CARD Safety Kit Guide

You’ve received your Autism & Safety Kit, now let’s review how to use it!

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Safety kit supplies

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Water safety supplies

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The Autism & Safety Kit includes a water safety brochure. This brochure will give caregivers facts and signs about drowning and strategies to minimize risks, including the “3C’s (Close and constant supervision, Cut out distractions, CPR certification) to keep an individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) safe around water. Additional resources are included in the brochure.

A water watcher badge is also included in the kit. The adult supervising the area where children are playing around a water source will wear this badge. When the supervising adult needs to take a break, another adult will take the responsibility to supervise and wear the badge.

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Elopement Safety

Elopement can be defined as when an individual with a developmental disability walks or runs away, wanders, escapes, or otherwise leaves a safe environment unsupervised or unnoticed. Elopement is a dangerous and sometimes deadly situation.

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Elopement and locating information

The Autism & Safety Kit provides stop signs and an alarm to place on doors or windows. The stop sign can be used as a preventative strategy and create a routine of how to leave one area to go to another. The supervising adult will need to explain to the child:

“When you see a stop sign, do not open the door or walk through it

without checking in with an adult. ‘Checking in’ means to find an adult and tell or show the adult you would

like to go into another room or go outside to play.”

Some children may need to practice the behavior of seeking out an adult when they see the stop sign. The door alarm is a tool to alert an adult when an individual is opening a door to an unsupervised area.

Check with law enforcement in your community to find a program designed to protect and locate missing persons due to wandering. http://card-usf.fmhi.usf.edu/resources/materials/safety.html

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Poison Prevention

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ASD and PicaMany individuals with ASD have experienced pica. Pica is characterized by persistent and compulsive cravings to eat nonfood items. This often increases the likelihood of accidental poisoning. Children with ASD experience treatment from poisoning 7.6 times more frequently than their typically developing peers.

The Autism & Safety Kit includes information from Poison Control.

1. A checklist of items to secure in order to prevent poisoning in the home.

2. First aid information on how to respond to different types of poisoning.

Add the telephone number to Poison Control to your phone or address book right now: 1-800-222-1222.

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Emergency Information

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It’s important to keep everyone informed about what to do

in an emergency!

The Autism & Safety Kit provides three items to inform the people surrounding the individual with ASD of important emergency contacts and the needs of the individual during an emergency. These could include:

1. A Babysitter’s Emergency Guide

2. An Autism & Safety information magnet

3. A MediPal®

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MediPal®

My Name:

Birth Date:

Address:

My Home Phone: ( )

My Cell Phone: ( )

My ContactsMother:

Phone: ( )

Father:

Phone: ( )

Other:

Phone: ( )

My Medical Insurance Information

Name:

Phone: ( )

Member ID:

My Primary Doctor

Name:

Phone: ( )

My Specialty Doctor

Name:

Phone: ( )

My Dentist

Name:

Phone: ( )

Cell Home Work

Cell Home Work

Cell Home Work

Place photo of my face here

What Does CARD-USF Offer?Training: CARD-USF addresses issues of critical importance to teachers and parents of individuals with autism and related disabilities through training opportunities in our 14 county region.

Direct Assistance: Our CARD consultants work with individual constituents and/or their family to provide them, their school or agency with information that will help meet the needs at hand.

Technical Assistance: CARD-USF provides assistance to a professional group, agency, classroom or school district. This level of assistance is for the purpose of offering specific intervention strategies that can modify or enhance the outcomes within a designated setting.

Resource and Referral Assistance: CARD-USF has gathered a list of local and regional resources that may be of use to parents and professionals.

Project Development: CARD-USF engages in project development with the goal of building capacity in the communities we serve.

CARD-USF serves the following Florida counties: Charlotte, Collier, Desoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry,

Highlands, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee,Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota.

CARD is a Program of:

Want More Information about CARD?

Call: 813-974-2532 or 1-800-333-4530

Website: http://card-usf.fmhi.usf.edu

Write: CARD-USF MHC 2113A

13301 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. Tampa, Florida 33612

Copyright 2014 MediPal Inc., All Rights ReservedPatent No. D681940. www.medipal.com

My M

ediPal©Inform

ation

Scan this code for a practical guide for first responders to meet the needs of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

point mom mom

dad dad teeth

scared sad I don't know

sharp pain I need help choke

Made with Boardmaker® and the Picture Communication DynaVox Mayer-Johnson 2100 Wharton St. Suite 400, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 U.S.A.

www.mayer-johnson.co

Communication Tool

Tips for interacting with persons with Autism

» Display calming body language, give person extra personal space.

» Use simple, concrete terms, avoid metaphors and slang; speak slowly and give extra time for them to reply.

» The person may wander with no fear of real danger; attracted to water and roadways.

» Very likely person has high anxiety and will display adverse, possibly aggressive, behavior. Given time and space they may deescalate their behavior.

» The person may be extremely sensitive to lights, sounds, smells or touch.

» The person may repeat your words/phrases/body language. Try using pictures or fill in the blank questions.

» Each individual with autism is unique and may act or react differently.

My Medical InformationI Communicate By:

My Medical Condition:

My Blood Type:

My Medications: (As of date: / /20 ) Include name and dosage:

Medication and other Allergies:

My Special Needs and Other Information:

Speaking Using Gestures Using Sign Language

Using a Communication Device Other:

The purchaser/user of the Emergency Seatbelt ID assumes full responsibility for the accuracy of information provided, the placement of the ID on any user’s safety belt or physical self, and/or any harm produced by the ID holder itself or from any contents placed in the ID holder. Information provided which results in disclosure of information to unwanted parties or resulting in identity theft, is the sole responsibility of the purchaser/user.

Printed in the USA. Packaged at The Arc of San Diego. You can download this form at http://card-usf.fmhi.usf.edu/docs/seatbelt-insert.pdf

Mid-sized Com. Book - Print on

Made with Boardmaker® and the Picture Communication Symbols © 1981-2010 DynaVox Mayer-Johnson 2100 Wharton St. Suite 400,

Pittsburgh, PA 15203 U.S.A. Phone (800) 588-4548

Mid-sized Com. Book - Print on

Made with Boardmaker® and the Picture Communication Symbols © 1981-2010 DynaVox Mayer-Johnson 2100 Wharton St. Suite 400,

Pittsburgh, PA 15203 U.S.A. Phone (800) 588-4548

Mid-sized Com. Book - Print on

Made with Boardmaker® and the Picture Communication Symbols © 1981-2010 DynaVox Mayer-Johnson 2100 Wharton St. Suite 400,

Pittsburgh, PA 15203 U.S.A. Phone (800) 588-4548

Mid-sized Com. Book - Print on

Made with Boardmaker® and the Picture Communication Symbols © 1981-2010 DynaVox Mayer-Johnson 2100 Wharton St. Suite 400,

Pittsburgh, PA 15203 U.S.A. Phone (800) 588-4548

Please point to where you hurt

The Picture Communication Symbols ©1981–2014 by DynaVox Mayer-Johnson LLC. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission.

no hurt little hurt medium hurt big hurt

head ear eye

neck shoulder arm

chest back stomach

bottom leg foot

sick throw up diarrhea

dizzy hot cold

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Another item the Autism & Safety Kit provides is a MediPal®.

This is designed to attach to the seatbelt in your car, a backpack strap, a belt or a wheelchair. There is a Health Profile insert to complete detailing the individual’s important information, and a photo in order for a first responder to assess and intervene in a way that is sensitive to the individual’s needs. Instructions and tips are included in the package.

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Sensory Items

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The Autism & Safety Kit may include sensory items like a stress ball or fidget.

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Still have questions…???

The Autism & Safety Kit is a preliminary tool to address concerns about safety involving an individual with ASD.

Visit our online resources http://card-usf.fmhi.usf.edu/resources/materials/safety.html for additional safety tips and strategies.

Families should contact CARD–USF (813-974-2532, or 1-800-333-4530) and request to speak with a Consultant to develop and implement a plan to address safety concerns.

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For More InformationPhone

(813) 974-25321-800-333-4530

Websitehttp://card-usf.fmhi.usf.edu

Emailcard-usf@usf.edu

Florida’s First Choice for Autism Support

CARD is a program of