We offer here safety information for while you are out in the community, using different types of transportation, handling being on busy streets, and tips to avoid becoming a victim.
Whichever form of transportation you take to get around your community, here are practical safety tips.
Transportation
Before leaving your house make sure your phone is charged.
Think about where you are going before you leave home, including directions through GPS on your phone if you are driving or which public transportation routes you are taking. If you’re still learning how to do this, you may be able to do travel training with your Department of Developmental Disabilities counselor.
Safety with Ride Services Like Uber and Lyft
When you use a ride service like Uber or Lyft, they will text you and show in their app the license plate number, color and model of their car that is coming to pick you up. Before you get in the car, make sure that the license plate number, model and color match what the app shows so you know you are getting in the right car.
Public Transportation
Before getting on a bus, train or subway, check your directions using an app on your phone. Make sure you check that the number, color or route of the bus or train is the one you want going in the correct direction you need to go in before getting on.
Watch for which stop to get off at. If you need to change to a different bus or train make sure you check again to make sure you get on the right one.
If you get lost taking a bus, you can ask the bus driver for help or check your phone GPS.
Tips for Those Who Drive
If you have a car, remember to have it serviced routinely. For example, oil needs to be changed regularly. If you don’t drive regularly make sure you drive around the block once or twice a week so it doesn’t have mechanical problems.
Maintain your car registration and your drivers license so they don't expire. It is important to watch for what the expiration date is on both your drivers license and registration before it expires and understand what you need to do to renew it. Put a date on your calendar or to do list or app. Consider adding roadside assistance to your car insurance policy or through an organization that offers it.
In the winter keep a snow scraper, old blanket, first aid/safety kit, some bottles of water and a phone charger in your car. Check your safety kit as the seasons change to see if it has what you need year round.
Have some type of self-disclosure card that you could hand to a police officer in case you are stopped. The card can say that you are autistic and any particular needs you have. This Emergency Contact Form from Able2Learn may be a useful template.
A useful free resource is the Big Red Safety Box from The National Autism Association (NAA). This toolkit includes identification materials like a bracelet or shoe ID and helpful documents for emergency planning.
Know what to do if you get stopped by police or if you’re in an accident. Do not drive away. Pull to the side of the road if possible. If it’s an accident with another car get the other person’s name, insurance information, driver's license number and phone number and share that same information with the other car’s driver. Make sure you and the other person are safe. Call the police. This article in the Milestones Autism Planning (MAP) Tool offers information and tips for interacting with police officers.
Make a plan for what to do if you get lost. If driving, pull over to a safe location like a parking lot and look on your phone’s GPS.
Other Tips for When You Are Out
Plan what to do if you get lost in a store, shopping center or on a walk. In a store you could ask someone who works there where the front door or exit is. Your phone’s maps app can be helpful to look for where you are related to what you are near that might seem familiar.
Try to stay calm and use techniques like deep breathing, a squeeze ball or other sensory fidget. Plan ahead who you might call or text if you need support during a situation like this. Also think about how to best handle situations you may find that set off your sensory issues, like bright lights, loud sounds or strange smells.
Handling Busy Town or City Street Life
Especially in larger towns or cities you will see many different people on the street. Walking near lots of people can be challenging when you have sensory issues. Think about how you can best handle that using your calming strategies that help you.
Whether you use a purse, wallet or other way to store your ID, money and credit cards when you are out, make sure you know where they are and keep them close to you while you are walking.
It’s important to pay attention to the people around you to avoid being pickpocketed, which means someone who may try to steal your wallet or purse. Sometimes they might seem to brush up against you by accident for the purpose of stealing something, other times that’s just that they did it by accident and are not trying to do anything bad.
You may encounter panhandlers, meaning people who are asking people for money saying they are very poor and do not have enough money to eat. To protect yourself, do not pull out your wallet in public and do not go to your bank or ATM. If you want to give some money to someone, it is better to have some dollars in your pocket. You can also donate to your food bank or other nonprofit that helps people in your community. Be careful if someone starts to bother you or speak to you in a way that makes you uncomfortable, keep walking and do not make eye contact. You could go into a building or store to ask for help. If someone bothers you repeatedly or you’re nervous, tell someone you trust and get help from them to make a plan.
Do not buy anything from scalpers, which are people who try to sell you tickets to something like a concert or sporting event which may not be legitimate.
Parking garages tend to be busy places with tight spaces and may have low lighting or be dark. It’s important to be aware of your surroundings and safety. Watch for cars turning around corners as you’re walking or driving, cars backing out of parking spaces and the likely sensory feelings and noises you will be dealing with.Try not to get distracted by looking at your phone or listening to music, podcast or video that keeps you from paying attention to what is going on around you,
The Milestones free autism Helpdesk is here to help. Your disability agency counselor may also give you support in making a plan.
Strategies to Avoid Victimization
It’s important for you to know how to state your preferences.
While we all want to be polite when possible it is important to know it is OK to say no to something that you do not want to do or that is uncomfortable for you.
When you are out, always make sure you have your drink in sight unless you are with someone you trust. Do not drink from it if you had to walk away for any reason such as to go to the bathroom. Or take your drink with you. The reason is unfortunately there have been cases where someone drugs a drink to try to advantage of someone.
Your body is your own. No one has the right to touch your body without your permission. It is OK to say no to a hug or kiss including to a relative, just be polite about it. Understand how a doctor, nurse or therapist might touch you and what is appropriate.
Masturbation is a natural part of sexuality but should be done in the right place - in private. We will be adding articles about sexuality, dating and relationships to the Milestones Autism Planning (MAP) Tool later in 2022.
The Milestones free Helpdesk is here to support you and connect you with resources and information.
