Teach your child about safety.
As a parent of twins on autism spectrum, I feel it is my job to ensure that my boys/children have the awareness and safety knowledge they need. To help with this, you can talk about some important topics in a way that will stick. Here are three tips:
Teach your child not to cross the road without an adult nearby. This is one of the most important things for him or her to learn, because motor vehicles pose a significant risk for children who aren’t able to understand what they are seeing on the street and therefore cannot judge if those vehicles pose an imminent threat.
Make sure your child knows not to go near water without parental supervision. Water is dangerous enough even when there isn’t any other danger around (think sharks when at the beach), but with so many people using beaches as recreation areas these days, accidents might happen more often than you think—and when they do happen, it’s vital that someone knows how close they came! You may even want them wearing life jackets while playing near bodies of water just in case something unexpected happens that could cause them harm; many kids won’t listen if you tell them “don’t go in this way”, but telling them “don’t go into deep waters” might give them pause enough where they’ll consider doing otherwise anyways.”
Personally, I find this a win for us as a family because we were able to train both boys how to swim to a degree they can fall in deep water and paddle to the edge of a pool to get themselves to the ladder. We had a fear of this because boys loved to “splash in the water” so if they were attracted to it then they had to know how to get out safely. Lastly, creeks and streams can pose a risk of children being attracted to low head dams which have an immense undertow. Parents should be with children as much as they can so the child does not get in a situation they cannot return from. Stay away from all structures in the water, they are not to be played on.
Get training on what situations to avoid.
If you are a parent of a child with autism, you can help your child learn to be safe by getting trained on how to prevent your child from running away. This training is called “Safety Awareness for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder” and it teaches parents how to detect water dangers, as well as how to teach children where they can and cannot go. The training is available online and through many hospitals and clinics throughout the United States.
Make sure your child has Identification.
A crucial step in helping your child be safe is making sure that he or she has identification. The ID card or bracelet should include all relevant info, including a photo and any required medical information. It’s also important that your child knows what the card is and how to use it; for example, he or she might have trouble using a phone if you’re not there to help them understand what they’re doing on the screen. If you think this is something that would be beneficial for your family member with autism, talk to an occupational therapist about whether or not it’s something they can benefit from having in their life!
We have taken pictures of both boys and provided identification to local law enforcement to help them know where they live and know if they would get away while they are and where they live. We also have had boys get an official state identification card, where We carry it around for them.
Consider wearable technology that alerts parents if a child wanders away.
There are several ways to keep track of your child and ensure their safety.
GPS trackers, or tracking apps on your phone. These devices can be attached to the shoe or clothing of your child and transmit their location to a parent’s cell phone. This is similar to the Find My Friends app, but it has one advantage: if you lose your phone, you’ll still be able to find it!
Wearable devices that alert parents if a child wanders away from a designated areas. These are small, lightweight devices that look like wristwatches and can be put into socks or pockets—the wearer doesn’t even notice they’re there until they wander too far from home (or school). There will then be an audio alert sent to parents’ phones so that they know immediately what’s going on with their children.
Mobile phone apps for quick access at any time during the day or night when needed most urgently by concerned caregivers who want peace of mind knowing where their loved ones may be located at any given moment without having called ahead first before heading out into unknown territory during potentially dangerous circumstances such as natural disasters occurring near them.
Personally, we have been in conversations with law enforcement and voiced our concerns of wearables. Our sons get irritated wearing any type of jewelry or clothing which has tags so wearables are not an alternative we would consider. We do use tracking on their iPod or tablet that has a cell phone plan on it with geotracking. These boys never go anywhere without a device to watch YouTube.
Enlist support from family and friends.
A parent’s first line of defense is to enlist the help of family and friends. Family and friends can be a valuable resource in helping you care for and supervise your child, but they can also do so much more. They can help you stay organized, manage any medication that your child is taking, and even find support groups for parents of children with autism.
Parents can take steps to help their autistic children recognize dangers like traffic and drowning.
As a parent, you can take steps to help your autistic child identify danger. The first step is to teach them about safety so they know what to avoid and what situations are dangerous. You can also get training on how to recognize the dangers that may come from your autistic child’s disability. Finally, you should talk with other parents who have children with autism and see what kinds of lessons worked for their family members.
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