By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
The mother of a special needs child and active blogger has come out with a list of actions parents of special needs kids can take to protect their children from predators. She suggests that parents teach their special needs children the following:
• It is not appropriate for an adult to ask a child for help. Respond to requests with “Let me get my Mom or Dad.”
• Always let a parent or responsible guardian know where you will be and check in frequently.
• Make sure the child knows your home address and contact information. If the child has trouble memorizing this information, a laminated card or metal tag (worn out of sight) may help.
• Think about giving the child a cell phone with your number and any emergency numbers programmed in.
• Make sure the child knows how to dial 911 in an emergency.
• Have a special word that only trusted family members know. Let the child know not to go with anyone who doesn’t know the special word.
• Make sure the child knows not to go near strange cars or strange people.
• If the child is alone, scared or in trouble, teach them to ask for help from a mother with children, even if she is a stranger. This is the safest stranger for him to ask for help.
• Parents should always have a current photo of the child and make a mental note of what they are wearing each day.
• If your child is missing, contact authorities and ask them to enter your child’s information into the National Crime Information Center’s Missing Person File. Then call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST.
While these guidelines were developed for parents of special needs children, most of them are applicable to any child. The best defense against predators is a good offense – that means teaching your child how to be safe.
You can read more details on these tips at Guidelines For Protecting Special Needs Kids From Predators.</a