Being a part of the community is especially important for the livelihood and independence of individuals with autism. Venturing out into the community however involves many safety risks that are not necessarily experienced in the home or at school. For the Autism Safety Project, we have created a list of simple experiences and activities that take place in the community and put them into separate sections in order to focus specifically on safety in each of these components of our daily lives:
Creating Safety Plans for Individuals with Autism 
Getting Around
Asking for Help
Using Public Restrooms
Interacting with Law Enforcement
Using Your Cell Phone
Dealing with Money
Playing in the Neighborhood
Avoiding Victimization
Each section contains tips from experts for you to put into practice so that you, your loved one and your family stay happy, healthy, safe, and sound!
**Autism Speaks would like to thank the following professionals for their assistance with the Autism in the Community pages:
Gene Bensinger, Autism Speaks Chicagoland Chapter Board Member
Nancy J. Crown, Ph.D., Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY; Private Practice, NYC
Dennis Debbaudt, Autism Risk & Safety Management Founder, law enforcement trainer
Officer Andrew Gammicchia
Daniel Gensler, Ph.D., Director of Training of their Child Adolescent Psychotherapy Training Program/Supervising Analyst, William Alanson White Institute, instructor at the Derner Institute at Adelphi University
Peter Gerhardt, Ed.D., Director, Upper School - The McCarton School
Terry Katz, Ph.D., JFK Partners, Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Chris Lacey, President of Autism ALERT, Inc.
David Munday, Law Enforcement Consultant/BlueLine Advantage, LLC
Lisa Murray-Johnson, PhD, Program Director, Patient Education
