One of the most common concerns for parents of children with autism is how to keep their child safe. Children with autism have a significantly higher risk of accidental injury, wandering, and drowning (Guan & Li, 2017; Wiggins et al., 2020). Understanding and proactively addressing potential dangers in your child’s home environment is essential. This often involves a collaborative effort between parents, therapists, and multidisciplinary care professionals. This blog will explore practical tips for creating a more supportive environment and keeping your autistic child safe at home.

Evaluate Your Home for Safety Risks

Before modifying your home, it’s important to do a home safety evaluation. Thoroughly assess your home to identify potential safety concerns. A home safety evaluation is encouraged for all families, even if your child hasn’t yet exhibited unsafe behaviors like wandering. Proactively pinpointing safety risks is the best way to prevent crises in the future. Walk through each room, one at a time, closely considering anything that could pose a danger.

 

Consider the following questions and make a note of any potential risks.

 

  • Are outlets uncovered?
  • Are cords easily accessible?
  • Are windows and doors secured?
  • Are potential toxins locked away? (e.g., medications, poisonous plants, cleaning supplies, etc.)
  • Are heavy or unstable furniture or electronics secured to the wall? (e.g., dressers, bookshelves, televisions)
  • Are sources of water locked or gated off?
  • Are sharp objects, like scissors and knives, out of reach or locked away?

Make Environmental Modifications to Create a Safe Physical Environment

Proactively altering your environment is the best way to gain peace of mind that you are keeping your child safe. In ABA, these modifications are called antecedent modifications or antecedent strategies. Adjusting things in your home reduces the likelihood that your child with autism will engage in unsafe behaviors.

 

Parents of neurodivergent children often have to get more creative with establishing home safeguards. The following sections will highlight some essential changes you can make around your home to keep your child safe. We encourage you to review all of the points. However, use the results of your home safety evaluation to identify areas of focus.

Secure Household Toxins and Mouthing Hazards

Most parents are well aware of the importance of securing potentially hazardous items. However, parents of children with autism often have to take additional precautions with household items due to the unique behaviors their children exhibit. For instance, many children with autism engage in mouthing inedible objects beyond the toddler years, resulting in an increased risk of choking. Many also engage in pica, the eating of non-food items, which can cause significant health challenges. This means parents of neurodivergent children often have to exhaustively consider the potential risks of ingesting things around their home and secure anything their child may put in their mouths that could be harmful.

 

Ensure all of the following items are locked up or out of your child’s reach.

 

  • Cleaners
  • Paints
  • Medications, vitamins, and supplements
  • Laundry detergent, laundry pods, and dryer sheets
  • Dishwasher pods and dish detergent
  • Baking and cooking ingredients, such as oils, baking soda, and flour
  • Pesticides and insecticides
  • Car supplies, such as oil, windshield washer fluid, and antifreeze
  • Grooming products, such as shampoo, hair removal products, nail polish remover, soaps, etc.
  • Batteries
  • Magnets
  • Craft supplies
  • Small toys and other objects that could pose a choking risk

 

Frequently reassess to ensure objects that are out of reach continue to be inaccessible by your child. For example, as your child grows and develops new skills, they may learn how to access items by opening cabinet locks or climbing on objects to reach things that were put out of reach.

Block off Sources of Water

Children with autism are at a higher risk of drowning due to an increased tendency to wander and a lack of safety awareness around water. Many parents report that their child with autism appears to be drawn to water. This is likely due to the sensory experience of water–the sounds, the feelings, or the visual appeal. Water activities offer a unique sensory experience that some children are drawn to. Therefore, taking precautions to block your child from independently accessing sources of water is critical.

 

Take the following steps to reduce the risk of drowning and water-related injuries.

 

  • Install a locked gate surrounding pools and hot tubs.
  • When pools or hot tubs are not in use, keep a pool cover over them.
  • Immediately drain water from tubs, buckets, kiddy pools, or other containers when they are done being used.
  • Install faucet and toilet locks.

Install Door and Window Locks

Children with autism are more likely to wander than typically developing children. One study found that 60% of children with autism aged 4-5 years wander compared to 12% of neurotypical children of the same age (Wiggins et al., 2020). Securing doors and windows is one vital way to prevent wandering. If your child is at risk of wandering, ensure your home has locks on external windows and doors that they cannot open. Door alarms, cameras, and security systems are also encouraged. Furthermore, consider installing a fence around your home.

 

If your state has a waiver program, like North Carolina’s Innovations Waiver, you may be able to get funding for household modifications like doors, locks, and fences. Learn more about the waiver programs in your state here.

Use Visual Supports

Children with autism often do well with visual cues as reminders of their expectations. Some ways you can incorporate visual supports for safety awareness include:

 

  • Stop signs on doors leading outside as a reminder to not go outside without an adult.
  • Flags or other markers in your yard indicating the safe zones that your child can play within.
  • Stickers on items with a symbol indicating whether it is food or not food (e.g., Mr.Yuk stickers on non-foods).

Teach Vital Safety Skills

Teaching your child critical safety skills is equally as important as making environmental modifications. Consider the following recommendations for enhancing safety awareness and skills to focus on.

 

  • Teach water safety–Start swimming lessons at an early age. Check out your local YMCA or recreation center for adaptive swimming lessons.
  • Establish household safety rules–Regularly discuss safety rules with your child. You can use social narratives and role-playing to reinforce the discussion.
  • Teach food versus non-food–Teach your child to differentiate between food and non-food items.
  • Promote awareness of boundaries–Help your child understand the importance of staying within safe areas and near a designated adult.
  • Teach safety in the community–Support your child in developing community safety skills, including safely crossing the street and identifying community helpers/safe strangers.
  • Fire safety awareness–Teach your child about fire safety and develop a plan for what to do in the event of a fire.
  • Support communication skills–Communication skills are critical for a child’s safety in many ways. For example, children need a way to request preferred items, which can reduce the likelihood of eloping to access what they want. Whether your child communicates vocally or via augmentative and alternative communication (AAC),  an ongoing focus on improving communication is vital.

Utilizing Wearable Technology for Peace of Mind

Many families opt for wearable technology to enhance their child’s safety and add peace of mind. Wearable GPS-enabled devices can add reassurance that if proactive strategies fail, you can quickly locate your child.

Implement a Safety Plan

Create a safety plan with your family that encompasses the following.

 

  • Have your child wear a bracelet or other form of identification, especially if they cannot effectively communicate their personal information.
  • Notify neighbors and local law enforcement if your child is at an increased risk of elopement.
  • Inform respite providers, teachers, therapists, family members, and anyone who will interact with your child of any safety risks. Provide them with detailed information on how they can help keep your child safe.

Ask Your Child’s Therapy Team for Support

Navigating safety concerns can be challenging, from identifying risks and implementing proactive strategies to teaching your child vital safety skills. Lean on professionals for support and guidance. If your child is currently attending ABA or other therapies, ask their provider for individualized support in teaching safety skills and modifying the environment to ensure your child’s safety.

 

If you need guidance in supporting your child’s safety awareness and skill development, learn more about how CompleatKidz can help. CompleatKidz services many communities around North Carolina, offering multidisciplinary care, including ABA, OT, PT, and Speech Therapy. Click “Contact Us” in the upper right corner to reach out!

 

 

References

 

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (2020). Water safety. https://www.research.chop.edu/car-autism-roadmap/water-safety

 

Guan, J., & Li, G. (2017). Injury mortality in individuals with autism. American Journal of Public Health, 107(5), 791-793. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2017.303696

 

Wiggins, L. D., DiGuiseppi, C., Schieve, L., Moody, E., Soke, G., Giarelli, E., & Levy, S. (2020). Wandering Among Preschool Children with and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBP, 41(4), 251–257. https://doi.org/10.1097/DBP.0000000000000780