Emergency 911 …. A Tool for working with Safety …. in the PEWE (PECS) format

The PEWE book Emergency 911 was designed for the special needs individual but can be used with the typical student too. 

 Using this educational tool will introduce the student to the 911 emergency phone number.  Teach the student where the numbers are on the phone pad as well as instruct them on what emergency would qualify for the use of this number.   

For a person with poor verbal abilities it can be frustrating… add into the situation an emergency and it can be detrimental.  Using the Emergency 911 book not only as a tool - but also as a form of communication will help eliminate some of the frustrations … for the student as well as the emergency personnel.  Example – in today’s world a person can dial 911 and with the help of technology it can be determined, in most cases, the actual location of the phone call without the caller identifying the place.  Once the emergency crew arrives to evaluate the situation – it can be of significant assistance if the non-verbal person can identify themselves to the emergency personnel.  Enabling the non-verbal individual is equivalent to empowering them.  The person would be able to turn to the page with their name to indicate important information.  (Using the I board will give even greater detail)  This information book could also be utilized if the individual were ever to become lost as well. 

Many special needs students find emergency vehicles exciting and possibly scary with the lights and sounds.  Of course, consideration must be given to ‘how many emergencies does an individual really experience in a lifetime?”  The answer is hopefully never or not too many – but if you empower the student with the knowledge that the fire fighter, medic, doctor, officer, etc….. are our friends and there to help – it makes any emergency easier to cope with.  Use pages 3 and 4 to familiarize the student with these concepts and a bonus educational benefit occurs – fun matching work too. 

It does not matter if working with a toddler, young child or a special needs adult, a care giver worries about the ‘no touching’ – dangerous items in an environment.  Using pages 5 and 6 can invite topic discussions about what items are safe to touch and items that are unsafe to touch.  Use this as a springboard into larger discussions of safety and the ability to tell a trusted adult if something is unsafe in the environment. 

Every place should have a First Aid kit readily available.  Page 7 will familiarize the student with possible contents of the kit.  Discuss if it is safe for the student to use the kit, what should be inside of the kit, the location of the kit and what the items are used for …. These are only a few of the items that can be topic of a discussion – but choose based on appropriateness of the class or student when working with this page. 

Page 8 is simple matching.  It can also lead to detailed lessons.  Examples would be – A doctor also uses a reflex hammer or fixes broken bones or treats rashes; Using the cast to crutches match – discuss what else can be put into a cast or can a person use crutches if nothing has been broken; and last use the fire to extinguisher for a lesson on safety or where should the extinguisher be located.  The lessons for this page are only limited by your imagination. 

Pages 9 and 10 can easily be expanded to suit the students’ needs.  Many items have been included for this page but are not an inclusive listing for every tool or item that an emergency may present. 

The Emergency 911 book is a tool to enable, empower and educate the special needs individual as well as the early childhood education level student.  

     Any questions - just ask ……. Have a Great Day!