Helping Children with Autism Build the Tools to Stay Safe
Safety awareness is one of the most important life skills we can
teach children — especially young learners with autism or
developmental delays. Whether it’s learning to stop at a
crosswalk, recognizing dangerous situations, or understanding
personal boundaries, safety skills help build independence,
confidence, and real-world readiness.
At Empower ABA, we use individualized teaching strategies
rooted in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to help children learn
and practice safety awareness in ways that are structured,
supportive, and effective.
In this blog, we’ll explore what safety awareness means, why it’s
important, and how families and therapists can work together to
teach these skills from an early age.
What Is Safety Awareness?
Safety awareness is the ability to recognize potentially dangerous
situations and respond in a way that protects oneself and others. For
young children, especially those with autism, this includes:
- Understanding basic safety rules (e.g., “Don’t touch the stove,” “Hold hands when crossing the street”)
- Recognizing warning symbols (like stop signs or hot surfaces)
- Knowing who is safe to talk to (stranger safety)
- Following adult instructions in emergencies
- Identifying unsafe behaviors (running into the street, touching unknown animals, etc.)
Why It Can Be Challenging for Learners with Autism
Many children on the autism spectrum may:
- Be unaware of danger or lack fear in risky situations
- Struggle with impulse control or elopement (wandering)
- Have difficulty understanding abstract concepts like “danger” or “stranger”
- Miss nonverbal social cues that signal when something is unsafe
- Need visual or hands-on supports to learn effectively
Because of these challenges, teaching safety requires repetition,
structure, and consistency, often across home, school, and therapy
environments. Follow us this week to learn more about how to
encourage safety awareness in your home!