Article by Abby Twyman, M.Ed., BCBA

Individuals with autism, just like everyone else, need to be taught the skills necessary to prevent and respond to dangerous situation. The month of June is National Safety Month, so we are going to be featuring safety tips, important safety skills and how to teach those skills. In 2008, Linda C. Mechling from the University of North Carolina in Wilmington published a review of the studies conducted over the past 30 years which addressed safety skill instruction.

She identified six common areas of instruction:

• Pedestrian and street-crossing safety
• Home accident prevention
• Application of first aid
• Response to lure or advancements from strangers
• Fire safety
• Emergency use of telephones

The studies she found used a combination of teaching in simulated environments and in real-life situations. As a parent, or a teacher, what are your biggest concerns regarding safety? Please post your questions to our FORUM.