Reviewed by Mi Trinh, BA
Association for Science in Autism Treatment

As parents, one of our foremost concerns is the safety of our children. For those who are parents of individuals with autism, the worry about safety looms even larger due to the unique set of challenges facing these children, such as hyper- or hypo-sensitivity to sensory input, language/communication difficulties, social skill deficits, or wandering tendencies. It is crucial, therefore, to equip ourselves with knowledge and strategies to not only protect young children with autism against threats and dangers, but also to educate and prepare them for a lifetime of safety.

In 2014, the Organization for Autism Research (OAR) published a booklet entitled “Life Journey through Autism: A Guide to Safety,” which provides parents and caregivers with abundant helpful tips and strategies to achieve this goal. The guide is well-structured into four main parts, with an introduction followed by an overview of common threats and specific safety guidelines for each of the three phases of an individual’s lifespan – childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The appendices at the end of the guide provide a list of several practical, specific guidelines as well as ready-to-use forms and templates. Overall descriptions of these sections follow:

Introduction

The introduction first lays out common challenges faced by individuals with autism, then provides readers with an overview of the guide and instructions on how to make the most out of it. This section also includes a sub-section entitled “Safety Basics,” highlighting fundamental considerations as well as items that help form a proactive safety plan in situations of varying severity. This section also presents a graphic called “The Threat Spectrum” which summarizes common safety issues that children with autism may encounter throughout their life. Parents are encouraged to “think safety” by applying overarching principles in ensuring the safety of their children. Also included within this section is a helpful five-step approach to safety, called the “Safety Planning Cycle,” which can be implemented repeatedly and in a variety of situations to teach the child different safety skill sets.

Threats during Childhood

This section applies specifically to children aged two to twelve. It includes safety ideas for parents to use both inside and outside the home. In terms of household safety, parents will learn techniques to organize the home environment and install safety measures, as well as to educate the child on physical and sexual safety. Outside the home, the guide mentions tips to plan for and prevent exposure to environmental threats, wandering and elopement, and abduction. In subsequent sections, parents will also find that the principles mentioned are often demonstrated with real-life examples of using the Safety Planning Cycle.

Threats during Adolescence

When children with autism enter adolescence, their lives are extended beyond the home and into the community. As the guide suggests, in this stage of life, individuals are often faced with dangers that come with their newly gained independence. Safety issues within the community include – but are not limited to – threats regarding transportation, money, interaction with law enforcement, and cell phone use. In addition, having new relationships outside of the home calls for strategies in sexual safety education, social skill and relationship training, and dealing with bullying. Each of these concerns is addressed in detail with specific steps for planning and preventions as well as tips for implementation, helping to make the transition into adolescence safer for children. Further, this section covers internet safety, which is also among the major concerns for caregivers in today’s technology-driven world.

Threats during Adulthood

During adulthood, the need for implementing safety strategies within the community continues to be a focus as the social circle widens. Individuals with autism may travel more, begin romantic relationships, and enter the workplace. This section builds on strategies to ensure safety within the community, such as how to build travel and transportation skills, deal with money with greater independence, and interact with law enforcement as safely as possible. The guide suggests tips to introduce sex education, as well as tips for maintaining healthy relationships. In this stage of life, individuals with autism will face new challenges as they start their careers and work with employers and colleagues. Therefore, workplace safety strategies are also addressed in this section, helping individuals to navigate this new and often complicated environment.

Appendices A-O

This section offers several practical safety teaching guidelines and strategies that parents will find particularly helpful: a guide for school safety and crisis planning, which offers talking points for parents and school personnel to plan for emergency events (Appendix A); guidelines on creating narratives with pictures to practice appropriate behaviors prior to tasks or events (Appendix B); teaching tips on fire safety (Appendix C); tips on educating and engaging neighbors in recognizing the child’s risk and tendency of wandering (Appendix I); resources to address and prevent bullying (Appendix L, M); safety strategies for self-advocates (Appendix N). Various forms and logs are provided as printouts, such as background screening forms (Appendix D), wandering log and a family wandering emergency plan (Appendix F, H), an autism emergency contact form (Appendix G), identification documents (Appendix K), and a threat detection scale, which helps the child to recognize unsafe situations (Appendix J). Appendix E offers five sample safety lesson plans on five important safety skills, among which are what to do if the child gets lost, how to cross the street, etc. Appendix O provides a list of several other helpful resources, such as safety toolkits, training materials, and workshops.

Safety is unquestionably one of the greatest concerns, if not the greatest concern, for parents and caregivers of children and individuals with autism, considering the daily challenges they face throughout their lives. Given this ongoing concern, OAR has provided this comprehensive and informative resource to guide a safety training journey for children and individuals with autism no matter what stage of life they are in. We hope that you will find beneficial information and materials here to ensure a life of safety and enrichment for your children.

A free copy of A Guide to Safety can be downloaded here. It is also available as an eBook. You can download it for Kindle, Nook, and Kobo.

Citation for this article:

Trinh, M. (2021). A review of OAR’s Life Journey Through Autism: A Guide to Safety. Science in Autism Treatment, 18(12).

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