Safety First!!

Safety First

Guest Author: Linda Snyder MBA, PMP, BCEA  

with Marie Lewis, Ph.D., BCEA 

Excluding students with disabilities from school safety drills and practices is short-sighted.  The National Association of School Psychologists has recommended that schools consider developing individualized safety plans for students with disabilities.  It is critical that students with disabilities be involved in the planning and practice of safety drills. Although no one can predict the unpredictable in an emergency situation, it has been proven that proper planning and practice can mitigate risk for all involved in emergency situations. The safety and preparedness of students with disabilities is fundamentally an issue of equity.  

Consider the following when developing an individualized safety plan

KEY AREAS OF A SAFETY PLAN:

• DESCRIBE THE SPECIFIC UNSAFE BEHAVIOR – THIS IS THE REASON FOR THE SAFETY PLAN
• What to do if the student exhibits this behavior
• Who will do what/backup supports
• Warning signs / Triggers
• Strategies that do not work
• What outside agencies/ persons will be called and when?
• What behavioral supports will be used?

(supervision plans, transition plans, transportation plans, unstructured time plans)

WHAT COULD A SAFETY PLAN BE FOR?

• Is my child being bullied or harassed?
• Will my child Elope?
• Will my child try to hide during a fire?
• Is my child physically capable of getting to a safety zone or exiting the building without adult assistance?
• Is there an alternate way to exit from a higher floor if the elevator access is off?
• Does my child need to be taught how to communicate with emergency personnel?
• Does my child understand the need for shelter in place or an emergency evacuation?
• How will I be notified of an emergency situation?
• How will the local emergency responders be aware of my child’s needs?
• If I am unable to get to my child immediately, how will I be kept updated on my child’s status and the status of the emergency?
• Is an accessible bus available for an emergency evacuation?
• Where can I go to locate my child in case of an emergency evacuation?
• Who, specifically by name, is responsible for getting my child to safety in an emergency situation?
• Who, specifically by name, is the backup person if the primary person is unavailable?
• Will my child need access to medications, medical supplies, or an assistive technology device to communicate?

HOW DO YOU START THE PROCESS?

• Request a copy of the school-wide safety plan
• An individualized plan should have physician information, diagnosis, medication, allergies, and special considerations
• Seek input from the student/parents/guardians/paraprofessionals/therapists and other trusted partners on what strategies and supports have been effective in helping the student to stay calm during unexpected change
• Put in place strategies that will be most useful in assisting during an emergency – e.g. visual aids, hand-signs, flags, preferred fidget
• Places where a student may be if missing
• Consider the student’s present level of functioning with regard to cognition, communication, sensory needs, mobility, medication, emotional regulation, and other medical needs when developing an individualized plan
• Create individualized safety kits with items that will support and assist the student based on the information above
• Prepare students for practice drills by explaining what, why, and how at a developmentally appropriate level
• Conduct small group practice drills before school-wide drills that incorporate strategies such as storytelling and trauma-informed practices to reinforce skills
• Incorporate emergency preparedness objectives into the IEP or 504 Plan. Include what the student needs in each scenario- lockdown, evacuation, or shelter in place. These goals and objectives should be reviewed and revised more frequently to ensure that they are current and support the student's present level of functioning
• Address staffing and training of personnel supporting students with individual safety plans
• Collaborate with the community’s first responders to ensure they are informed about the students with disabilities in each classroom

References

“School Safety Drills and Exercises for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Tips and Resources for Educators.” National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-safety-and-crisis/school-violence-resources/school-safety-drills-and-exercises-for-students-with-autism-spectrum-disorder-(asd)-tips-and-resources-for-educators. Accessed 6 Sept. 2022.

‌ “School Safety Drills for Students with Special Needs.” Campus Safety Magazine, 20 Dec. 2021, www.campussafetymagazine.com/news/school-safety-drills-for-students-with-special-needs/?adlt=strict&toWww=1&redig=4FF33910D4864FA3879DA5EE0E79C54E

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AUTHORS

 Linda Snyder  An Information Technology professional for twenty years, Linda became invested in her journey to become knowledgeable in education advocacy as she traveled the personal journey of advocating for her son within the public school system. Linda has been committed to sharing her knowledge with parents and working to enlighten the parent community on the strategies for effectively advocating for their children. She is particularly passionate about shifting the mindset of how the education community views and responds to challenging behaviors of students with disabilities. In her spare time, Linda enjoys traveling with her family and reading about the latest developments in health and science research.

Marie Lewis is an author, consultant, and national speaker on best practices in education advocacy. She is a parent of 3 children and a Disability Case Manager, Board Certified Education Advocate, and Behavior Specialist Consultant. She has assisted in the development of thousands of IEPs nationally and consults on developing appropriately individualized IEPs that are outcome-based vs legally sufficient. She brings a great depth of expertise, practical experience, and compassion to her work as well as expert insight, vision, and systemic thinking. She is passionate and funny and she always inspires and informs.

MJ Gore has an MEd in counseling and a degree in elementary education and natural sciences. She worked as a life-skills and learning support teacher. Honored as the recipient of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. She is the Director and on the faculty at the National Special Education Advocacy Institute. Her passion is social justice, especially in the area of education. She is a Board Certified Education Advocate who teaches professional advocates, educators, and clinicians the best practices in education advocacy.