What keeps you awake at night? For me, it’s the possibility of my kids waking up at 2 AM and deciding to leave the house for a solo walk around the neighborhood. Not kidding. That’s why I’ve decided to make my first Special Stuff post about keeping kids with special needs safe in your home.
Why Are Special Needs Kids Different Regarding Safety Precautions?
All parents should take safety precautions with their children – so why do we need to be extra thoughtful about safety for kids with special needs? Many kids with special needs have limited judgment related to their safety- this can be impacted by an intellectual disability, but don’t let that fool you. Many children with ADHD and high functioning autism can also exhibit dangerous decision making skills when it comes to judgments about their personal safety. A few facts from the National Autism Association – 48% of children with autism will try to escape from a safe environment- that’s 4 times higher than a typical child! In 2011, drowning accounted for 91% of accidental deaths for kids with ASD 14 and under… terrifying.
Our boys are both in Autism Speaks funded Swim Lessons – if you have a program near you, I highly recommend them! Or better yet, why not apply to start a Swimming and Water Safety scholarship fund in your area. Please check out the National Autism Association’s safety resources for more ideas.
Luke (my oldest, now 6) has escaped several times from our house. Thankfully we or a neighbor have always grabbed him before he was out of the cul-de-sac. But still, every time I’ve cried and cursed the eight locks he figured out on our door. We’re Fort Knox over here these days with 2 boys and a Goldendoodle trying to escape, so let me share with you some of our tried and true items…
Road ID Bracelet – Wrist ID Elite or Slim
We got these ID badges after Luke escaped the house one time- having a non-verbal child means a whole other world of worries. Having his name, our names and phone numbers right there on his wrist at all times was really a load off my mind. Especially in situations where we were in crowded areas (Costco, Disney World etc) BUT it took me soooo long to find one that he couldn’t get off his wrist. Enter the Road ID Elite bracelet. Origionally made for athletes, this puppy is adjustable and has a metal clasp at the back so Luke can’t get it off. It’s very comfortable and our guy got used to it very quickly. They even have a little autism puzzle piece badge you can add! We actually put “I have autism” on the face plate of this badge. It would also be great for someone who has diabetes or other health concerns who needs a bracelet that will stay on. Use the link above for $5 off 🙂
Fortress Security Window/Door Contact Sensor
So full disclosure, we don’t have this exact model but I believe some sort of contact sensor alarm is essential. We have a subscription based home alarm system that includes these door chimes- you can set them to beep every time a door is opened (what we have it set to) or to alarm when you sleep at night. I mostly love this for just knowing when one of my kids goes on the porch or if we forgot to lock a door (!!) and someone decides to go fully naked out in the front yard (yes, that happened).
Amcrest HDSeries 720P WiFi Wireless IP Security Surveillance Camera System
We love this camera! We use it as a nanny camera, but would also be great in a child’s bedroom or playroom. It hooks up to your cellphone or computer so you can view while away from home. I love checking in on my kids from my work computer. It also stores your videos on the cloud so you can review them later. You can zoom, tilt, nigh vision and it has 2 way talk. Did I mention it’s only around $60 bucks? We will be buying more of these soon.
Munchkin XTRAGUARD Locks
Oh my gosh, we have 15 of these at least. I first saw these at our pediatrician’s office on the exam room cabinets and drawers. These are not only great for securing cabinets and drawers but we also have them on the refrigerator, oven and dresser drawers. The sticky pads make it possible to put these suckers anywhere… and we do!
Monkey Locks
This may be THE safety item in our house. They keep kids out of bathrooms, closets and in rooms when they aren’t supposed to leave. The best part is that they leave the door slightly ajar so you can still see/hear your child with the door locked. Another great feature is that these Monkey Locks travel to Grandma’s house and the beach with ease. They pop onto any standard size door and can be easily operated by a tall person with out removal. SO GREAT!
Evenflo Position and Lock Pressure Mount Gate
A classic- I know my parents had this gate when I was a child! We’ve had many different gates in our house, but this one is our favorite. It’s movable from room to room, you don’t have to do anything fancy to mount it (don’t put this one at the top of the stairs) and it can travel with you. We also love it for our Big Guy who is very tall- he can’t vault over this one!
Evenflo Expansion Swing Wide Gate
This is the gate we have to close off our playroom entrance- it’s amazing because it can fold up to a small width (24″) but then expand up to 60″. It’s a great gate for wide spaced openings.
Evenflo Easy Walk Thru Top Of Stairs Gate
We have a saying in our house, “contain and control”. Okay, not really but we do love a good gate. If you have stairs, you’ll need a special stair mount gate- this is another barrier to wandering out of the house. It really does help to maintain vigilance if you can section off your house into smaller, more controlled chunks. If your kids are like mine, they find new and exciting ways to hurt themselves, so any gate is going to help us!
Please note: This page uses amazon affiliate links – also, we buy EVERYTHING off amazon. Ain’t nobody got time for the actual store…
