Internet Safety and Individuals with Disabilities

Childnet Know IT All is a UK company that provides resources for teaching all learners how to have a safe an positive experience on the internet FOR FREE. Lucky for us when Childnet says all they mean all. Childnet has a number of resources for teaching learners with exceptionalities about the internet and internet safety.

Their website explains some of the risks for some users, for example individuals on the autism spectrum may take things literally and believe that if they are asked for personal information they must give it out. In order to assist in using their Know IT All curriculum with individuals with special needs Childnet offers a number of additional free resources.

These include computer rules in British Sign Language, advice for parents in BSL, computer safety rules in Widgit Literacy Symbols, relevant Widget symbol flash cards and lotto games, safety rules and games in Clicker 5, text files of the script of the program, and visual print outs of the script.

Kisses Are For Home

With the H1N1 Swine Flu and the importance of preventing the spread of germs and universal precautions plus the need to pay attention to age appropriateness and abuse prevention there is a need for some students to work on remembering that "Kisses are for Home". Of course, when changing any behavior it is important for us as educators to realize the function of the behavior (all behaviors are communication) and then teach and reward a replacement behavior. One function of kissing (and hugging) staff and peers at school is simply that a kiss (or hug) is easier than using verbal or augmentative communication to express affection or appreciation. A high five, smile and wink (depending on the setting) or a sign language "I love you" can be taught as a replacement. Verbal or AAC using students can be taught replacements phrases as well. Below is a communication board I will be introducing to a student next week.



On an RSS reader? You may need to visit the site to see the board.

Free Abuse Prevention Slide Show

Here is a slide show I made to use as part of a health unit on abuse prevention. It is geared mostly towards adolescents with multiple special needs, especially communication disorders.



You can download it from Slide Share.

Abuse Prevention

I normally try to avoid the personal in this blog, but I have two family members with disabilities - one with anoxic brain injury and one with Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's Syndrome. Both were abused by out-of-home caretakers, one physically and one sexually. Therefore preventing abuse for those with disabilities is an educational issue I take to heart.

Although the safety of a child or an adult with a significant disability is ultimately in the hands of adult caretakers, we can teach our students at the very least some basics of abuse prevention.

Unfortunately, "Say no, go, tell!" is not the greatest model for our students as many are unable to "say no" or "tell" and/or they are unable to "go". We have to met each our our students where he or she is at and teach him or her the best prevention and self-advocacy skills we possibly can. With 1 in 4 typical girls and 1 in 7 typical boys abuse before age 18 and even more children with disabilities must at least try to stop our students from becoming statistics.

Facts and Figures

1. Canadian Department of Public Health
2. National Resource Center for Respite and Crisis Care
3. Seven Steps to Preventing Abuse
   

Abuse Prevention Teaching Tips

1. Strategies for Minimizing the Risk of Sexual Abuse
2. How to Talk About Sexuality, Don't Wait for A Crisis
   

Free Resources

1. Reducing the Risk for AAC Users
2. How Is It Abuse Prevention Picture Symbols
   

Commercial Abuse Prevention Materials for Those with Disabilities

1. We Can Stop Abuse
2. I'm Somebody
3. The Woodrow Project (Red Flag, Green Flag)

Power Point on Abuse Prevention for those with Multiple Disabilities
(available on Putstuff for thirty days only, after that comment and I will send it to you).

How is it? Abuse Prevention Picture Symbols

Seeing a need and filling it is how most of special education works and this web resource is no different. How Is It is a website that offers 383 picture symbols that can be used to teach learners with disabilities about abuse prevention and to aid child protection services in working with children suspected of being abused. Disabled children are much more likely than their typical peers to be abused. It is our job as their teachers to do what we can to prevent this tragedy from happening. How Is It is a resource we can use to help us. This is what the their website says:

"How it is is an image vocabulary that has been developed to help children communicate about a range of important issues. It has been developed by Triangle and funded and supported by the NSPCC. The project was led by Ruth Marchant and Merry Cross of Triangle.

More than 100 children and young people contributed by drawing or commenting on images. The project was also supported by a multi-disciplinary group of professionals and parents.

How it is has been designed to be used as a flexible, child-centred resource."