First Responders
Safety on the Spectrum™ Training
The Safety on the Spectrum™ First Responder training is a vital initiative led by the Autism Society of Greater Akron (ASGA). This training addresses the growing prevalence of Autism, the increased risk of individuals with Autism becoming victims of crime, high incidents of wandering and drowning, and the rising frequency of interactions between people with Autism and first responders.
In this training you will learn:
- The common external and internal characteristics of Autism
- The high occurrence of drowning due to wandering in the Autism community
- How to offer Autism-informed support(s)
- Local/state resources, including the Blue Envelope Program
- Real-life scenarios
Interested in training for yourself or your department? Complete the interest form below.
Resources for First Responders
The prevalence of Autism is rising, which means this will increase the interactions between the Autism Community and first responders. Too many of these interactions result in devastating outcomes due to a lack of training on what Autism is and how to de-escalate emergencies with Autistic individuals. An important resource to have is ASGA’s “What is Autism?” resource, which gives pertinent information about Autism. Some interactions with first responders will be due to wandering or elopement. Many individuals with Autism who wander are also drawn to water. This has led to many accidental drownings in the Autism Community of both children and adults. ASGA’s Wandering Resource one-pager is another resource to learn more about wandering or elopement.
Wandering will not be the only call first responders will receive when assisting people with Autism. Autistic individuals are more likely to be victims of crime, have 911 called when having a meltdown in public or stimming, or refuse to leave a burning building due to wanting their favorite or preferred item(s) to be safe. During times of stress, such as interactions with first responders, the communication of people with Autism can diminish. Using an Emergency Communication Board can help first responders communicate with Autistic individuals. Also, helping caregivers and families understand how to interact with first responders to have a safe encounter is imperative. Your organization can distribute ASGA’s “Interacting with First Responders” handout to families and Autistic individuals in your community.
Some caregivers or individuals with Autism may decide to have one of ASGA’s Safety Decals or be a part of the Blue Envelope Program with the sticker on their car. These decals/stickers allow first responders to know a person with Autism or a disability is inside a vehicle or home. Blue Envelopes can be picked up at any county Board of Developmental Disabilities, and the ASGA decal can be ordered here: Order Safety Decal
- Interacting with First Responders
- Safety Decal Example
- Emergency Communication Board
- Blue Envelope Information
When interacting with caregivers, providers, schools, or individuals with Autism, having a list of resources in your toolkit is helpful. Lists of legal assistance, advocacy, and more are in the ASGA Legal Resource one-pager. Many agencies on the list can help individuals with Autism find legal and victim assistance in the local area/state of Ohio.
This website is funded in whole or in part through a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided).
The safety resources and toolkits for Safety on the Spectrum™ were funded in part or in whole through a grant from the FirstEnergy Foundation. FirstEnergy does not operate, control, is responsible for, or necessarily endorses, this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided).