In this course, you will learn:
- about the special needs and characteristics related to FASD in regard to the fit and use of helmets
- how to choose a helmet for a child that fits to his special needs
- about head injuries in children and what to do
- about additional resources in Alaska to obtain bike helmets and learn more about bicycle safety
Introduction
It’s summertime! Alaskan children are anxious to get outside, ride bikes, play soccer, skateboard, and play. With recent attention drawn to severe head injuries to children, there is increased support for the use of helmets for children in active play. In 2005, the municipality of Anchorage, Alaska, made it mandatory that all children under 15 wear a helmet when riding a bike.
Every year about 800 people die in the U.S. from bicycle crashes. Most of them die from head injuries. Many survivors suffer brain damage, which can lead to learning disabilities or personality changes. Hospital emergency room studies show that a bicycle safety helmet can prevent such devastating injuries about 85 percent of the time. So you don’t want your child riding a bike without one, even on your block, the sidewalk or a bike trail.
Families caring for children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) face additional challenges when trying to help their kids learn to ride and stay safe on bicycles. In 2006, the Southcentral Foundation FAS Diagnostic Clinic wrote a unique pamphlet called FASD and the Use of Helmets. This pamphlet forms the basis of this web based course presented by the Alaska Center for Resource Families.
The pamphlet FASD and The Use of Helmets was written by Michael Baldwin and Kelly Adams and is funded with a grant from the State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Behavioral Health to the Southcentral Foundation FAS Diagnostic Clinic in Anchorage, Alaska. The text of the pamphlet is used here with the permission of the author and has not been altered except in formatting.. However, additional resources and exercises have been added to develop a more complete course for parents.
