FAQautism

First things first. When individuals with autism do something that threatens their safety and well-being, or that of people around them, it is our responsibility to step in and prevent the dangerous action. Rule number one under these circumstances is to remove the opportunity.

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We must not hesitate, but rather take immediate, fool-proof steps to prevent dangerous behavior from happening. Longer discussions about changing potentially hurtful behaviors of individuals with autism over the long term will be found in future podcasts. But, for now, we need to focus on emergency procedures, immediate actions to take when the potential for hurtful or dangerous behavior arises. Rule #1 is to remove the opportunity.

For example, if a person is likely to swallow safety pins, tacks, nails, or other sharp objects, it is OUR responsibility to keep harmful items completely out of reach. It is not enough to say, “You’d better not get into my desk,” or “If you eat tacks I’ll have to take you to the hospital.” It is not enough to put sharp items in a drawer in another room or on a high shelf. Instead, we need to remove every single sharp object from the environment, totally locked away and completely inaccessible to our impulsive friend with autism. Carelessness on our part is not an option.

If a person with autism tends to grab or hit the driver when riding in a school bus or car, that person needs to sit out of reach of the driver. For one of my friends, that meant purchasing a mini-van so her long-armed, aggressive son with autism could sit in the very back seat of a van, completely out of reach of mom and little sister in the front seat. Under the circumstances, mom was not punishing the youngster for his impulsiveness, but rather minimizing distractions so she could focus on driving the family to their destination safely.

Another example of the need for removing opportunity is individuals who throw objects. Many years ago I was shocked when one of my most aggressive, impulsive friends with autism suddenly threw a can of green beans from her desk in the back of the room. The potentially lethal can flew past the heads of two other students, missed my face, and shattered the blackboard behind me. She laughed at the sound of the board exploding. In my opinion, this young lady was not belligerent or combative, but she was a big, strong girl who was extraordinarily impulsive. She literally threw everything that came in contact with her hands, even food. Knowing that, we had removed all items from her reach. So, where did that can come from? The school was having a canned food drive for a local family, and the teacher had inadvertently left the can of green beans in the bottom of a sack within arms reach of the compulsive thrower. It was a potentially fatal mistake.

I only tell this story to help emphasize Rule #1 when dealing with potentially dangerous actions by individuals with autism. What is Rule #1? REMOVE THE OPPORTUNITY. Every time. Forever. Without fail.

Tune in tomorrow for Rule #2.

NOTE TO READERS AND LISTENERS: I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. Feel free to send me a confidential email at talk@FAQautism.com with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solution. And don’t forget to check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. http://FAQautism.com

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