Kendra Thomson, Associate Professor of Applied Disability Studies, wrote a piece recently published in The Conversation about teaching children with autism important safety skills.

Thomson writes:

“Preventable injuries are the leading cause of death for Canadians under the age of 45. Unfortunately, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are two to three times more likely to experience a preventable injury than those without.

Children with ASD are particularly prone to poisoning, suffocation and wandering that can lead to death by drowning or vehicular accident.

They often need systematic training to learn safety skills. And they need explicit instruction — to increase the likelihood of using these skills effectively in different settings and with different people.

Teaching safety skills to children with ASD at a young age is of utmost importance. However, preliminary research suggests that caregivers of children with ASD may not be comfortable teaching these safety skills themselves due to a lack of knowledge or experience.”

Continue reading the full article here.