Where
Ocean County Family Support Organization36 Washington Street
In the Upstairs Training Room
Toms River, NJ 08753
Driving Directions
Hidden Dangers - Keeping Children and Adults with Developmental Disabilities Safe
Lunch will be provided and childcare is available upon request.
About the Workshop
- Children with special needs are seven times more likely to have contact with law enforcement than their typically developing peers.
- 49% of children with autism wander or elope.
- Autistic children and adults are at greater risk of being exposed to internet pornography, online sexual predators, and becoming victims of online fraud.
- 70% of developmentally disabled females and 40% of developmentally disabled males are sexually abused by the time they are 18 years old.
- Emergency room visits are twice as common for those with autism.
POAC’s Hidden Dangers Program educates parents, family members, and professionals working with children and adults with autism and other special needs and disabilities about issues relating to safety, emergency preparedness, and crisis intervention. It is presented in a format that addresses a variety of special needs and levels of functioning across the life span. Specifically, the program will cover:
- Emergency and Disaster Preparedness
- Fire Safety Issues
- Sexuality and Personal Safety
- Internet Safety
- How to address wandering
- Bullying
- Behavioral interventions including social stories, activity schedules, visual cues, and more
- School and Transportation Issues
- Resources for ongoing support and assistance
- Physical modifications to the home and classroom
The program will offer concrete suggestions and strategies that can be applied immediately to increase safety and decrease risk at home, in the classroom, and in the community. Each participant will also receive many important resources and tools.
Hosted by Ocean County Family Support Organization and sponsored by Ocean Partnership for Children, Inc.