Safety in a Home with a Special Needs Person

As the years have passed I have found myself making changes in my home that I never imagined, but the idea of being able to sleep the few hours at night without worrying about my son Mickie getting hurt kept me making the changes that have helped regain some sense of security.

One should never underestimate people with Autism. They are very smart, no matter how it seems and will plan for days even months a way around any security measures to get to what they want.

My son used to get into everything and for a time life was very chaotic for his sisters and me, so I modified our home as soon as a new behavior arrived. This has made it possible for him to roam free around his home, even at night, without getting hurt. He still needs to be watched when he is awake, but the changes have helped.

1. All outlets covered with metal plates (he used to rip them off and try to take out the electric cables, so don't use plastic, because they will rip them off)

2. Locked Kitchen (he also has an insatiable appetite and has pica)

3. Security doors leading to the outside (he is a wanderer)

4. Pictures bolted to the walls (took everything off the walls before)

5. All cabinets locked (used to empty them and make a huge mess)

6. Zero access to heaters and air conditioner units (used to try to pull off the cables)

7 TV enclosed in a wood case with plexy glass in front (used to brake electronics)

8 Clean floors (he would otherwise pick things up and put them in his mouth)

9 Cabinets are secured to the wall (he is a climber)

10 An outside valve to turn off the water in his bathroom (likes to run the water and flooded his bathroom years ago)Etc.....

Temporary Tattos

For parents of children and adults with autism, our worse nightmare, is to think what would happen if our children would get lost or wonder away. In Mickie's case, who doesn't speak a word, I don't even like to think about it. He doesn't like to ware bracelets and he takes them off. I've even tried to buy the fabric ones and sewed them on, but he still ripped them off.

A temporary Tattoo on the other hand, could be a solution. Temporary Tattoos With a Purpose. Placed out of reach could do the job. I haven't tried them myself, by I plan on it. I don't know what else to try to keep him safe in case he wonders away somehow.

Their security is very important in these cases. They don't know how to take care of themselves like other kids and adults can, because depending on the severity, something like these tattoos, could be very helpful for adults with autism also. Temporary Tattoos with a Purpose

The Fire

On February 14, of 06, there was an electrical fire in Mickie’s room. I woke up to a house full of teenagers screaming: "Mom, mom; Mickie's room is on fire". I ran out of my room towards the hallway and I could see the smoke coming out from under his door. Without even thinking, I pushed the door open and saw the fire reaching the ceiling on the left hand corner of the room. The TV was on and Mickie was sitting there on his bed, under the covers. He had no intention of getting out of there.

The fire looked like a giant snake and it was moving towards the closet on the other side where Mickie was. I ran in and tried to pull him out and he started to fight me. I had to grab him by his pajama shirt and drag him out. He still wanted to go back into the room. He didn't seem to have any idea of what had just happened. Danger awareness is one of the most disturbing issues parents with children on the autism spectrum have to deal with. Without a sense of danger our kids are prone to tragic accidents.

Keeping Mickie Safe

People on the autism spectrum, have no fear of death and no awareness of danger. Many are not afraid of large bodies of water. They are prone to wonder away for home. Wondering away is one of Mickie’s favorite things to do. Over the years I’ve adapted the house we live in to Mickie’s changing needs. My father installed two iron gates, one on the entrance to a hallway leading to the living room and the other leading to his siblings’ bedrooms.

One morning, in the spring of 2008, I walked out of my room as I do everyday, at 7 O'clock in the morning to find that the Iron Gate leading to the living room was wide open and the front door was unlocked.I remember latching the lock the night before. Who could have opened it? I asked myself. Then I remembered I had locked the lock, but it was almost dark and only one side of the chain was hooked on to the lock. I didn't even notice it. With all the precautions I take every day to keep Mickie safe, even to have earned the name of camp Gitmo, that mistake could have caused a tragedy. He must have had an angel watching over him that morning.