As parents of children with special needs, we know all too well the dangers our children face every day.  Whether safety concerns arise when they in our care, or when they are in the care of others during school time, camp, or various activities – there are things we can do to help keep them safe!  The world is a scary place for our children to navigate, and even scarier for us because as parents, we KNOW the dangers that exist.  And let’s face it, although we want to protect our children as much as we can, sometimes situations arise which are beyond our control!  There is always something we can do as parents to ensure our children remain as safe as possible! 

 

Wandering and elopement are two issues that are of concern for the majority of special needs parents.  Luckily, there are many resources out there that can help your family navigate this risk.   

 

Autism New Jersey and AWAARE Collaboration provide useful information on wandering and elopement.  AngelSense, Project Lifesaver, and SafetyNet are great tracking systems used by many families. 

 

Check out The Autism ID Card for medical cards that explains a person’ medical condition to first responders.  Alert Me Bands are wonderful, personalized, medical bands to help identify those with Autism and other special needs. These are also offered by Medic Alert Foundation.  There are so many options of bands to choose from!  If I Need Help offers families a wide range of identification products which use a QR code for identification.  The FBI Child ID App offers parents a way to store vital information and photos about their children.    

 

Living Well with Autism offers free social stories about personal safety and stranger danger.   POAC offers wonderful workshops of Sexuality and Safety.  If you are looking for information on water safety tips and tools, visit Autism Speaks.  For household safety resources, visit Above and Beyond Learning Group and Autism Society.

 

National Autism Association offers FREE Big Red Safety Boxes for families, although supplies are limited so keep checking back if the website tells you they are temporarily out of stock!

 

Children’s Specialized Hospital (RWJBH) offers a wonderful database of safety resources for families!  Resources and tips are offered in both English and Spanish!   

 

I hope you find these resources helpful!  As always, please feel free to share with me any safety resources so I can add them to the website!