Road safety and Autism

mummajen2012
mummajen2012 Online Community Member Posts: 4 Listener
edited April 2017 in Autism and neurodiversity
hi can any help my five year old who has autism I've been  really struggling lately with him trying to run of into the roads he has no awareness of safety and once he has it in his head he wants to go a certain way there's no stopping him when I try to as sometimes I just cannot go the way he wants it ends up with him having a meltdown on the floor or him trying to escape from me and when his on the floor I'm trying to pick him up which isn't easy as his a big five year old very strong and he somehow pins himself to the floor.

The only way I can describe it as it's like he has a magnet in his back and his stuck his whole body goes stiff and ridged and I physically struggle to pick him up as he will then lash out at me and when I do manage to pick him up I will get hit bit and kicked I have to pick him up otherwise he will be up getting run over

I'm petrified as this is becoming a daily thing now even today I took him to the park and is trying to escape out of the gate I don't want to have to use his buggy just to get from a-b as I don't want to make him lazy with walking but its becoming so serious now I feel like I'm holding on by a string thread 

Comments

  • WheelyRachel
    WheelyRachel Online Community Member Posts: 63 Contributor
    Have you tried a wrist harness like for tots. Other wise you could make some simple road rule picture cards and mak e a game out of it. Have you been on the autism forum. They may have more advice there.
  • mummajen2012
    mummajen2012 Online Community Member Posts: 4 Listener
    Yes I've tried the rains and backpack ones he either undoes them or manages to eascape out of them I do have visuals of now and next on my phone but haven't tried road ones thankyou I'll give them a go I didn't know they ad an autism forum on here I'll ask thanks again 
  • Lenawelch1
    Lenawelch1 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
    Have you thought about an Autism Assistance dog? www.dogsforgood.org.uk or www.supportdogs.org.uk
  • mummajen2012
    mummajen2012 Online Community Member Posts: 4 Listener
    I'd love to have one but little man is scared of dogs and sadly allergic too as whenever I visit family who have them I have to give him antihistamine as they affect his eczema too even when my dad got his dog from a puppy I thought ahh perfect time to introduce him to a dog but his just so scared bless him thanks though I really appreciate it x
  • Lenawelch1
    Lenawelch1 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
    Oh That's a shame poor little man :( hope someone can help x 
  • Sam_Alumni
    Sam_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,602 Championing
    There's a few interesting links here that might help.

    Road Safety with Alex Lowery - "I remember looking for a literal green man when people would ask me to look for it but the green man was never around.” 

    From brake.org.uk - "     explain specifically that failing to follow safety rules can lead to death or serious injury" 

    From autism.org.uk - "use toys or interactive games"

    Speakup is an initiative from South Yorkshire about teaching road safety to people with learning difficulties.
  • Sam_Alumni
    Sam_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,602 Championing
    @VioletFenn and @will22 do you have any ideas?
  • VioletFenn
    VioletFenn Online Community Member Posts: 124 Empowering
    God this is such a difficult one! I've been in this position but luckily my son (now 12) grew out of it. He's very interested in things being done in the 'right' way, so I told him could get into trouble with the police if he ran out into the road and caused an accident. I also explained fairly - bluntly - the risks of injury and what impact that might have on his life. He decided that it made more sense (and this was a logical decision, not a scared and emotional one) that it was probably better to follow the 'green cross code' and not get injured.

    Is he at school? Could they do any work with him there - practicing crossing pretend roads in a safe situation on the playground, for example? 
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 728 Listener
    edited April 2017
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • will22
    will22 Online Community Member Posts: 31 Contributor
    Hi mummajen2012,

    can you give me an idea of your son's communicative level - can he talk about the road, does he give you any kind of indication of why he runs or what he's after? 

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