My son has recently developed a fascination with light bulbs. He's taken them out of the closet (which has a child proof knob) and when he is unable to get them out of a package he has started removing them from nightlights and lamps. He is autistic and does not understand the danger of breaking the glass. I've already removed some of my lamps and replaced them with enclosed plastic lamps from Ikea. Unfortunately these are not an option for the some of the other rooms or for nightlights. Any suggestions on how to prevent him from removing bulbs?
I don't know if it would help, but if there's a way you could provide him with safe lights, such as flashlights, LED's, enclosed night lights, etc., perhaps it would deter him from removing the others. I don't know how severe his autism is, but if he'll observe some boundaries, it may be possible to tell him "These are your lights to examine and play with. Leave the rest alone."
For nightlights, I would recommend the gel looking inserts like this:
https://www.cornells.com/products/blu-night-light-ge-cool...
They are cool to the touch led lights. As for the other lights, the do have shatter resistant bulbs, kind of like these:
http://www.safetybulbs.com/StoreFront.bok
and they also have cages:
http://www.amazon.com/LightCage-Light-Bulb-Safety-Cage/dp...
Perhaps try hanging lamps that he cannot reach.
some good recommendations. I like the idea of getting him a slew of flastlights that he can play with. That might do the trick. You can find some at the dollar store so you're not spending a ton of money.
Oh dear. I feel for you. I would agree with the other suggestions of getting non-bulb night lights as well as any other ones you can. Hopefully it is just a phase and he'll move on to something else soon.
just saw on HGTV last night a product that might help ease your mind as you're working with him on changing this behavior....it's shatterproof light bulbs. Sorry don't have time to research them....just saw them in a show!
If you can't keep him from touching the night lights, then the night lights have to go. Give him a flashlight instead. Don't allow him in unsafe rooms unsupervised. Use locks if you need to, safety is most important
I work with autistic children. While many of the suggestions are great in terms of immediate safety, it is still an important lesson that light bulbs should not be touched. As you are I'm sure already aware, autistic children do not learn the same ways that typical children do and often need constant repetition.
Consistency is your ally here, as will it be in the many challenges you face in the future. Carry on with making things as safe as possible, but remember that not all houses or venues will be as safe as yours, and the more you can repeat the safety concerns that your son needs to make himself aware of, the better you will be able to allow him to explore the world around him.
Best wishes to you.
