Rub

About this visual support

Cool water, slippery soap and the demand to actually scrub between the fingers — handwashing is several small movements that have to link together. For hands that are sensitive, that wet, slick feeling can be strong enough that a child pulls away before the soap has done anything.

Visual support splits the task into clear pictures: wet the hands, take soap, rub the palms, between the fingers, the backs, rinse and dry. Once your child can see the whole order, staying at the sink gets easier, because the next step is never a surprise. For a child with autism, the preview can also make that strong sensation more predictable and easier to sit with.

One concrete tip: let your child rub while you slowly count the palms to ten together, giving the movement a clear beginning and end. In the Routined app you can pair the washing steps with a small timer, so the scrubbing gets its own calm length each time.