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Teaching General Safety and Body Safety Training Skills to a Latino Preschool Male with Autism

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Abstract

This case study describes the implementation of a safety training program with a 5-year-old Latino boy diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The program focused on teaching him general safety rules and body safety in an effort to reduce his likelihood of sexual victimization and injury. The boy was treated in conjunction with another child by two therapists, while his caretakers participated in a caretaker group. Both groups consisted of 10 h of safety education instruction. Results show that the boy was able to learn a few safety concepts as well as increase his knowledge of personal safety. Caregiver data revealed a minor increase in knowledge of general safety and an increase in family communication regarding safety issues. However, upon a 3-month follow-up, the boy appeared to lose some knowledge. Recommendations for implementing the Body Safety Training program with children with disabilities and providing their caretakers with information regarding the risk of child sexual abuse is provided.

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Acknowledgments

This research was conducted in part with funds from the Childrens’ Trust of Miami.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Education, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

    Maureen C. Kenny, Kyle D. Bennett, Jonelle Dougery & Francesca Steele

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  1. Maureen C. Kenny
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  2. Kyle D. Bennett
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  3. Jonelle Dougery
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  4. Francesca Steele
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Correspondence to Maureen C. Kenny.

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Kenny, M.C., Bennett, K.D., Dougery, J. et al. Teaching General Safety and Body Safety Training Skills to a Latino Preschool Male with Autism. J Child Fam Stud 22, 1092–1102 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-012-9671-4

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