Pedestrian safety interventions for children with autism

Abstract

Improving pedestrian safety skills and reducing the risk of undetected abscondment in children with Autism are two vital areas of need. Both are areas where little research has been completed. This research thesis attempts to apply engineering principals to design and test real-world interventions to address these challenges. To address pedestrian safety, an existing pedestrian safety intervention program for children with Autism at The Skillz4me Family Centre for Disabilities was examined. An electronic device (Automated Pedestrian Traffic Signal) was successfully designed, built and tested to enhance this pedestrian safety program. The developed device allows for operation of an actual Pedestrian Traffic Signal via a remote control. Both manual and automatic modes of operation were developed, allowing the device to be used for both gameplay or manually for teaching activities. The system also featured data logging capabilities to accept, collate, and record data in real-time during use of the device in the safety program. Following this study, the Automated Pedestrian Traffic Signal device has continued to be used in the Pedestrian Safety Program at the Skillz4me Family Centre for Disabilities. To address wandering behaviour, electronic abscondment devices were reviewed considering requirements for children with Moderate to Profound Autism. A fast detection and response time requirement was not available in available products. A prototype electronic device (Abscondment Alarm System) was then developed and tested to address this abscondment need. The device developed, the "Alert4me" is based on a wireless ranging development kit and was shown to be effective under certain conditions but not all conditions. The development forms a strong foundation for further research in the area of electronic abscondment devices. This research illustrates the benefits that can be achieved by applying engineering principals to safety challenges. This work represents a significant and notable advancement in improving pedestrian safety for children with Autism, in particular children with an Autism level of Moderate to Profound who have co-occurring disabilities.

Date of Award	2023
Original language	English