As the holiday season approaches, it is vitally important that we teach our teens with special needs the importance of driving safety and the role of designated drivers in that plan.
Free Designated Driver Mini-Lesson
Use the lesson provided here to help your students create a plan for a designated driver.
Background information. Explain that, while you understand they are currently underage and should not drink, they may well go out with people who are older and, therefore, can legally drink. Also, in a few short years, they will need to make decisions about drinking/drinking and driving/personal safety and it is good to have thought it through and have a plan.
Introduce the lesson. Allow students to read and understand what the statistics on drunk driving accidents mean. Have one student watch a timer and raise their hand every time 50 seconds have passed. Point out how many people are needlessly killed in drunk driving incidents in just the span of the lesson.
Create a plan. Allow students to brain-storm to create their own drinking/driving plan and find a safe way home. Complete the questionnaire to check for comprehension.
Follow-up. If time permits, allow students to create posters to emphasize the dangers of drinking and driving. Post them in the room over the holiday season as a reminder to teens to drive responsibly.
For More Information
“Designated Driver’s Plan” is from Daily Living Skills’ Transportation. Like other books in the series, it is written on an elementary level but, nevertheless, honors teens’ sensibilities and humor while meeting federal mandates for transition services and Indicator 13 requirements alike. For more information, go here.