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Autism Spectrum Disorder
(ASD) is a developmental disorder impacting how children interact with others, behave and learn. Sensory and communication complications can make it difficult to learn safety skills and understand potential dangers. Sensory challenges like hyper- or hyposensitivity are common and may increase their risk for injuries.
Picture stories are a great tool to help children with ASD understand common situations and experiences, what they are expected to do and help them avoid risks.
See Examples
Falls and Furniture Safety
Fixations for children with ASD may lead to potentially dangerous or injurious behavior as they seek to engage with the item(s) they may be fixated on. Children may climb on top of furniture to reach something, or have furniture fall on them, if trying to get to an object that they want.
It’s important to create a safe environment to prevent these falls. See tips below.
Mitigate the Risk of Furniture Falls
Ensure that furniture is mounted securely to walls.
Furniture brackets can be purchased for a low cost and can keep dressers, bookcases, and other large pieces of furniture from tipping.
Prevent a window from being opened wide enough for a child to fall out.
If your child likes to climb, keep furniture away from windows or use window stops. Remember, screens keep bugs out, but are not strong enough to keep kids in.
Consider these safety items to keep them safe.
- Window locks
- Guards
- Furniture anchors
Water Safety with ASD
Children with ASD may have an intense interest in water and swimming, and might also not understand the dangers of water and drowning.
To Mitigate Risks Associated with Water:
- Teach children how to swim
- Fence and lock pools
- Maintain parental supervision around water
- Use lifejackets
- Learn CPR and water safety skills
Consider These Safety Items:
- Pool gate alarms
- Life jackets
ASD Choking, Poisoning & Food Safety
Children with ASD may:
- Get confused by items that look edible like laundry pods or medications that may look like candy.
- Be diagnosed with Pica, which means that the child may be inclined to eat items that are not intended for human consumption (i.e., paint, dirt, chalk, etc.).
- Lack the ability to regulate the amount of food intake or the rate at which they consume it. This could lead to choking hazards, nausea or vomiting.
Mitigate Poison and Choking Hazards
Store dangerous substances safely.
Keep cleaning products, chemicals, and other substances in original containers and secured out-of-reach or in locked cabinets.
Handle medications safely.
Keep medications in original packaging and safely stored. Dispose of unused medications safely. Make sure the child does not have access to them once they’ve been discarded.
Talk to your provider.
If you are concerned about your child’s eating habits and risk of choking, talk to your provider.
Consider these safety items:
- Cabinet locks
- Lids and strap locks on garbage cans
Transportation Safety
Children with ASD may have trouble sitting for car, bus, train, or even plane rides due to sensory issues and the risk for sensory overload. Riding in a car seat, booster seat, or using a seat belt can pose a challenge. Sensitivity to the car seat or the moving surroundings might cause your child to try to escape the car seat.
To Help Address Escaping Behaviors:
- Make sure the car seat is appropriate for your child’s height and weight and the child is properly secured.
- Use behavioral interventions such as distractions and rewards.
- Use an FMVSS-compliant adaptive car seat harness instead of a conventional seat, which is harder to escape.
- Explore manufacturer-approved buckle or chest clip guards. See full guide below for more details.
Consider These Safety Items:
- Adaptive car seats and vests
- Approved buckle and chest clip guards
- Over-ear headphones
- Sensory chew toys
Find the Right Anti-escape Guard
There are many after-market anti-escape guards available online, but most are not crash tested by the car seat manufacturer and are unsafe. Before purchasing online, call the car seat manufacturer with the seat model and ask if it is okay to use a guard and if there are any that the manufacturer recommends.
Wandering
Wandering, or elopement, occurs when a child with ASD wanders, runs away from, or otherwise leaves a parent, guardian, or other responsible adult’s care. Wandering is common in both younger and older children with ASD. Children with ASD may have many reasons for running off, whether it be looking for a place or item of special interest, a general enjoyment of exploring, or using it to get out of an anxious or uncomfortable situation.
To Address Wandering:
- Understand what types of triggers may cause your child to want to wander and remove them
- Talk with your child about how wandering can be dangerous and provide them with better solutions for getting away from a situation
- Ensure adult supervision, especially in crowds, outside, and around water
- Communicate to prepare neighbors to bring your child back home if they find them wandering
- Utilize technology, such as door or window alarms or tracking devices
Consider These Safety Items:
- Door/window alarms
- ID bracelets
Resources
Home Safety and Injury Prevention Guide
Our Home Safety and Injury Prevention Guide for Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) includes more information on the topics above, examples of safety products as well as intentional injury risks from the internet, self-harm and bullying.
Training Video for Parents
Our elopement and home safety workshop for children with ASD.
ID Resources
Our ID Info Sheet and ID card can be shared with law enforcement, and can easily travel with your child in a pocket or backpack.