autism summer safety tips

Summer Safety Tips for Parents of Children with Autism

Summertime,

And the livin’ is easy…

Well, that doesn’t always ring true for parents of Autistic children! Safety concerns become heightened when the weather turns nice and schedules are more lax.

Having an Autistic son has brought things I’d never before imagined having to be prepared for into my experience. Here are some safety tips I’ve pulled from my own experiences and some great ideas from May Institute that can help you be prepared so you can relax and enjoy the summer with your child.

Water safety

Drowning is the number one cause of death in autistic children. Many children with Autism are powerfully drawn to the water but do not understand the dangers.

Always be within arm’s reach of the child when he or she is in or around any open water. Be sure to drain bathtubs and other small containers of water when you are finished using them – a child can drown in an inch of water. Put safety locks on toilet seats and hot tubs and monitor or cover landscape ponds if you can.

Teach your child to swim as early as possible. If they struggle with traditional swimming strokes, they can learn a water survival technique called drownproofing, which will help them stay afloat until help arrives.

Wandering prevention

Children with ASD are likely to act impulsively, including running away or wandering.

Use deadbolt locks, keep doors and windows locked and install an alarm on doors. Motion detectors and window bars may also be appropriate.

For children who respond well to visual cues, consider placing STOP or DO NOT ENTER signs on all doors that open to the outside. These can be powerful reminders.

You can find seven more vital tips for wandering prevention, including the use of QR Code apparel in this article.

Getting your information to emergency responders

If it is available in your area, register your family on Smart911. Whether an Autistic child has wandered, is having a medical emergency, or a behavioral emergency, it is vital to communicate that they have Autism and understand the response may require very specific actions.

Participate in local community safety fairs where there are opportunities to meet actual police, firefighters, and emergency response professionals that work in your community in an environment that is friendly and fun. This may increase the chances that your child will respond positively to first responders in the future.

If available, submit a disability indicator form to your local law enforcement agency to help alert law enforcement that a person residing at that address may require special assistance during an emergency. You can also create a more detailed handout with information about your child and have printed and electronic formats available so you can readily provide it to search and rescue personnel in the event of an incident.

It’s also a good idea to give your neighbors a handout with a picture of your child and emergency contact information. It should describe effective ways to approach, communicate with, and calm your child. Ask them to contact you immediately if they see your child outside your home or property.

How about you? What summer safety tips work in your home? Share by commenting below or posting to the SOA Facebook page!

autism wandering child

7 Vital Tips for Autism Wandering Prevention

My son was 18 months old. He was standing next to my bed, humming, as I was folding laundry and separating the piles. Then he walked out. In the time it took me to fold a pair of jeans, the child had walked to the other end of the house, found my keys, figured out which one was the car key (!), went outside, opened the trunk, and climbed in.

When he was in First Grade, I dropped him off at school, walked halfway to his class with him, then went on my merry way after kisses and high fives like usual. It just so happened that I forgot something from the house that day. Coincidentally, I also needed gas and went left instead of right, passing the school once again. About four blocks from the school, in a direction I normally never would have traveled, was my son, walking with his backpack and singing, without a care in the world. He apparently walked right out of the building after we parted in the hallway, and the teacher assumed he was absent that day. No one knew! Imagine what could have happened if I had turned right like I always did!

Here are 7 tips if your child is prone to wandering

  1. Safety-proof your home. Home should be a safe haven. In addition to traditional childproofing for small children, you will have to take some extra measures for your child with Autism.
  2. Install door alarms. Many children with Autism are prone to wandering. Alarms offer great back up protection.
  3. Arm your child with a form of communication. Whether your child is verbal or non-verbal, communication is a challenge. Create a visual safety book for your child with key questions and answers he or she may be asked in an emergency situation. Practice, practice, practice!
  4. Get to know your neighbors. It’s a good idea to introduce yourself and your child to your neighbors. You can explain what Autism is, along with some of your child’s behaviors that would strike other people as odd. This way they will call you instead of the police, or help direct your child home if found wandering.
  5. Register your child with public safety. Contact your local police precinct, fire department, and hospital and register your child with their database of special needs families.
  6. Use social stories. Teach your child how to handle emergency situations like fire, burglary, strangers at the door, when someone is hurt, and calling 911.
  7. Get QR Code iD apparel for your child and subscribe to their website.

What is QR Code iD?

People who have Autism, cognitive disabilities or other special needs or health issues may be unable to state personal information such as name, phone number, address, medications taken, where Mom and Dad work, issues peculiar to that day, the hotel where the family is staying on vacation, etc.

If your child is lost or wanders, rescuers need to know who to call, and how to help.

QR Code iD creates a way to put this information in one place. This information is accessed from any computer browser, either by entering the URL manually with the computer keyboard, or by scanning a QR code printed directly on the child’s clothing, both of which will take you to the client’s non-secure homepage. This page displays all the information that a loved one wants someone to know when finding the child. This information can be updated REAL TIME!

QR Code iD commissioned Special Needs Artists to create beautiful artwork to put on shirts, buttons, key chains and other products that have QR codes on them. These talented Special Needs Artists will be discovered and contracted to contribute original artwork for our products.

Membership is only $29.00 a year for this invaluable service. I highly recommend it!

Use “spirit 15″ when you check out for 15% discount through July 4!

Do you have any stories of your child wandering that really frightened you? What did you do? Share your comments below or post them to the SOA Facebook page!