Safety is among the most fundamental needs for any individual, yet for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), navigating emergency situations and interactions with first responders presents unique and potentially life-threatening challenges. This course addresses a critical gap in professional training by focusing on the behavioral, communication, and sensory factors that place individuals with ASD at elevated risk during crisis and emergency situations.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Women in Behavior Analysis
Take This Course →Including ethics, supervision, and topics like this one. New live CEU every Wednesday.
Join Free →Crisis and emergency situations are stressful for any family to navigate. Behavior excesses, skill deficits, communication differences, and unique sensory profiles of individuals on the spectrum present additional challenges when individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are in emergency situations or interacting with first responders. Individuals with ASD are at elevated risk for serious injury or death during emergency situations. Caregivers report receiving inadequate or no professional guidance on how to safely navigate these situations (Drexel University, 2021). In spite of the clear and obvious threat to safety and quality of life that elopement poses, many families reported not discussing it with their in-home applied behavior analysis (ABA) provider or receiving support from any related service provider (www.nationalautismassociation.org, n.d.). This is especially horrifying, considering that in 2009, 2010, and 2011, accidental drowning accounted for 91% of total U.S. deaths reported in children with ASD ages 14 and younger with histories of wandering/elopement (www.nationalautismassociation.org, n.d.). Children on the autism spectrum are more likely to use emergency medical services and experience longer hospital stays than their neurotypical counterparts. This may be the result of medical providers' lack of knowledge about autism, how best to manage medical conditions for individuals on the spectrum, as well as an overwhelming shortage of appropriate medical and clinical treatment facilities for individuals on the spectrum (Bebinger, 2021; Camm-Crosbie et al., 2019). Further exacerbating challenges related to disability characteristics and a medical system ill-equipped to support individuals with ASD are societal problems. ABA providers must align with caregivers, hospitals, first responders, and the community at large to prepare our clients to live safely in the world that exists now, while simultaneously working toward an equitable future. This presentation discusses how to teach safety and preparedness skills to individuals with ASD; how to prepare for and prevent emergency situations from occurring; and suggests ways to establish, strengthen, and maintain community partnerships. Hands-on activities challenge participants to examine their own biases and how these may inadvertently harm or inadequately prepare their clients, as well as how to mitigate or eliminate such risk.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | Ethics |
Maria has been serving individuals with varying exceptionalities and their families since 2003. She is the founder and lead executive of the Sasaki Behavioral Group (formerly known as the Reilly Behavioral Group). As a small business owner, Maria is dedicated to maintaining a work-life balance and high quality of life for her team and the clients they serve. Maria is a board member of APBA and serves on several CASP committees, including as the moderator of the Ethics SIG. Maria previously served as the Bay Area Regional Leader for the CalABA Public Policy Committee. Maria has taught at the graduate level at the University of West Florida, Santa Clara University, and Endicott College. Maria holds a Bachelor of Science degree magna cum laude from Santa Clara University and a Master of Public Health degree from the Bloomberg School at Johns Hopkins University.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
258 research articles with practitioner takeaways
256 research articles with practitioner takeaways
You earn CEUs from a dozen different places. Upload any certificate — from here, your employer, conferences, wherever — and always know exactly where you stand. Learning, Ethics, Supervision, all handled.
No credit card required. Cancel anytime.
All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.