Thirty Year Review of Safety Skill Instruction for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

This review synthesizes the empirical literature (1976 -2006) focusing on teaching personal safety skills to persons with intellectual disabilities. Thirty-six investigations were identified which provided information on six areas of instruction: (a) pedestrian/street crossing safety; (b) home accident prevention; (c) application of first aid (including identification and reporting of illnesses); (d) response to lures or advancements of strangers; (e) fire safety; and (f) emergency use of telephones. Implications for instruction and future research are discussed based on the results of the review.