probably already familiar with!

Extra fun bonus, when you order these masks? Each one comes with a social story! If you’re unfamiliar with autism, social stories are a visual way to understand something. We used social stories for everything from getting in the carseat to go on a ride to taking medicine; they lay out step-by-step the process of something, with photos, in an age-appropriate manner. They can be incredibly successful in transitions and lessening stress for a person with autism.

Here are some interesting autism spectrum disorder facts from the CDC:

  • About one-in-54 children has been identified with ASD according to estimates from CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. 
  • ASD is reported to occur in all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. 
  • ASD is over four times more common among boys than girls. 
  • About one-in-six children aged 3–17 years (17%) were diagnosed with a developmental disability as reported by parents, during a study period of 2009-2017. These included autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, blindness and cerebral palsy, among others. 

According to the Autism Society:

  • Autism is the fastest growing developmental disorder in the U.S.
  • 3.5 million+ individuals are on the autism spectrum in the U.S.
  • More than 70% of adults with autism are underemployed or unemployed.
  • 500,000 autistic individuals are transitioning to adulthood in the U.S.

What are the Signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?

ASD is a lifelong disability that is generally diagnosed before the age of three years old. However, children are frequently misdiagnosed or not diagnosed until later in life. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests parents consider the following questions. Does your child …

  • Not speak as well as his or her peers?
  • Have poor eye contact?
  • Not respond selectively to his or her name?
  • Act as if he or she is in his or her own world?
  • Seem to “tune others out?”
  • Not have a social smile?
  • Seem unable to tell you what he or she wants, preferring to lead you by the hand or get desired objects on his or her own, even at risk of danger?
  • Have difficulty following simple commands?
  • Not bring things to you simply to “show” you?
  • Not point to interesting objects to direct your attention to objects or events of interest?
  • Have unusually long and severe temper tantrums?
  • Have repetitive, odd, or stereotypic behaviors?
  • Show an unusual attachment to inanimate objects, especially hard ones (i.e. a flashlight or chain vs. a teddy bear or blanket)?
  • Prefer to play alone?
  • Demonstrate an inability to play with toys in the typical way?
  • Not engage in pretend play (if older than 2 years)?

If you have concerns, seek out help. The earlier you can get intervention and help, the better. Autism can be mild or severe, and no two kids are the same, so ignore those stereotypes you see on TV or in movies, dive in, and most importantly, love your child. They are different, not less, in the words of Temple Grandin’s amazing mother.

Enter my giveaway below, courtesy of Easterseals Southern California, for a chance to win a 3-pack of these sensory-friendly face masks! Rules are easy: winner must reside in the United States and be at least 18 years of age. One winner per household. No purchase necessary and void where prohibited by law. Winner must respond to notification email within 48-hours or winner will forfeit prize, and another winner will be randomly drawn. Winner must reply with physical mailing address and full name for prize fulfillment, which will come from Easterseals directly.

With the pesky rules out of the way, enter now for your chances to win! (You can tweet, respond to the post or follow me on Twitter to enter!) Speaking of follow, be sure to follow EastersealsSoCal and RafiNova on Instagram when you enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tweet
Share
Pin
0 Shares

Filed Under: Autism Tagged With: giveaway

Previous Post: « Disney-Pixar Soul Giveaway and Free Printable Activity Sheets
Next Post: On Your Left: Our Newest Marvel Cocktail Recipe »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tim

    March 23, 2021 at 7:37 pm

    I would order the black color. The hunter green is sold out, so the black one wins by default.

    Reply
  2. bn

    March 23, 2021 at 9:41 pm

    maybe black

    Reply
  3. Carolsue

    March 24, 2021 at 12:07 am

    Not choosy, but I like the pink!

    Reply
  4. mamijcn

    March 24, 2021 at 6:27 am

    I would choose black.

    Reply
    • mamijcn

      March 24, 2021 at 6:28 am

      I entered on the rafflecopter form as Mami2jcn

      Reply
  5. Cheryl B

    March 28, 2021 at 5:12 pm

    I like either the black or pink.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Follow Us

dangerous cupcake lifestyle club 33 profile
I’m Donna, and I’m not a mommy blogger.
I’m a Marvel geek and creator of Dangerous Cupcake, a Southern California lifestyle blog dedicated to life after the kids grow up. As my four kids enter different stages of their lives, I get to do the same, having fun, loving Disney, watching Marvel, and not letting my age define anything. Phase 2 of life is pretty amazing. Join me in changing focus and enjoying life during our next adventure, without totally starting over. However you do it, life is short, live a little dangerously.
Donna@DangerousCupcakeLifestyle.com

We are an Amazon affiliate, which means some Amazon links you click may be our affiliate links. In that case, we may make some money IF you purchase using those links or other affiliate links.
We appreciate you!

STUFF WE WRITE ABOUT

Footer

dangerouscupcakelifestyle

Enjoying life when the kids are all young adults
🍷🏎🐾🍽 🎥🏞🏡 IE, LA, OC
Disney lover 🗝 Marvel nerd⚡️
Collabs 🤝 donna@dangerouscupcakelifestyle.com

Donna, SoCal Lifestyle Blogger
The Road to Hana is one of Maui’s most popular t The Road to Hana is one of Maui’s most popular tourist destinations…and with good reason. If you’re headed to the island, it’s definitely worth the time. Wear your bathing suit under your clothes, pack some water, snacks and a towel, and go on an adventure that will take you past some of the prettiest natural scenes you’ll ever experience. On the way back, get dinner at the Island Cafe — just head back before dark, as even the locals will tell you it’s best done during the day. The road is one-lane in 59 places, so it can be an exercise in patience. If you’re getting a rental, you’ll appreciate something smaller on this trip; parking can be tough, and there are tight squeezes in some of the turns. (Rental agencies also won’t cover incidents you may incur if you take the road all the way around the end of the island instead of turning around and heading home.) 

And if someone pulls up beyond you, waving and yelling, don’t get upset! The locals are beyond kind but they’re used to making the drive so they do this to ask that us slower drivers pull over so they can go around. (They’re not yelling anything bad, I promise! They just want to be sure they get your attention.) 

The drive may not be something you want to do on every trip, and it’s not necessarily great for kids after the first waterfall, but everyone needs to do it at least once.

#roadtohana #hana #maui #traveltomaui #mauitravel #mauibeach #hawaii #visithawaii #hawaiiantravel #hawaiitravel #visitmaui #hawaiibeaches #beachesonmaui #theroadtohana #mauiroadtrip #coconutshrimp #waterfalls #mauiwaterfalls #aloha #blacksandbeach #waianapanapastatepark #waianapanapa #twinfalls #twinfallsmaui #islandcafe #mauifood #travelblog #travelblogger
Shuri, not letting sleeping dogs lie. #retrievers Shuri, not letting sleeping dogs lie.

#retrievers @marvelousretrievers #marvelousretrievers #ladysif #sif #shuri #marvel #puppyplaytime #puppyplaying #mydogslife #mydogsarefamily #puppylife #retrievermix #bordercolliemix #dogtoys
Saturday night at the local craft brewery. Music. Saturday night at the local craft brewery. Music. Food trucks. This new Ukelele Baby kettle sour was SO good, with flavors of passion fruit, orange and pineapple is a new favorite! Inland Empire and Rancho peeps, give it a try, and maybe we’ll see you there!

@hamiltonfamilybrewery #craftbeer #ranchocucamonga #inlandempire #iefoodie #inlandempirefood #brewery #ranchocucamongafoodie #kettlesour #passionfruit #citrus #pineapple #citrus #saturdaynight #hamiltonbrewery #ranchobeer
At six months, Sif still likes to chew random thin At six months, Sif still likes to chew random things.  Def has not mastered the “leave it” command yet. 

#sillydog #leaveit #blacklabpuppy #blacklabradorretriever #blacklabradorretriever #blacklabs #bordercolliemix #retrievermix #puppyplaytime #doglife #puppylifestyle #puppylife #dogreel #dogreels #labradorpup
Sushi is one of the prettiest foods out there and Sushi is one of the prettiest foods out there and one of our favorites. Our go-to place is Satsuma in Rancho Cucamonga. Great food, fun environment and top-notch service. And maybe some karaoke if you stay late. (Next time, I’m watching only 🤣)

Lighting is very much mood lighting, so photos are darker than I’d like but I really wanted to show off this plate! You cannot go wrong visiting Satsuma. Two seatings per night, reservations required. 

#sushi #satsumasushi #satsuma #ranchocucamongafoodie #ranchocucamonga #iefoodie #inlandempire #inlandempirefood #inlandempirerestaurants #ranchocucamongafood #japanesefood #karaoke #foodblogger
The iconic Regency Village theater in Westwood at The iconic Regency Village theater in Westwood at night.

@regencytheatres #regency #westwood #californianights #movietheater #socal #travel #prey #preymovie #predator hulu @predator #moviepremiere #palmtree #nightskies #socalnightlife #socalnights #losangeles #hollywood
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Life is short, so it should never be boring. Dangerous Cupcake Lifestyle is all about enjoying life, finding yourself after your kids grow up and above all, keeping it real. Live dangerously. We'd love to hear from you -- let's work together!

Copyright © 2022 Dangerous Cupcake and Thunderbolt Social Media

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT