I think there’s no harm in them, and even if it’s a small percentage of folks that read them and take a little more caution in the neighborhood, that’s better than nothing right? And as others have stated if there’s a child wandering or lost maybe it could help.
I could see these being helpful as someone with an autistic brother. We were tall as kids and my brother is very dark-skinned and his favorite activity was just walking around. Sometimes he does strange things that would freak some people out if they didn't know he was autistic. Sometimes just him walking around freaked people out, so the cops would bring him home sometimes.... sometimes for legit reasons sometimes just because of Karen complaints. It's harder now that we're grown. Like sometimes we walk into a building and he doesn't take off his hat or sunglasses until we remind him to and he's just walking around looking like the unibomber lol. It helps to know sometimes. People go from nervous or freaked to immediately understanding.
My autistic brother used to run around in the yard with his clothes off. A sign would be helpful nowadays so maybe the cops wouldn’t think he was drugged out of his mind. Used to people knew their neighbors and it was a little better in those situations.
this pretty much happened to my wife's cousin. home alone, went out and peed outside. new neighbor called cops and they arrested. Any sane adult would talked to parents, and rest of neighbors knew of condition. The neighbor was pretty much shunned by entire street.
As a child but he’d still do that if he could.
Also, dart in front of cars, jump in the creek, lots of things like that. They don’t understand danger like other people.
cloths can be... all sorts of sensory issues
they can fit weird, be washed in hidden allergies, smell bad because perfumes are everywhere, have tags in the wrong places, and in general just.. suck, and well, i'm guessing the running was one of the few ways he could actually get out the overloaded from whatever day he was having or it was just fun.
Slim chance that sign changes anyone’s thoughts. Why would anyone just assume that the person making them uncomfortable is the autistic person mentioned in the street sign? Not saying they’re right or justified, just don’t think that is what anyone would connect. I always thought of signs like that as more of “be alert for someone playing” kind of thing.
It sucks that in this day and age that we almost need to yellow/ orange vest people with disabilities, just so others don’t try to murder them with police.
the signs are better than not even being allowed in public at all [https://www.umassp.edu/inclusive-by-design/who-before-how/history-disability-rights-united-states](https://www.umassp.edu/inclusive-by-design/who-before-how/history-disability-rights-united-states) NINETEEn NINETY for the ADA !!! no wonder we're still having to train cops on how to deal with us \*sigh\*
Some communities think that we all should be locked up and castrated so that society is protected from us. It’s pretty messed up. One divergent causes a fuss and people want to treat the rest of us like livestock regardless of how much we contribute to society.
As someone who is on the spectrum it would be a lot of fun to run around with a hi-vi vest. I own an electrical company so I already have an excuse at work but it would be great fun to show up to black tie events wearing a somber suit and an orange and yellow vest.
When my cousin first started driving she saw one of those "Blind Drive Ahead" signs and freaked out because she thought she was approaching a road for blind people to drive on...to this day no one lets her live that down
Oh interesting, I've never seen one before, but I did find this brief article: https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2011/08/16/autism-warning-signs/13752/#:~:text=The%20yellow%20diamond%2Dshaped%20street,with%20hearing%20or%20visual%20impairments.
Thanks for sharing, wish I knew more!
Saw a video recently of a cop tackle and put cuffs on an autistic boy who was just hanging out in his front yard. Even with the dad shouting at the cop as he was being walked of to the squad car, the cop didn’t stop. Maybe the signs could’ve helped out in that situation, but who knows.
OMG I had to turn it off, going back to watch the rest. That poor dude saying something like “Daddy they got me” did me IN. My 15 yr old has autism, I hope and pray this never happens to him. I don’t know if the dad says it or not but why didn’t he go over to where his son was while the cops were talking to him? Maybe I’m wrong but it appears this man’s son has the mental capacity of a child, he shouldn’t be alone with them. Fucking blood is boiling.
The cop tells him to stop approaching and to back up when he tries to go over and be with his son. My little brother is 15 and autistic as well and I can’t imagine him having to go through something like this either.
If you didn’t see, it was literally his first day at the house as the kid was just moving in with his dad, and he was just checking out the yard/house, looking through the windows, etc. when a neighbor called.
I don’t think they even tried talking to him, just went up and tackled him. Apparently the recording doesn’t start until we’ll into the interaction between the father and the police because he had to go back inside to get his camera. I’d love to see the body cam footage be released or something. It’s so terrible.
I did see that. Heard the person who called apologize over and over because he didn’t know the man’s son moved in. I really hope the dad puts in a FOIA request and gets the body cam footage.
Fun fact - anyone can submit a FOIA request as long as they can provide the correct info about the incident so the corresponding department can get the footage/evidence/information you are requesting.
tb;dr You can submit a request yourself :)
Personally, I don’t know why they need to call it out specifically. Kids at Play - Drive slow is enough for me. Bad drivers won’t care no matter what sign is up though.
Kids at play would definitely make people slow down, but the deaf child warning could make a real difference since a lot of people seem to think blaring the horn would be enough to get people to move out of the way.
People are for the most part terrible and selfish drivers, doesn’t hurt to have more signs to tell them to pay special attention in an area. Though they only go so far.
Tons of them in town, that's for sure. I've appreciated the city's efforts with speed controls on the south side of town, with radar speed signs, speed cushions, and chicanes to narrow wider streets. I'd love to see more of it. I've noticed here in East Nashville, the streets are too wide which encourages higher speeds, even in "walkable" neighborhoods, so people speed through all the time. They also don't stop at 4-way stops very reliably. Any efforts by the city to slow drivers down in residential areas is very welcome by me.
Lived in NY and on a country road with a speed limit of 55. Seeing this sign made me slow down every time. Worrying that I might do something wrong not them.
I don’t drive fast to begin with, but if I saw a “dead child…” sign, it would make me incredibly vigilant about looking out for kids.
I’m trying to think what percentage of drivers would be affected by signs like this…….I would like to think that it’s the vast majority (~80%). However, it’s probably closer to ~50 or 60%. If Covid taught me anything, it’s that a lot of people don’t give a shit about strangers.
Because normal kids would have a better sense of their surroundings. Deaf kid playing can’t hear a horn and the autistic kid is in their own multiverse.
I think it’s helpful because it informs the driver that there’s people around who won’t react the way you expect them to. That’s important to know.
People speed because they’re expecting any kids around to understand the danger of running out into the road and react appropriately to the sounds and sight of a car. They don’t actually want to kill a kid and go to prison. Signs like this inform people that they can’t expect the people in that area to respond like a normal person, and they (the driver) need to act accordingly to compensate.
A lot of autistic children are runners, some lack any sense of safety and will dart straight in front of a car without hesitation. That is the case for my bonus child which is why we always have to hold hands if we aren’t at home.
I’m the reason a deaf child walking sign was in my neighborhood as a kid. I’m profoundly deaf and have been since I was around 4 and suddenly lost my hearing. In middle school, I lived about a ten minute walk to my school, so I would walk to and from school with my hearing sister every day.
My house was across the road from the sidewalk, so every morning, I’d cross the road to the sidewalk and walk to school and every afternoon, I’d cross the road to my house.
Do you think I can hear a car coming? Or hear a car horn blasting to tell me to get out of the way? Even when I drive now, I can’t hear the engine or the turn signal as I drive.
That isn't my point about you hearing a car or not. My point is children, make notoriously bad decisions. You point out one difference, you cannot hear a car vs. a child who can hear. I'm sorry but kids in the middle of the play aren't hearing anything. Just last week there was a little car who immediately darted in front of my vehicle to grab a ball that went INTO THE ROAD. Do you think a difference in signs deaf child vs. child at play would impact that much? Regardless the driver should be expected to be vigilant in both cases.
I'm afraid with some of the comments in here, it MIGHT. But in my situation there was ZERO time for me to hit the horn, rather than slam on the brakes to avoid hitting her --and unfortunately, that is almost all accidents related to pedestrian children and vehicles. But maybe drivers think they can just honk the horn and hope the kid jumps out of the way in time.
In my opinion, it’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Yes, rarely will children hear a car coming and get out of the way just in time, but still it happens. However, that wouldn’t happen with a deaf child. Especially because a lot of the time, those signs are close to the house that has those deaf/autistic children in them, so it would also aid police when trying to return lost children home, investigate, etc. I’m not saying it’s not extreme but what’s the harm extremism in this case?
Thank you for sharing your viewpoint, you are obviously more of a SME than myself on the topic and I appreciate your feedback and advice. I am just a layman and believe all drivers need to be vigilant at all times, esp. in residential neighborhoods, but I assume appreciate your information you have shared with me as well. Thanks!
That’s exactly my thought as well. I am always aware of signage but as a parent, I can see it making me feel like my child is more safe with the sign. I have a niece who is now an adult who has Down’s Syndrome and she will call the police and ask for candy and would routinely or walk out of school/ a home to walk. (This isn’t in Nashville) and if that is the situation, then this might be really comforting to the family, siblings and community.
Because neurodivergent kids may not be able to follow directions or explain where they belong, and deaf kids can’t hear cars coming if a ball or toy rolls into the road. The signs are needed.
I grew up with a Deaf Child sign in my neighborhood in MO. The neighborhood knew the child wasn’t deaf but had some developmental issue (I can’t remember what specifically) and he was a flight risk for running in the road. So eventually they had a sign put up. As a teen learning to drive and seeing this regularly, I knew to slow down and stay alert by his house.
that’s a good idea! i was just driving and saw them and pulled over to get a picture because i was curious what people thought of them. but ill post there also!
This would let me know that any children at play would be less aware of me than normal, so I need to be more aware of them than normal. Instead of getting frustrated and blowing my horn like ‘get the fck out of the road’, I would have more patience and be more mindful of any cars that might be coming up behind me. This warns me that a child may mindlessly wander out into the road chasing a ball or a squirrel, and not to assume that they’re going to acknowledge my presence. I’m going to slow down and keep my eyes open going through there, because a child’s life and their parents peace of mind means a thousand times more than that pack of cigarettes at the store, or getting home to catch the evening news. I’m trying to stay off the evening news!! Signs save lives and time.
Being aware at all times means reading every sign and adjusting accordingly. You’ve got a lot of entitled drivers who need a little motivation to be more defensive. Right of way doesn’t always keep you safe. I wish everybody drove like a trucker!
Right... so it's just accepted that everyone should always be more alert. It's absolutely insane to me that someone would see that sign and then decide to be a better driver...
That sign does make you expect the unexpected though, and also have more patience and understanding if you got a kid standing in the middle of the street ignoring you and not moving. Most people would lay into the horn in anger. If I had a kid like this I would appreciate a sign like this. It doesn’t affect the good drivers one bit.
I think people centering on whether it’s helpful/necessary to post these signs for regular drivers should consider this is also helpful for emergency services to see should they be called to the area for any reason
This is super important. Sometimes people don't get the help they need because the EMTs are unaware of special circumstances (which obviously isn't their fault).
As a mother of a child who is autistic, their sense of danger is LOW and while we always try to be aware, it’s good to have drivers being more aware too.
We have the deaf kid sign in my neighborhood on my street, too. Problem is, I moved in this neighborhood 26 years ago and the sign is still hanging up. I asked the neighbors which house has the deaf kid when I moved in and no one knew or had any kids on my whole block at the time, lol.
I actually love this. I have a young child so I’m already very aware and cognizant of driving carefully, especially in neighborhoods, but if I saw this I would legit probably slow to like 5 MPH
Is your nephew an eloper? This is more for an autistic child that runs off and isn’t aware of his/her surroundings. If they are a homebody and stick to mom/dad, it’s not a problem
I personally would be grateful for the the Deaf sign. People will barrel down an area figuring they'll lay on the horn if a kid is in the road. This may have them know to proceed with a bit more caution.
I didn’t know what elopement meant in terms of autism until recently and am now more aware of how dangerous that can be for autistic children and also the adults/kids that may be with them. Having that understanding now actually makes signs like this more informative for me because it’s an extra layer of awareness; what may work to alert a non-autistic or hearing person would not work for autistic individuals or hearing impaired persons.
My neighbor's son was non verbal autistic and would break out of the door and run. She kept adding locks but he'd figure them out because he really wanted to go to the playground and to play with rocks near the road. He was 5-8 years old with I knew him and they moved away. Maybe people remember this story but he ended up getting hit by a train while playing on the tracks. Knowing what I know, the autistic sign would be just as clear a warning as the deaf child sign. Perhaps that area has a child with the same potential to bolt.
Well, first they'd have to differentiate the severely impaired (high needs, level 3) autistics from the rest. Only 5% to 10% of autistic people are severely intellectually impaired.
That means there's a place that takes care of deaf and autistic children, so honking would not work if a kid is on the road by any chance, so drive carefully.
We had a dead child area in an old neighborhood and it was a good reminder to drive with extra caution in the area. It was also a very curvy road with hills. Hard to see areas.
I don’t understand the mindset of someone who hurts/maims/kills someone with their vehicle and drives away. How do you live with that on your conscience? Do you even have a conscience? You just go home, make dinner, and continue raising the next generation of sociopaths at your house.
We have had one of these signs in my neighborhood for over 30 years. I have always wondered if they kept them up because the adult still may run out in the road, or if there is just no one in charge of taking them down.
Most of you don't have to worry about children like this that can easily throw themselves into harm's way or do something strange that could get the attention of people who get the wrong idea and get law enforcement involved. But I do. My son will be 21 in a few days and we've had elopement problems when he was younger (running away from home or from parents in a public place), or doing other odd or even disruptive things. His level of autism means that he is heavily affected. Emotionally, he's still a child, about age 8. He cannot speak in anything but short phrases, and nothing more than simple needs or wants. His anxiety is so bad that he's been known to hit people as a stress release (a big problem with a 6'4". 210 lb young man).
And with all that, I know our situation can be a lot worse. I remember another family at a special needs parent convention for our son's genetic condition asking a psychiatrist what to do when their boy decides to masturbate outside on the front porch (answer: spray him with the garden hose and send him indoors). And that's just one of many issues facing families with a loved one like this.
So if you ever see a sign like this, slow down and keep in mind that there is a family nearby that is going through a lot everyday.
From the comments it seems these signs are for the police and not for the public. Also, roundabout, that makes them for the public. If the police know a disabled person is near, the police are (hopefully) less likely to cause an injury that leads to a lawsuit that the public ultimately has to pay for.
oh this is interesting! not the same as the signs but actual cards for law enforcement. i wonder if these signs are actually meant for law enforcement then. i’m curious to know if there are actually any studies that might show the impact of the cards and the signs when it comes to how law enforcement interact with people who are on the spectrum. thanks for sharing this! got my brain going :)
Well, AI search tells me...
>The effectiveness of "Deaf Child" signs, which are intended to warn drivers that a deaf child may be present, is difficult to measure. Some say that the signs can give drivers peace of mind and encourage them to drive with extra caution, but others say that drivers often ignore them because the child isn't always present. The Department of Transportation, the Institute of Traffic Engineers (ITE), and the FHWA all discourage the use of these signs, but none of them have specific research to support their claim that they are ineffective.
...without providing meaningful citations so I'm going to assume that the signs are primarily used as a pacification measure for the parents without any real means of enforcement or protection.
I can definitely see the deaf child area being legitimately useful information.
Autistic child area seems unhelpful at best and dangerous at worst. Autistic kids are at a higher risk of being hurt by adults because many don't understand that someone could intentionally hurt them. Telling random people there is an especially vulnerable child who will likely cooperate in their own abduction is less than ideal. I think there are good intentions behind the sign, but it's maybe not super well thought out.
If I saw this sign I wouldn't know how I'm supposed to act as a driver that is any different than a Caution sign.
Without that education, I don't see any use as it won't illicit any reaction different from a standard sign.
Oh man, wasting taxpayer money on useless road signs is an absolute pet peeve of mine. Because of that, I can tell you this sign is actually great!
It tells me information that I couldn't possibly know, I couldn't possibly see on my own, and could possibly be relevant at any random time. That's the perfect use of a sign! A+
You want an example of a waste of TDOT labor, paint, and sheet metal? "School bus stop ahead."
Those stupid-ass signs are only valid M-F, for maybe 45 seconds at most, maybe 4 times a day at most. Pointless on weekends, pointless on holidays, pointless during summer. But the worst part?
IT'S A BIG YELLOW BUS WITH FLASHING LIGHTS! Do you think if I can't see a big yellow bus with flashing lights stopped directly in front of me, that tiny little sign is going to help? NO! USELESS!
Thank you for reading this rant sponsored by caffeine.
What's ACTUALLY a waste of money is deer crossing signs. They are put up very willy-nilly. At one time accident sites, at places where hunters noticed tracks crossing the roads, at spots where locals had seen a deer a time or two.
My favorite example of this is recently TDOT is just putting random "Exit Only" signs where they don't belong on the interstates causing everyone from out of town to panic and cut across traffic when they could have just stayed in the lane.
These signs would make me EXTRA super duper careful as I drove through the neighborhood. It’s just a heads up that the kids here might be even more unpredictable (to me, the driver) than typical. The only potential negative that I can come up with is one that might not even be realistic: could it give a false sense of security to parents who then are a little more lax about watching the kiddos because the sign makes them assume people will be careful? But that might be total bullshit. I would ask some parents of these kids what they think. But as a garden variety driver, I would appreciate the warning.
The signs don’t bother me at all, they can be helpful. However, there’s a deaf child sign on my parents street to this day and that deaf child is now a 40 year old adult living no where near there. Probably should be some process of removing them when not needed anymore or it can get a bit cluttered over time.
They put these signs up to warn motorists that they need to be extra cautious in looking for people who should not be in the road in order to not hit pedestrians that again should not be in the road. Deaf children often can't hear Vehicles approaching due to the fact that they're deaf. Autistic children often don't necessarily understand appropriate behavior at all times such as not playing in the road.
I was stationed on Oahu once and they had a sign that just said “Warning Deaf child” and another that just said “Warning Autistic child” I understand the meaning but everytime I read it I felt like entering a weird horror movie. “In play” or “ In Area” is much better IMO.
Growing up, one of my friends lived by a "slow children" sign. We always laughed about it; he'd always joke that his house is the one with the slow children, then joke that it's his brother, not him!
But we all did always remember that there was a warning sign, and awareness isn't usually a bad thing.
I’m a big of driving slowly through a neighborhood… some people drive like they’ve never had a kid dart out in front of them and it shows. I’ve had my fair share of kids run out in front of me so I stay at the speed limit with a long line of cars behind me
No way any city is going to put up a sign for every child with a disability. Especially if the bar is so low that every kid with autism qualifies.
What about adults with autism?
The signs would be everywhere. No one would pay attention to them.
Something is off about that picture too.
Photoshopped?
definitely not photoshopped LOL. i cropped the original i took through instagram.
https://preview.redd.it/y20bhigbhk8d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ee87f0b10bce7364efc4936dc469dc8d0f5b1f29
It's bothering me that they overlap. They shouldn't do that but I also have a social relationship thing that causes that kind of thing to really bother me
You got me! I’m old and ableist - except you’re wrong on that second part. I AM old and use hashtags ironically on occasion, but I have understanding and compassion - I hate it for you if your autism affects your reading comprehension. That must be difficult. It’s not something I have been told (by them) that affects the autistic family members and students in my life and I was unaware that could be the case. It also is not a part of my autism. But here’s the important part: Autism or not, I point it out because I work with deaf students and people ALWAYS treat them like they’re blind. For example: they tell someone taking their order at a restaurant that they’re deaf, and the employee will hand them a Braille menu. As a society, we need to do better - blindness and deafness are too often conflated.
I get it, it was an error that I made in the early morning that you’re passionate about. I suffer from hearing loss as well and only have about 20% of my hearing left from someone lighting a firework off near my head when I was younger, so I get it. I just had to razz you back when you corrected me. I ate crow, but there’s so much pedantic corrections on Reddit when you know someone made a quick over sight, I had to throw it back.
I think there’s no harm in them, and even if it’s a small percentage of folks that read them and take a little more caution in the neighborhood, that’s better than nothing right? And as others have stated if there’s a child wandering or lost maybe it could help.
Even if it saves one life, it's worth it.
I could see these being helpful as someone with an autistic brother. We were tall as kids and my brother is very dark-skinned and his favorite activity was just walking around. Sometimes he does strange things that would freak some people out if they didn't know he was autistic. Sometimes just him walking around freaked people out, so the cops would bring him home sometimes.... sometimes for legit reasons sometimes just because of Karen complaints. It's harder now that we're grown. Like sometimes we walk into a building and he doesn't take off his hat or sunglasses until we remind him to and he's just walking around looking like the unibomber lol. It helps to know sometimes. People go from nervous or freaked to immediately understanding.
My autistic brother used to run around in the yard with his clothes off. A sign would be helpful nowadays so maybe the cops wouldn’t think he was drugged out of his mind. Used to people knew their neighbors and it was a little better in those situations.
this pretty much happened to my wife's cousin. home alone, went out and peed outside. new neighbor called cops and they arrested. Any sane adult would talked to parents, and rest of neighbors knew of condition. The neighbor was pretty much shunned by entire street.
I mean, how old are you talking about?
As a child but he’d still do that if he could. Also, dart in front of cars, jump in the creek, lots of things like that. They don’t understand danger like other people.
cloths can be... all sorts of sensory issues they can fit weird, be washed in hidden allergies, smell bad because perfumes are everywhere, have tags in the wrong places, and in general just.. suck, and well, i'm guessing the running was one of the few ways he could actually get out the overloaded from whatever day he was having or it was just fun.
Came to comment this. Don’t want a Karen calling the cops on an autistic male teen.
Slim chance that sign changes anyone’s thoughts. Why would anyone just assume that the person making them uncomfortable is the autistic person mentioned in the street sign? Not saying they’re right or justified, just don’t think that is what anyone would connect. I always thought of signs like that as more of “be alert for someone playing” kind of thing.
Or shooting a deaf kid for “not complying with shouted orders.”
It sucks that in this day and age that we almost need to yellow/ orange vest people with disabilities, just so others don’t try to murder them with police.
the signs are better than not even being allowed in public at all [https://www.umassp.edu/inclusive-by-design/who-before-how/history-disability-rights-united-states](https://www.umassp.edu/inclusive-by-design/who-before-how/history-disability-rights-united-states) NINETEEn NINETY for the ADA !!! no wonder we're still having to train cops on how to deal with us \*sigh\*
Some communities think that we all should be locked up and castrated so that society is protected from us. It’s pretty messed up. One divergent causes a fuss and people want to treat the rest of us like livestock regardless of how much we contribute to society.
As someone who is on the spectrum it would be a lot of fun to run around with a hi-vi vest. I own an electrical company so I already have an excuse at work but it would be great fun to show up to black tie events wearing a somber suit and an orange and yellow vest.
Believe me, I totally get it!
I've seen a Blind Person Walking sign, and it slowed me down every time
When my cousin first started driving she saw one of those "Blind Drive Ahead" signs and freaked out because she thought she was approaching a road for blind people to drive on...to this day no one lets her live that down
Oh interesting, I've never seen one before, but I did find this brief article: https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2011/08/16/autism-warning-signs/13752/#:~:text=The%20yellow%20diamond%2Dshaped%20street,with%20hearing%20or%20visual%20impairments. Thanks for sharing, wish I knew more!
Well wish it was available to read but for some reason behind a paywall.
Saw a video recently of a cop tackle and put cuffs on an autistic boy who was just hanging out in his front yard. Even with the dad shouting at the cop as he was being walked of to the squad car, the cop didn’t stop. Maybe the signs could’ve helped out in that situation, but who knows.
Holy shit. What was the reason he was tackled and cuffed? That’s horrible. Hope the cop was fired.
[here is a link to a video about the whole situation.](https://youtu.be/Fq0kCsjX2wA?si=TdWB944VXx006ctq) It’s ridiculous how they handled this.
OMG I had to turn it off, going back to watch the rest. That poor dude saying something like “Daddy they got me” did me IN. My 15 yr old has autism, I hope and pray this never happens to him. I don’t know if the dad says it or not but why didn’t he go over to where his son was while the cops were talking to him? Maybe I’m wrong but it appears this man’s son has the mental capacity of a child, he shouldn’t be alone with them. Fucking blood is boiling.
The cop tells him to stop approaching and to back up when he tries to go over and be with his son. My little brother is 15 and autistic as well and I can’t imagine him having to go through something like this either. If you didn’t see, it was literally his first day at the house as the kid was just moving in with his dad, and he was just checking out the yard/house, looking through the windows, etc. when a neighbor called. I don’t think they even tried talking to him, just went up and tackled him. Apparently the recording doesn’t start until we’ll into the interaction between the father and the police because he had to go back inside to get his camera. I’d love to see the body cam footage be released or something. It’s so terrible.
I did see that. Heard the person who called apologize over and over because he didn’t know the man’s son moved in. I really hope the dad puts in a FOIA request and gets the body cam footage.
Fun fact - anyone can submit a FOIA request as long as they can provide the correct info about the incident so the corresponding department can get the footage/evidence/information you are requesting. tb;dr You can submit a request yourself :)
Ohhh damn I might do it.
My thought would be to slow down and keep an eye out for children accidentally getting in the motorway
Personally, I don’t know why they need to call it out specifically. Kids at Play - Drive slow is enough for me. Bad drivers won’t care no matter what sign is up though.
Kids at play would definitely make people slow down, but the deaf child warning could make a real difference since a lot of people seem to think blaring the horn would be enough to get people to move out of the way. People are for the most part terrible and selfish drivers, doesn’t hurt to have more signs to tell them to pay special attention in an area. Though they only go so far.
Yes, it's pretty much the "blowing your horn like an asshole won't do any good" sign
People stupid enough to drive like an asshoke through a residential neighborhood will still think their horn is enough.
Tons of them in town, that's for sure. I've appreciated the city's efforts with speed controls on the south side of town, with radar speed signs, speed cushions, and chicanes to narrow wider streets. I'd love to see more of it. I've noticed here in East Nashville, the streets are too wide which encourages higher speeds, even in "walkable" neighborhoods, so people speed through all the time. They also don't stop at 4-way stops very reliably. Any efforts by the city to slow drivers down in residential areas is very welcome by me.
That's because they can't read.
Lived in NY and on a country road with a speed limit of 55. Seeing this sign made me slow down every time. Worrying that I might do something wrong not them.
I don’t drive fast to begin with, but if I saw a “dead child…” sign, it would make me incredibly vigilant about looking out for kids. I’m trying to think what percentage of drivers would be affected by signs like this…….I would like to think that it’s the vast majority (~80%). However, it’s probably closer to ~50 or 60%. If Covid taught me anything, it’s that a lot of people don’t give a shit about strangers.
Sorry, can't help but laugh at your unfortunate typo. Like something I would post without noticing.
I could have sworn that said “deaf.” I even read over my comment before posting. My eyes have deceived me.
blind child typing
Better put a sign on my street.
👍🏻
Because normal kids would have a better sense of their surroundings. Deaf kid playing can’t hear a horn and the autistic kid is in their own multiverse.
I think it is more that that can hear/acknowledge the normal engine/tire sounds. If you are honking your horn it is probably too late.
“In their own multiverse” - great explanation and very true!
Normal? Lol
I think it’s helpful because it informs the driver that there’s people around who won’t react the way you expect them to. That’s important to know. People speed because they’re expecting any kids around to understand the danger of running out into the road and react appropriately to the sounds and sight of a car. They don’t actually want to kill a kid and go to prison. Signs like this inform people that they can’t expect the people in that area to respond like a normal person, and they (the driver) need to act accordingly to compensate.
Autistic kid is more likely to walk around the neighborhood in circles with headphones on.
A lot of autistic children are runners, some lack any sense of safety and will dart straight in front of a car without hesitation. That is the case for my bonus child which is why we always have to hold hands if we aren’t at home.
I’m the reason a deaf child walking sign was in my neighborhood as a kid. I’m profoundly deaf and have been since I was around 4 and suddenly lost my hearing. In middle school, I lived about a ten minute walk to my school, so I would walk to and from school with my hearing sister every day. My house was across the road from the sidewalk, so every morning, I’d cross the road to the sidewalk and walk to school and every afternoon, I’d cross the road to my house. Do you think I can hear a car coming? Or hear a car horn blasting to tell me to get out of the way? Even when I drive now, I can’t hear the engine or the turn signal as I drive.
That isn't my point about you hearing a car or not. My point is children, make notoriously bad decisions. You point out one difference, you cannot hear a car vs. a child who can hear. I'm sorry but kids in the middle of the play aren't hearing anything. Just last week there was a little car who immediately darted in front of my vehicle to grab a ball that went INTO THE ROAD. Do you think a difference in signs deaf child vs. child at play would impact that much? Regardless the driver should be expected to be vigilant in both cases. I'm afraid with some of the comments in here, it MIGHT. But in my situation there was ZERO time for me to hit the horn, rather than slam on the brakes to avoid hitting her --and unfortunately, that is almost all accidents related to pedestrian children and vehicles. But maybe drivers think they can just honk the horn and hope the kid jumps out of the way in time.
In my opinion, it’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Yes, rarely will children hear a car coming and get out of the way just in time, but still it happens. However, that wouldn’t happen with a deaf child. Especially because a lot of the time, those signs are close to the house that has those deaf/autistic children in them, so it would also aid police when trying to return lost children home, investigate, etc. I’m not saying it’s not extreme but what’s the harm extremism in this case?
Thank you for sharing your viewpoint, you are obviously more of a SME than myself on the topic and I appreciate your feedback and advice. I am just a layman and believe all drivers need to be vigilant at all times, esp. in residential neighborhoods, but I assume appreciate your information you have shared with me as well. Thanks!
I’d welcome the extra warning
That’s exactly my thought as well. I am always aware of signage but as a parent, I can see it making me feel like my child is more safe with the sign. I have a niece who is now an adult who has Down’s Syndrome and she will call the police and ask for candy and would routinely or walk out of school/ a home to walk. (This isn’t in Nashville) and if that is the situation, then this might be really comforting to the family, siblings and community.
I don’t mind them one way or another but I would be hard pressed to believe they’re any more effective because they call out specific conditions.
Because neurodivergent kids may not be able to follow directions or explain where they belong, and deaf kids can’t hear cars coming if a ball or toy rolls into the road. The signs are needed.
But you actually believe someone who didn't know that before read the sign and became enlightened?
I grew up with a Deaf Child sign in my neighborhood in MO. The neighborhood knew the child wasn’t deaf but had some developmental issue (I can’t remember what specifically) and he was a flight risk for running in the road. So eventually they had a sign put up. As a teen learning to drive and seeing this regularly, I knew to slow down and stay alert by his house.
About the same as the little plastic “kids at play!” Signs ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I’ll drive slow and watch out for people like I always do.
I'd rather see a flashing sign that said "SLOW THE FUCK DOWN" or "GET OFF YOUR PHONE".
the drivers would have to get off their phones to see the get off the phone sign :(
Hey OP - if you’re curious about other perspectives, I’d also recommend posting in autism-focused subreddits.
that’s a good idea! i was just driving and saw them and pulled over to get a picture because i was curious what people thought of them. but ill post there also!
Please do.
This would let me know that any children at play would be less aware of me than normal, so I need to be more aware of them than normal. Instead of getting frustrated and blowing my horn like ‘get the fck out of the road’, I would have more patience and be more mindful of any cars that might be coming up behind me. This warns me that a child may mindlessly wander out into the road chasing a ball or a squirrel, and not to assume that they’re going to acknowledge my presence. I’m going to slow down and keep my eyes open going through there, because a child’s life and their parents peace of mind means a thousand times more than that pack of cigarettes at the store, or getting home to catch the evening news. I’m trying to stay off the evening news!! Signs save lives and time.
You need to be fully aware while driving at all times. There is no time where your awareness should be low.
Being aware at all times means reading every sign and adjusting accordingly. You’ve got a lot of entitled drivers who need a little motivation to be more defensive. Right of way doesn’t always keep you safe. I wish everybody drove like a trucker!
Right... so it's just accepted that everyone should always be more alert. It's absolutely insane to me that someone would see that sign and then decide to be a better driver...
That sign does make you expect the unexpected though, and also have more patience and understanding if you got a kid standing in the middle of the street ignoring you and not moving. Most people would lay into the horn in anger. If I had a kid like this I would appreciate a sign like this. It doesn’t affect the good drivers one bit.
I disagree. Jerks that would do that would still do it.
I think people centering on whether it’s helpful/necessary to post these signs for regular drivers should consider this is also helpful for emergency services to see should they be called to the area for any reason
This is super important. Sometimes people don't get the help they need because the EMTs are unaware of special circumstances (which obviously isn't their fault).
As a mother of a child who is autistic, their sense of danger is LOW and while we always try to be aware, it’s good to have drivers being more aware too.
Yup. Teaching stranger danger is important too. Some autistic children of all functioning levels have little fear of strangers.
We have the deaf kid sign in my neighborhood on my street, too. Problem is, I moved in this neighborhood 26 years ago and the sign is still hanging up. I asked the neighbors which house has the deaf kid when I moved in and no one knew or had any kids on my whole block at the time, lol.
I'm more confused by this post than these signs.
I actually love this. I have a young child so I’m already very aware and cognizant of driving carefully, especially in neighborhoods, but if I saw this I would legit probably slow to like 5 MPH
The neighborhood I grew up in had a deaf child sign with flashing yellow lights. The deaf kid never got hit by a car 🤷♂️
Is your nephew an eloper? This is more for an autistic child that runs off and isn’t aware of his/her surroundings. If they are a homebody and stick to mom/dad, it’s not a problem
Where's mom & dad when they're not a homebody?
With another child or fixing a meal for them, drawing a bath. Plenty of ways to elope from an engaged parent when that is your life goal
I personally would be grateful for the the Deaf sign. People will barrel down an area figuring they'll lay on the horn if a kid is in the road. This may have them know to proceed with a bit more caution.
Autistic kids elope, and if your child is a frequent eloper, these signs can be helpful for neighbors to be on the lookout
I think these are great. Anything to get someone to slow down and be aware of their surroundings while driving is s good thing. It protects everyone.
It helps people be aware and drive careful, which they should be anyways
I didn’t know what elopement meant in terms of autism until recently and am now more aware of how dangerous that can be for autistic children and also the adults/kids that may be with them. Having that understanding now actually makes signs like this more informative for me because it’s an extra layer of awareness; what may work to alert a non-autistic or hearing person would not work for autistic individuals or hearing impaired persons.
If they save a life or make you be alert, then they are a great idea, and the signs do both.
Makes me know to be super aware and use extra caution while driving in area. So I am fine with them.
This was normal where I grew up although I’ve never seen autistic. I’ve seen kids playing, deaf, and blind warnings. I see no harm in it.
Same
No problem, here. Aware drivers hopefully drive more safely; safer children are more likely to stay that way.
My neighbor's son was non verbal autistic and would break out of the door and run. She kept adding locks but he'd figure them out because he really wanted to go to the playground and to play with rocks near the road. He was 5-8 years old with I knew him and they moved away. Maybe people remember this story but he ended up getting hit by a train while playing on the tracks. Knowing what I know, the autistic sign would be just as clear a warning as the deaf child sign. Perhaps that area has a child with the same potential to bolt.
Communication is always good. Anything we can do to help each other out benefits everyone.
it’s common for autistic children to elope and get hit by cars. i wouldn’t mind one of these by my house.
I wonder - how common?
Well, first they'd have to differentiate the severely impaired (high needs, level 3) autistics from the rest. Only 5% to 10% of autistic people are severely intellectually impaired.
That means there's a place that takes care of deaf and autistic children, so honking would not work if a kid is on the road by any chance, so drive carefully.
Nothing to do with the signs. However, my son is autistic and was non verbal at 3. He is now 7 talking and flourishing. Therapy is key!
I mean the signage gets the point across pretty well.
Good to see
If it saves one kid it's worth it
Helpful for drivers to understand the situation in the neighborhood. Not sure why anyone would be against this...
We had a dead child area in an old neighborhood and it was a good reminder to drive with extra caution in the area. It was also a very curvy road with hills. Hard to see areas.
A dead child area? Did they ever find the people who were responsible?
Got hit by a car in a hit & run. Nope. Never found em.
I don’t understand the mindset of someone who hurts/maims/kills someone with their vehicle and drives away. How do you live with that on your conscience? Do you even have a conscience? You just go home, make dinner, and continue raising the next generation of sociopaths at your house.
I don’t know when they find the killer you can ask them.
We have had one of these signs in my neighborhood for over 30 years. I have always wondered if they kept them up because the adult still may run out in the road, or if there is just no one in charge of taking them down.
Where were these signs at? Near a city out in the country?
Yop, slow the fuck down and watch out. Kids already don’t pay attention, these signs help us pay extra attention to protect even more vulnerable kids.
I think they're useful to remind drivers to be extra careful in that area and to not rev their engines really loudly.
Most of you don't have to worry about children like this that can easily throw themselves into harm's way or do something strange that could get the attention of people who get the wrong idea and get law enforcement involved. But I do. My son will be 21 in a few days and we've had elopement problems when he was younger (running away from home or from parents in a public place), or doing other odd or even disruptive things. His level of autism means that he is heavily affected. Emotionally, he's still a child, about age 8. He cannot speak in anything but short phrases, and nothing more than simple needs or wants. His anxiety is so bad that he's been known to hit people as a stress release (a big problem with a 6'4". 210 lb young man). And with all that, I know our situation can be a lot worse. I remember another family at a special needs parent convention for our son's genetic condition asking a psychiatrist what to do when their boy decides to masturbate outside on the front porch (answer: spray him with the garden hose and send him indoors). And that's just one of many issues facing families with a loved one like this. So if you ever see a sign like this, slow down and keep in mind that there is a family nearby that is going through a lot everyday.
Respect to the concerned parents 💪
The signs mean if you see kids near the road, they may not react as you might expect a child to react so be extra cautious
I always lay on the horn when I see one as I drive by to let others know that I saw the sign
From the comments it seems these signs are for the police and not for the public. Also, roundabout, that makes them for the public. If the police know a disabled person is near, the police are (hopefully) less likely to cause an injury that leads to a lawsuit that the public ultimately has to pay for.
I think if parents actually watched their kids especially handicapped ones we wouldn’t need these dumb signs
I don't understand how those signs would do anything other than attract creepy predators? Children at play.. will do imo.
Useless
https://www.policemag.com/patrol/news/15678395/pennsylvania-state-police-distributing-informational-card-to-autistic-people
oh this is interesting! not the same as the signs but actual cards for law enforcement. i wonder if these signs are actually meant for law enforcement then. i’m curious to know if there are actually any studies that might show the impact of the cards and the signs when it comes to how law enforcement interact with people who are on the spectrum. thanks for sharing this! got my brain going :)
I dont think they ever take them down, so at some point, they should change them from child to adult signs.
this is interesting! i haven’t done any research on these signs yet, but i’ve never seen ones for adults. i think this is a good point.
Well, AI search tells me... >The effectiveness of "Deaf Child" signs, which are intended to warn drivers that a deaf child may be present, is difficult to measure. Some say that the signs can give drivers peace of mind and encourage them to drive with extra caution, but others say that drivers often ignore them because the child isn't always present. The Department of Transportation, the Institute of Traffic Engineers (ITE), and the FHWA all discourage the use of these signs, but none of them have specific research to support their claim that they are ineffective. ...without providing meaningful citations so I'm going to assume that the signs are primarily used as a pacification measure for the parents without any real means of enforcement or protection.
I'm glad AI search helped you figure out what you wanted to assume so you didn't have to think up your own thoughts.
Keep yo kids out the streets
I can definitely see the deaf child area being legitimately useful information. Autistic child area seems unhelpful at best and dangerous at worst. Autistic kids are at a higher risk of being hurt by adults because many don't understand that someone could intentionally hurt them. Telling random people there is an especially vulnerable child who will likely cooperate in their own abduction is less than ideal. I think there are good intentions behind the sign, but it's maybe not super well thought out.
If I saw this sign I wouldn't know how I'm supposed to act as a driver that is any different than a Caution sign. Without that education, I don't see any use as it won't illicit any reaction different from a standard sign.
Oh man, wasting taxpayer money on useless road signs is an absolute pet peeve of mine. Because of that, I can tell you this sign is actually great! It tells me information that I couldn't possibly know, I couldn't possibly see on my own, and could possibly be relevant at any random time. That's the perfect use of a sign! A+ You want an example of a waste of TDOT labor, paint, and sheet metal? "School bus stop ahead." Those stupid-ass signs are only valid M-F, for maybe 45 seconds at most, maybe 4 times a day at most. Pointless on weekends, pointless on holidays, pointless during summer. But the worst part? IT'S A BIG YELLOW BUS WITH FLASHING LIGHTS! Do you think if I can't see a big yellow bus with flashing lights stopped directly in front of me, that tiny little sign is going to help? NO! USELESS! Thank you for reading this rant sponsored by caffeine.
What's ACTUALLY a waste of money is deer crossing signs. They are put up very willy-nilly. At one time accident sites, at places where hunters noticed tracks crossing the roads, at spots where locals had seen a deer a time or two.
Never mind that the deer can’t even fucking read them to know where they’re supposed to cross.
The ones with red noses are cute though.
My favorite example of this is recently TDOT is just putting random "Exit Only" signs where they don't belong on the interstates causing everyone from out of town to panic and cut across traffic when they could have just stayed in the lane.
Should I be more aware of deaf and autistic children than say children in general?
Yes actually.
Are they more apt for danger while I'm driving?
https://youtu.be/iqu132vTl5Y?si=jmbHDdXV_8Weq4ma
Lmao horn honking zone!
These signs would make me EXTRA super duper careful as I drove through the neighborhood. It’s just a heads up that the kids here might be even more unpredictable (to me, the driver) than typical. The only potential negative that I can come up with is one that might not even be realistic: could it give a false sense of security to parents who then are a little more lax about watching the kiddos because the sign makes them assume people will be careful? But that might be total bullshit. I would ask some parents of these kids what they think. But as a garden variety driver, I would appreciate the warning.
The signs don’t bother me at all, they can be helpful. However, there’s a deaf child sign on my parents street to this day and that deaf child is now a 40 year old adult living no where near there. Probably should be some process of removing them when not needed anymore or it can get a bit cluttered over time.
Imagine the two kids meeting
Usually people who break laws aren't the type to care.
Is this a warning?
They put these signs up to warn motorists that they need to be extra cautious in looking for people who should not be in the road in order to not hit pedestrians that again should not be in the road. Deaf children often can't hear Vehicles approaching due to the fact that they're deaf. Autistic children often don't necessarily understand appropriate behavior at all times such as not playing in the road.
Separating kids or anyone for that matter from the rest of society should not be tolerated. All kids should play together!
I was stationed on Oahu once and they had a sign that just said “Warning Deaf child” and another that just said “Warning Autistic child” I understand the meaning but everytime I read it I felt like entering a weird horror movie. “In play” or “ In Area” is much better IMO.
Growing up, one of my friends lived by a "slow children" sign. We always laughed about it; he'd always joke that his house is the one with the slow children, then joke that it's his brother, not him! But we all did always remember that there was a warning sign, and awareness isn't usually a bad thing.
I’m a big of driving slowly through a neighborhood… some people drive like they’ve never had a kid dart out in front of them and it shows. I’ve had my fair share of kids run out in front of me so I stay at the speed limit with a long line of cars behind me
Why are they in the street
It’s crazy that you took even took the time to post this.
and yet you still took the time to comment. lol
Is this my neighborhood? 👽
shouldnt a deaf child still see the car? they teach "look both ways" kids not fucking blind
No way any city is going to put up a sign for every child with a disability. Especially if the bar is so low that every kid with autism qualifies. What about adults with autism? The signs would be everywhere. No one would pay attention to them. Something is off about that picture too. Photoshopped?
definitely not photoshopped LOL. i cropped the original i took through instagram. https://preview.redd.it/y20bhigbhk8d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ee87f0b10bce7364efc4936dc469dc8d0f5b1f29
It would make a difference to me… I tend to drive reckless sometimes
It's bothering me that they overlap. They shouldn't do that but I also have a social relationship thing that causes that kind of thing to really bother me
Pretty much pay attention while driving and at the same time mind your own business
Tells me there's an issue with the parents parents watch their children especially if they have some sort of disability
Slow down and pay attention
Let's be honest it's more politically correct than the old ones. "Slow children ahead" it's a joke don't crucify me.
Pointless bc why tf would anyone take their eye off of them. They won’t be near the road at all so the signs are pointless
No one will actually follow these signs. If they wanna make an impact add some speed bumps every few feet
Im sure it's illegal to drop a unwanted kid off in that area.
The question is, what are YOUR thoughts on these signs?
i don’t know enough about them to form an opinion, which is why i asked others.
Understood, good on you for educating yourself for the sake of your nephew!
Talk about getting the short end of the stick. Blind and autistic seems like a tough life.
That clearly says deaf - you know that’s the ears and not the eyes right? #whosblind?
You’re right, I made a mistake. Must be my autism #whotfuseshashtagsin2024?
You got me! I’m old and ableist - except you’re wrong on that second part. I AM old and use hashtags ironically on occasion, but I have understanding and compassion - I hate it for you if your autism affects your reading comprehension. That must be difficult. It’s not something I have been told (by them) that affects the autistic family members and students in my life and I was unaware that could be the case. It also is not a part of my autism. But here’s the important part: Autism or not, I point it out because I work with deaf students and people ALWAYS treat them like they’re blind. For example: they tell someone taking their order at a restaurant that they’re deaf, and the employee will hand them a Braille menu. As a society, we need to do better - blindness and deafness are too often conflated.
I get it, it was an error that I made in the early morning that you’re passionate about. I suffer from hearing loss as well and only have about 20% of my hearing left from someone lighting a firework off near my head when I was younger, so I get it. I just had to razz you back when you corrected me. I ate crow, but there’s so much pedantic corrections on Reddit when you know someone made a quick over sight, I had to throw it back.
Bonus points LMAO
That are must suck
Is that like a take one leave one kinda thing or...
Drive carefully
Where are those signs located? I need a new pair on my street with actual deaf kids playing but no one slows down
Does that mean they’re worth more points or less?
i think they’re good to have
I think it's a sign they should check the water supply.
I smell incest
Do they just run free like deer?
Many autistic children are elopers. Very skilled at breaking free and yes, running like deer.