Safety: cover every angle
My school does a tree-planting day every spring — a small ceremony where each class plants something on the school grounds. The students trek out to a patch of grass near the front parking lot, and for the most part, our students are incredibly respectful and excited to be part of it.
A few years ago, I started the way I always do, by explaining the importance of the day and being specific with my examples, because as a middle school teacher, I know that’s still what middle schoolers need (sometimes even more than elementary schoolers!). For example: “These shovels are not light sabers” and “We are not running across the parking lot” and “We are not trying to get anyone to honk at us when they drive by.” I have the students tell me exactly what kind of behavior I expect once we’re outside.
After about 15 minutes of this, the kids are ready. They’re excited, and they’re filled with a kind of purpose. I only have 6 of them, since this is a resource room, so there aren’t too many to keep track of. We cross the parking lot toward the planting site.
As we’re setting up, I see a flash out of the corner of my eye. One of my students is racing across the lot toward the front of the school. “Mom!” he yells.
Here’s what happened: the student recognized his mother’s car and, filled with excitement (yes, very sweet) and lacking impulse control, immediately ran to say hello and grab the forgotten gym clothes she was dropping off.
Skill deficits, not flaws
This student is one of the sweetest I’ve known. What seventh grader is willing to publicly greet his mother with such unbridled enthusiasm?
But, as a part of his ADHD diagnosis, he struggles with impulse control. And, while this is can be endearing (as when he blurts out expressions of excitement while we are learning about the Battle of Gettysburg), it can also put him in dangerous situations.
After I spoke with him, he was very remorseful. “You’re right,” he admitted, “I could have gotten hit by a car.”
There was nothing I could have done in that moment, but I later reflected that there was a lot I could do–should do–to proactively help this student to make safer choices.
The research
The event that I observed with my student is not unique. Due to their challenges with inattention and impulsivity, children with ADHD are at a higher risk (about double!) for injury when compared with their peers (Tyrrell and Prasad.)
For children with autism, the greatest problem is elopement, or leaving from a safe place without expressed permission or supervision. About half of children diagnosed with ASD wander or elope from safe places (Kennedy Krieger Institute) and, when found by a passerby, about a third are unable to effectively communicate their emergency information, such as their name, address, and phone number.
What doesn’t work
If you’ve had experience as a teacher, you know that there are some kids who will learn something the first time they are exposed to it. The capital of Georgia is Atlanta–that is locked into their brains and they will remember it for the rest of their lives.
This post is not for those kinds of learners.
This post is for the kids who need to be reminded again and again–even after it seems like they understand.
And, to go even further, reminders are likely not enough for these kids. Since the problem here is a skill deficit, we must treat it as such (like you would any other IEP goal or ABA program.) We’ll need to use modeling, practice with feedback and generalization planning.
An easy way
Many students learn incidentally. They are exposed to something in the natural environment, and interact with its consequences, and are able to apply their experience to a variety of situations. This can be harder for individuals with Autism and ADHD.
The best kind of teaching for kids with these needs is direct, explicit teaching.
If you’ve read any of my other posts, you know I am a huge fan of sorts. As a BCBA, I do a lot of DTT (Discrete Trial Training), and sorts fit into this learning tool really well.
Sorts allow a student to experience all kinds of different exemplars and identify the best way to respond. Using sorts also provide the teacher or practitioner with lots of data and opportunities to support the student in the best way possible.
Areas for focus
- Emergency information: One of my clients works on this every single session. We took a break once for 2 weeks, and he forgot his phone number and address. The goal is for a child to be able to recite their name, phone number, and address to a stranger so that someone is able to help connect them with their families in the event that they become lost.
- In the community & environment: Students can learn to identify safe vs. unsafe places and activities in their community. Students in particular can practice identifying emergency response buildings in their community (hospital, doctor’s office, police station, fire station, etc.)
- People: Students can learn to distinguish between emergency personnel and strangers. They can also identify people who are safe to approach if they are lost or need help. A series of images like the ones below can help students identify community helpers in an emergency.
- Emergency response: Students can learn to distinguish between emergencies and non-emergencies. They can learn how to call 911 in the event of an emergency. A table like the one below can help clearly outline what constitutes an emergency, and what is inconvenient, but not an emergency.
- In daily life: Students can learn to distinguish between items that are safe or unsafe to eat, or safe or unsafe to touch. They can learn to identify tasks requiring adult supervision or assistance, such as using a sharp knife or cooking with the stove. The cards below illustrate items that should not be eaten, or touched.
- Online: Students can learn which information is appropriate to share online, and how to get help if something feels off. This sort helps students to distinguish between information that is safe to share online versus information that should not be shared online.
Where to begin
With all of these areas of safety, it can be daunting to figure out how to start!
You definitely don’t have to start with all of them, all at once. Pick those most relevant to your student or client’s life. Find out from family members and teachers what is most concerning for them.
One area that I think is always safe to work on, all the time, is communicating emergency information. At the very least, being able to communicate name and emergency contact phone number is an essential skill.
If you are looking for some tools to get started, feel free to check out my safety resources, available on Teachers Pay Teachers.
