Fire safety for people with autism

Learning fire safety concepts can be challenging for some people with autism, especially children and teens. They often need more personalized learning methods and may have difficulty generalizing skills to real-life events. Do not assume that a person with autism will easily understand why fire is dangerous, how to respond to fire alarms, why fire training is needed, or what actions to take in the event of a fire threat. Additionally, certain characteristics of autism, such as hyper-reactivity to input, may influence how a person with autism reacts during a fire situation.

All families are encouraged to take reasonable precautions and use products that improve fire safety in their homes.

• Fire extinguisher
  Must be on every level of the house.
• Smoke detectors
  Install and maintain smoke alarms on every floor and near all rooms where family members sleep. If possible, make sure there is a smoke detector in your child's room, linked to the smoke detector in the parent's room, so that the parent is alerted to any fire hazard to the child. If your child is sensitive to loud noises, talking smoke alarms can be used.
• Fire escape
  If your bedrooms are on the upper floors of the building, consider purchasing/installing a fire escape. Ensure ladders are stored safely.

Additional security measures to consider:

1. Purchasing oven locks
   Hide potential fire starters such as matches, lighters or candles.
   Place stickers on windows that alert firefighters that a person with autism lives in the home.
2. Addressing potentially dangerous behavior
   People with autism often have fixed interests or engage in repetitive behaviors that can be potential fire hazards. For example, a child may have a keen interest in light bulbs and wires, while an adult may constantly press buttons on a microwave oven..
3. Use Visual Aids
   Such as brightly colored stop sign labels on dangerous items. Teach your child what these symbols mean.
4. Work with a Certified Behavior Analyst
   To eliminate any restricted interests and repetitive behaviors that may be unsafe. Individual behavior plans are the best way to reduce these behaviors and replace them with safe alternative behaviors.

New people and situations are often challenging for people with autism. During a crisis, a person with autism may easily become overwhelmed and not follow important instructions or accept help from a firefighter. Communicating with your community's firefighters outside of an emergency can have positive consequences.

Visit your local fire station to help your child become more familiar with firefighter equipment, uniforms, and vehicles. Making sure that the firefighter is not a “stranger” and that his appearance is unfamiliar or intimidating will help increase the likelihood of a child reacting positively in an emergency.

Teach fire safety and fire prevention skills

People with autism often require more individualized teaching methods and repeated practice; learning through natural opportunities alone, such as a school fire prevention week, is likely to be insufficient.

Because many people with autism learn more easily through visual materials, video instructions, social stories, read-alouds, and visual supports (words or pictures) can help teach safety concepts such as what fire looks like, what happens when we touch it, what there is fire equipment and who to call in an emergency.
Break more complex tasks into smaller steps to develop skills (for example, making toast safely).
Use naturally occurring opportunities to discuss and praise safe practices, such as “Thank you for standing back while Mom uses the stove.”

Development and practice of a fire evacuation plan. For other safety reasons, you may not want to teach your child how to leave the house on their own. In this case, create and define responsibilities for each family member in how you lead them.
Depending on the layout of your home and your child's behavior, consider teaching them at least two ways to exit each room.
Designate a central meeting point on the street, such as a sign at a neighbor's house.

Teach your child other important actions in case of fire

If possible, teach your child how and when to call 911.
People with autism may go back inside to get an item they like because they don't understand the danger. Teach them never to return to the house during a fire.
If your child does not use or has difficulty using speech to communicate, teach alternative ways to call for help. For example, a child can learn to blow a whistle to call a fireman in an emergency.

Ensuring the safety of your loved one with autism is our highest priority. Additional safety measures in the home, individualizing the way fire safety skills are taught and practiced, and anticipating a fire emergency based on a child's specific skills and needs can help avoid a fire emergency and minimize risks and negative consequences.

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