Hello eveyone, I am Holly Tompkins, Bailey Tompkins Mother. She is a 4 year old autistic child, diagnosed at two. Here is a younger picture of her. it is very hard to get smiles and straight on face shots so i was lucky to get this. We live by Guilford Lake in Columbiana County, Ohio. 

Here are some specific areas to consider if you want to help ensure your autistic child remains safe in and around the home:

• Your child’s bedroom: Children with autism have a tendency to wander in the middle of the night. Secure his room by locking the door from the outside or placing a baby gate at the door. Though it may feel like you are imprisoning your child, this is for his safety and best interest.
• Furniture: Furniture should be kept away from doors and windows at all times. If your child runs through the room at unpredictable rates, consider arranging furniture so he cannot escape the room before you do.
• Windows: Autistic children have a tendency to climb out of windows—especially if they are left open. Install window locks. If your child bangs or hits the windows, replace them with Plexiglas models to prevent injury.
• Alarms: Though your home is safe on the inside, you want to make sure you know when people are coming or going from the home. Door chimes are inexpensive and can be placed over your entrance door to alert you if your child has left the home.
• Fencing: Children with autism enjoy being outside and playing. Therefore, protect them in their own backyard by installing a fence with a locking gate. This allows him to play outside and provides your family with a little added security.

Wandering Away Risks
Autistic children are at high-risk for wandering or running away. Because they enjoy motion and the outdoors, autistic children are constantly on the move and wandering to new things to explore. It is important to protect your child by eliminating ways to exit your home or back yard. 

What the money will go for:

Fencing! We have had two people come so far to measure the back yard for the amount of fence we will need. The contractor from Hercules fencing said im looking at two grand upwards to 3 grand for atleast 5 foot fence. when i have the actual estimates i can post pictures. here are some pics of our back yard.

We really hope you will see the urgency and need to keep our child safe from running off the steep drop off. it is full of many trees, broken limbs, bryers and such and the hercules fencing lady said if she fell down that it would probably kill her. Not what i want to happen. 

why are we in need? right now i am a stay at home mother with only daddy working outside the home. Its not easy to find someone who is willing to take care of an autistic special needs child. also we have to replace our whole roof in the next month due to storm and age damage so with what money we do have going to roofing we are unable to afford both. 

When do we need it? We need the fencing right now. Would love to have it before summer is over so we can both enjoy being outside and its not such a battle/struggle for us both, she can run free and i dont have to worry about her safety every second. 

Please help us and if you have any questions please feel free to comment!

Thank you, Holly Tompkins.