The Guide to Protect Your Autistic Child at Home

The Guide to Protect Your Autistic Child at Home

You’ve devoted your life to making sure your autistic child is safe and happy. You’ve taken parenting classes, you’re a good role model, and most importantly, you understand the needs of an autistic child.

But even with your best efforts, it’s easy to forget that there are other people in the world who might not be as proactive about keeping their kids safe as they should be.

Even if you live in a big city like New York or Los Angeles where autism is more prevalent, there are still plenty of smaller towns where parents may not have heard about these strategies beforeโ€”and this can put them at risk.

If anything were to happen to me or my son while we were out at home together (which thankfully has never happened), I would want someone else around who knew what they were doing if things got hairy! So here’s my guide to protecting our home against potential threats:

Keep your household safe.

  • Keep your home safe.
  • Keep your child away from harmful objects.
  • Keep your child away from dangerous areas.
  • Keep your child away from dangerous people, pets, and animals.

 

Know where to find emergency services.

You can get help for your child in an emergency situation. For example, if he has a seizure and falls off the bed or onto the floor, you will want to call 911 immediately.

If it is after hours and you cannot get through on the phone, you can contact them via text message by sending โ€œSOSโ€ (short for โ€œSend Out Serviceโ€) followed by the number 911 in any format (for example SOS123456789).

Once you’ve called 911 and are waiting for emergency services to arrive at your home or place of business, keep these steps in mind:

  • Make sure all doors are locked; if not already locked then lock them now! This will prevent anyone from coming inside while they’re still trying to figure out what’s going on inside first before being able to enter again later on down the road when there isn’t anything left behind anymore like dishes piled up against walls etcetera…

 

Educate your child’s caregivers and babysitters.

It is vital that you make sure that the person who spends time with your child knows how to interact with him or her.

They should be able to recognize when there is something wrong, and they should know what safety measures (like using a barrier) are in place at home so that no one gets hurt during playtime.

If you have any concerns about the people who will be caring for your autistic child, find out whether or not they have any relevant training or accreditation before allowing them into the home!

If an emergency happens while someone else is watching over your family member, it is important that whoever is closest by has enough information about autism so they can take appropriate action when necessaryโ€”such as calling 911 if someone needs medical assistance right away.

 

Educate your neighbors.

If you live in an area with a high crime rate, itโ€™s important to let your neighbors know that you have a child with autism.

Your child may look out of place or seem different from other children his age, which can make him more vulnerable to being targeted by criminals and thieves.

If there is something suspicious happening in the neighborhood, let the police know so they can investigate the situation further.

 

Implement a buddy system.

The buddy system is a great way to keep your child safe and secure. The buddy is in charge of keeping track of the child, which can be done by either using an app or simply writing down the times that you need help and where you are going.

If it’s going to take more than 15 minutes for someone else to come get them, they should be able to let their buddy know so that they can help out instead!

If your autistic child does have any kind of medical issue (like asthma), then having someone else around could make all the difference between life-threatening complications or no problems at all!

This also means that if something happens like an accident or illness during school hoursโ€”which happens sometimes with kids who don’t get enough exerciseโ€”then having some extra hands available could help save lives by giving first aid until paramedics arrive on the scene.”

 

Create an I’m OK list.

  • Create an I’m OK list.
  • What should you include in your I’m OK list?
  • How can you use an I’m OK list?
  • Can you give others an example of an I’m OK list, or do they need to make their own?

 

Make sure the people around you know how to keep your autistic child safe

Teach your family members how to keep your autistic child safe and what to do if something happens. If you’re having seizures, teach them how to help you.

If you have a problem at school or in public, show them how to explain it in a way that doesn’t feel like an accusation or a lectureโ€”but also doesn’t be afraid of being blunt if necessary!

When we started out on this journey, our son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

We learned very quickly that his needs were completely different from ours; we needed all the help we could get from people who knew more about ASD than us because there really isn’t much-written material out there about it.

The most important thing for us as parents is making sure our daughter knows how important it is for her safety: teaching her how important it is always wearing her helmet while riding bikes/scooters/skates etc., teaching her never to leave food unattended while eating at restaurants where there are other children around, etc…

 

Conclusion

These are just some of the steps you can take to help your autistic child at home. You may have other ideas or concerns regarding this topic, so please let us know in the comments section below.