Teaching Good Hygiene Habits to Young Adults with Disabilities

Teaching Good Hygiene Habits to Young Adults in Transition

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Maintaining personal hygiene is necessary for many reasons, including health and social norms. A healthy well-being leads to a healthy body image, which influences self-esteem, confidence and motivation. Those who already have low self esteem and especially those with depression often neglect personal hygiene which perpetuates the problem of poor body image.

By ensuring that our body is clean and well presented, we are more assured of projecting a positive body image that reflects our personalities. The goal of what we do at College Internship Program (CIP) is to make students effective, dynamic, and actionable in the world. Through modules, we condition students to routinely follow personal cleanliness practices. Students are rewarded and encouraged for such achievements as consecutive showers and oral hygiene practices. According to NHS Choices,

"Hands are the biggest spreaders of germs in the home. Studies show that hand washing lowers the transmission of diarrhea and colds, and targeted disinfection at critical sites reduces the spread of infection in the home."

Children should be taught the importance of hygiene and how to achieve good hygiene very early to keep themselves and others healthy and to reduce the risk of being bullied at school. Not only is hygiene a fundamental step on the path towards independence and high self-esteem but it is also helps to prevent the development and spread of infections, illnesses and bad odors. Poor hygiene can lead to poor health.

If you have cut yourself, the wound should be cleaned and dressed suitably, this can help reduce the risk of infection and pain.

Conditions such as head lice, athlete's foot etc. should be treated immediately to prevent further infections and spread to others.

Hand washing cannot be emphasised enough as this simple action can prevent a plethora of illnesses and disorders developing. Many people 'forget' to wash their hands after using the toilet or before handling foods; this can cause a great deal of illness and even death.

Adolescence is a time when your children's bodies begin to change which means that personal hygiene will need to change too. Recent studies have documented a clear connection between oral health and overall physical health. Tooth decay is now considered a preventable infectious disease. The bacteria that cause tooth decay are typically transferred from one person's saliva to another person's mouth.

As the base of our curriculum at CIP, we believe wellness and health start first within the home unit. Students learn to take care of themselves, and in effect, their roommates. During roommate meetings, deep cleaning, and executive functioning, residential staff confront issues about interpersonal hygiene. It's important for students to understand that their cleanliness directly affects those they associate with. Students who significantly improve these practices through the program notice a domino effect in the rest of their lives. Good hygiene is the marker of an on-point individual. When students arrive at job interviews, in class or on social outings, those they are interacting with will notice.

The College Internship Program (CIP) offers year-round curriculum providing individualized social, academic, career and life skills instruction to young adults 18-26 with Asperger's, ADHD and other learning differences. CIP centers are located in areas that provide a wide variety of social, educational, and career opportunities including Long Beach, California; Berkeley, California; Melbourne, Florida; Bloomington, Indiana and Lee, Massachusetts. CIP also offers two-week summer programs.'

For more information about CIP, visit www.cipworldwide.com or call 1-877-566-9247.

Disclaimer: Internet Special Education Resources (ISER) provides this information in an effort to help parents find local special education professionals and resources. ISER does not recommend or endorse any particular special education referral source, special educational methodological bias, type of special education professional, or specific special education professional.