autism © 2011 SAGE Publications and The National Autistic Society Vol 15(2) 205–222; 352180 1362-3613(2011) Teaching children with autism how to respond to the lures of strangers NURGUL AKMANOGLU Research Institute for the Handicapped,Anadolu University,Eskisehir,Turkey ELIF TEKIN-IFTAR Research Institute for the Handicapped, Anadolu University,Eskisehir,Turkey ABSTRACT A multiple probe design was used to assess the combined effects of videomodeling, graduated guidance and community-based instruction for teaching children with autism how to protect them- selves from the lures of strangers. Parental opinions were also assessed in the study.Three children with autism (aged 6 to 11 years) partici- pated in the study. Data indicated that videomodeling with graduated guidance and community-based instruction was effective for teaching children with autism how to protect themselves from the lures of strangers. Also it can be seen that participants maintained the acquired skill over time and applied it to novel settings. Furthermore, general- ization was maintained over time. The parents of the participants reported positive opinions regarding the aims, procedures, and results of the study. Based on an evaluation of the findings, implications and future research needs are discussed. ADDRESS Correspondence should be addressed to: NURGUL AKMANOGLU , Engelliler Arastirma Enstitusu,Anadolu Universitesi, Eskisehir,Turkey, 26470. e-mail: nakmanoglu@anadolu.edu.tr According to The State of the World’s Children report (UNICEF, 2005), 1.200.000 children are kidnapped or missing every year.Therefore, ensuring children’s safety is, and should always be, a concern for parents, teachers, and society. Gast, Collins,Wolery, and Jones (1993) indicate that teaching safety skills is planned for students who are receiving transition planning services. There- fore, teachers of these students should seek possible ways to teach personal safety. Safety skills can be defined as preventive or reactionary verbal or nonverbal behaviors which establish or maintain the safety of a person. While preventive safety skills serve to avoid potentially dangerous situa- tions prior to them occurring, reactionary safety skills allow escape from or termination of presently occurring situations (Clees and Gast, 1994). KEYWORDS safety skills; autism; graduated guidance; video modelling; community- based teaching 205 Copyright © The Author(s), 2011. Reprints and permissions: http://www.sagepub.co.uk/journalspermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1362361309352180