Teaching Your Child With Autism to
Put On a Seat Belt
One of the biggest concerns for parents with children on the spectrum is safety. When it comes to safety, it can be regarding their children or those around them. Especially when it comes to taking trips to the park, grocery store, or zoo. Often, this kind of adventure requires a robust amount of planning and precaution to ensure a fun and safe adventure. But one of the most important safety skills for your child on the autism spectrum to learn is getting from Point A to Point B, specifically when it comes to teaching your child with autism to put on a seat belt when in a car. Children with autism may have specific impulses as well as a lack of fear or understanding of what particular actions can cause.
Below we are sharing our insight on how you can keep your child safe in the car. From autism seat belt buckle guards to autism seat belts, we are tackling all the basics of car safety.
Autism and Seat Belts
It is no secret that children with autism may have special needs that can cause challenges during travel. It could be that your child is frequently moving around in the back seat of the car, distracting the driver.
Here are some basic steps that you can take to ensure your child with autism keeps on their seat belt throughout the entire journey.
- Remove unnecessary objects: Remove any objects found in the backseat that can be dangerous or distracting. That includes anything the child on the spectrum can eat, throw, or break.
- Stay near your child: Never leave your autistic child alone in the car.
- Keep the car locked: Make sure that the car is locked when in the driveway and that the keys are in a safe and secure place.
- Use the child lock feature: Transport your child with autism in the back seat of the car on the passenger side with the Child Lock ‘On.’ This way, you can teach your child with autism to put on his seat belt and maintain a clear view of their actions.
- Use a seat belt lock: If you find that your child struggles with leaving on their seat belt, purchase a seat belt lock and seat belt locking clip, sometimes referred to as an autism seat belt, that makes it more difficult for them to undo. Childproof seat belt locks are a great way to get your child to leave their safety belt on!
- Use sensory chew toys: If your autistic child is chewing on the seat belt, consider purchasing sensory chew toys to help keep them from biting on clothes, harnesses, or car safety seat covers. These are safer alternatives to chewing on inappropriate items.
- Use a noise-canceling headset: If you are struggling with loud noises on your car rides, consider teaching your child to cover their ears or wear headphones to block out noises.
Autism Seat Belt Guards
Having a child constantly removing their seat belt can be dangerous and distracting. If you are struggling with your autistic child taking off their seat belt, consider purchasing a seat belt guard or cover. An autism seat belt guard or cover makes it much more difficult for a child on the spectrum to remove their safety belt. By putting the device on their seat belt, you make it very difficult for your child to disengage or bypass the seat belt.
Some incredible features of an autism seat belt guard are:
- Prevents children from unbuckling while in the car
- Works on a wide range of cars
- Simple, effective design to keep kids from unbuckling their seat belt
- Easy for parents and guardians to take off by using a car key
Finding autism seat belts that are hard to unbuckle for the most curious of kids is imperative to ensure the safety of you and your child when traveling in a car. Keep the distractions at a minimum with the help of an autism seat belt guard that will keep them safely in their seats.
Autism Resource Center for Child Safety
We consider ourselves to be providers of autism home support services. This is because we have videos available from Blue Parachute that have all been written by our Licensed and Certified Behavior Therapists. Our robust video library contains many in-depth video lessons on teaching your child with autism to put on a seat belt, plus other videos about safety skills, essential skills, life skills, and more. Our board-certified clinicians offer the level of support parents need to help their children on the spectrum achieve more positive outcomes.
At Blue Parachute, we are here to help teachers, parents, locations without resources, and people just like you. Click here and sign up now to take full advantage of our library of high-quality, evidence-based resources to help individuals with ASD be set up for success and reach their full potential. Blue Parachute. Easy. Affordable. Life-Changing.
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