I gave my son an iPhone in his HS senior year mainly to track his whereabouts when on field trips (with the find my iPhone app). He attends an adult program now and it gives me peace of mind knowing where he is at all times.

I bet it was very traumatic for your son. Everything in our daily lives is amplified for our ASD individuals.
But wouldn't that also apply to devices as well? What I'm trying to say is; when (if) something like that happened again and he could not find the phone, or the battery was dead, wouldn't that make the situation much worse?
I'm all for some Independence and security, but there's also the possibility that it may escalate things unintentionally.

My answer is yes because it sounds like you and he are in a situation where it could be needed. This is different fir every child depending on the situation.

For the longest time I too struggled with the idea of getting my daughter a phone. I always gave her my old iPads, but not my phone. I just didn’t see the need because she was homeschooled and with me most of the time.

But when I had to leave the house once to get our Internet fixed and she woke up without knowing where I was or how to get a hold of me. The idea of having a phone not dependent on WiFi for emergencies became really important to her and hence me. She is 18 now and I recently got her a phone for Christmas.

@A MyAutismTeam Member: the beauty of a lot of the newer phones is the IP rating! Phone took a "swim?" No worries; it's water-resistant for up to 30 minutes in 5 feet of water! 😊 I accidentally took my OnePlus 6T (I had at the time) in the pool with me in Florida a few years back...it was only supposed to be "splash proof," but luckily, it survived the dip! 🤣

I'd say he's at an age where he should have a cell phone, both for emergencies, and to find information he needs in a pinch :)