Hi, this is the first time I have posted something, and I am hoping that someone out there might have some good advice, and I am interested in hearing similar experiences too. Our problem is that we have always kept our son who has ASD and is now 7, secured in his room at night with safety gates. This has worked fine for us until now. Partly because he can now open them, and partly because our social worker has told us that it isn't really a suitable thing to do (not in those exact words), as this poses a safety threat should there be a fire.
While I do not dismiss this as an issue, I would argue that the chances of one of us not being able to let him out when needed would be extremely slight, whereas the chances of him wandering around the house during the night and harming himself, as he has no sense of danger, are quite high. I would add that we have another son who is 9, who needs uninterrupted sleep, and that when our son is secured in his room, he is totally accepting of that and does not become distressed. Any suggestions or advice gratefully received!
