Safeguarding Your Child with Autism: Strategies and Tools To Reduce Risks

Every parent wants their child to be safe—especially parents of autistic children with sensory issues that increase the chances of serious injuries and even death. Elopement (wandering), pica (eating nonfood items), and lack of situational awareness are leading causes of accidents in this population. While few Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) include safety goals, this new guide from coauthors Scott (exceptional student education, executive director, Ctr. for Autism and Related Disabilities, Florida Atlantic Univ.) and Flood (principal, the Potential School, FL) highlights modeling and instructional approaches. Divided into easy-to-reference chapters, sections cover the assessment and treatment of elopement; devices and technology for safety (both low and high tech); and dealing with big risks. Most significant is an entire section on working with law enforcement, and fire and rescue personnel on autism awareness. Handy appendixes, including hazards checklists, sample emergency drills, emergency contact information templates, along with an abundance of references and resources make this an important title for public libraries.