As I wrote earlier this month in Larry’s Story: Safety resources thanks to and for people with autism, Kidpower is proud to be one of the many organizations made stronger by the skills, strengths, and contributions of many people on the autism spectrum in our 35 year history.
I’m writing today to spotlight our Safetypowers Ambassadors Brandi and Brian, people with autism who have each dedicated many volunteer hours over the last year to learning how to use and teach Safetypowers skills in order to help others in their communities be safe.
Brandi and Brian have joined multiple Safetypowers Roundtables to learn how to teach skills to others in their lives – you can learn more about the Safetypowers Roundtables and hear directly from Brian in his video testimonial at roundtable.safetypowers.org!
Brandi, soon after she learned and practiced Safetypowers skills for the first time, shared this story with us:
Recently, a man started following me. He had done this before! The first time, I was so scared. He kept saying things and followed me for what felt like a long time. I didn’t know what to do. I was afraid that it would happen again! Then, I learned Safetypowers. The next time he followed me, I immediately did what we practiced in the workshop! I turned around. I held my body up tall. I put my hands up like a fence. I even said the words “Make a Fence!” like we said when we were coaching each other, which was kind of funny! I think that surprised him, so even that skill helped! With the calm, confident voice I practiced, I said, “STOP.” I said, “LEAVE.” And he left! I was safe, and I felt great! He has not followed me since then, but I’m not worried about whether it happens again. If he follows me again, I know what I will do. If it doesn’t work, I know how to yell, and I know how to get help, and I know how to persist until I get help and get to safety!”
Brandi regularly joins our live, online Safetypowers workshops to co-teach with Safetypowers Lead Instructors. If you are interested in arranging an online workshop for adults who have disabilities and arranging for her or another Safetypowers Ambassador to join as part of the teaching team, please email us at safety@kidpower.org.
Brandi and Brian are now also members of our new Workpower Advisory Council, offering their time and their insights to help us develop our new course applying Safetypowers skills into workplace scenarios. Stay on the lookout later this for our new course created together with Brandi, Brian, and other Workpower Advisory Council members, Workpower: Skills for getting and keeping jobs! – made possible by generous support from Ability Central!
We are grateful to Brandi and Brian for their enduring, wholehearted commitment to helping people learn skills to be SAFE!
Published: April 30, 2024 | Last Updated: April 30, 2024
Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Founder and Executive Director
Kidpower Founder and Executive Irene van der Zande is a master at teaching safety through stories and practices and at inspiring others to do the same. Her child protection and personal safety expertise has been featured by USA Today, CNN, Today Moms, the LA Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Publications include: cartoon-illustrated Kidpower Safety Comics and Kidpower Teaching Books curriculum; Bullying: What Adults Need to Know and Do to Keep Kids Safe; the Relationship Safety Skills Handbook for Teens and Adults; Earliest Teachable Moment: Personal Safety for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers; The Kidpower Book for Caring Adults: Personal Safety, Self-Protection, Confidence, and Advocacy for Young People, and the Amazon Best Seller Doing Right by Our Kids: Protecting Child Safety at All Levels.