Re: I Quit

[Guest guest]

Tamera & Group,

I believe this has info for police as well.

The Shafer Autism report had an article a few weeks ago on a court case

where the parents of a disabled child sucessfully sued a police department

for not providing proper training for their staff. (I think there child was

seriously injured by police after not responding to verbal orders by an

officer.) Proper training in handling the disabled is somehow mandated in

the American's with disabilities law. (if I remember right) You could look

for more info in their archives.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/-AuTeach/messages

In a non threating way, you might suggest to the police that getting

this book or some other training would protect them from liability in the

future, as well as protecting your kids and you, from well meaning but

inapropriate interventions.

Hope this helps - G

Autism and Emergency Responders – What You Need To Know

[From fireinternational-mag.com. Thanks to Bill .]

http://www.fireinternational-mag.com/shownews.asp?secid=8&nav=1&newstype=&ke

y=&page=&newsid=2668

Imagine you arrive at an incident scene. A child sits rocking back and

forth. You call to him and he looks away, playing with his fingers and

flapping his hands. The harder you try to communicate, the closer you get to

him, the more he turns away and retreats into himself, seemingly oblivious

to smoke, heat, pain or danger. This is autism, writes Bill , who

explains what signs firefighters should recognise, and what they need to

know in order to help autistic people in an emergency.

As Emergency Service Responders, you will eventually come face to face

with an ever increasing epidemic. You must know how to recognise it, deal

with it effectively and learn a different type of rescue.

It is not terrorism, anthrax or small pox – It is autism – an ever

growing, neurobiological disorder that affects language, communication,

socialisation and sensory perception.

Imagine that you arrive at the scene: A raging fire or horrific auto

accident – a child sits rocking back and forth, staring at a cloud of

billowing smoke – you begin to call to him and he looks away, playing with

his fingers and flapping his hands. The harder you try, the louder you talk,

the closer you get, the more he turns away, the faster he moves his head

from side to side. He repeats what you say robotically, while at the same

time disappearing deeper into his home, seeking his place of comfort.

He is seemingly oblivious to the smoke, the heat, the pain, the

danger; this is a child so overwhelmed with stimuli assaulting him

constantly. This is autism.

I have many stories, feelings and theories that I would love to share

with you, but as firefighters, you need to become familiar with some hard,

cold facts about this disorder. You need to know what you might encounter,

how to communicate at the scene, and how to develop the ability to recognise

developmental disabilities. You need to keep yourself and our children safe

during these encounters.

Autism is a lifelong disorder. It is a gut-brain disorder. autism is a

spectrum disorder, meaning that people with autism may pocess some or all of

the following characteristics in varying degrees.

People with autism exhibit self-stimulatory behavior. They may rock,

spin, or finger play. My son likes to flap his hands. They may transfix on

spinning objects, streams of smoke or floating ash from a fire. They may be

self-injurious. This can appear very frightening. They might hit or bite

themselves, or bang their heads. You do not need to stop harmless

self-stimulatory behavior, but of course you must intervene if a child is

hurting himself.

Remember they can be very physically aggressive. This is usually due

to frustration, lack of communication or pain.

Many times they seem to defer or appear insensitive to pain. My belief

is that they simply choose not to deal with it. Our kids may not be able to

tell you about their pain. Sometimes, physical touch can be painful to them.

Respect their sensitivity. They sometimes avoid eye contact and even go limp

at touch. People with autism may be echolalic or echoic, that is they may

repeat what you say or mimic what you say. Many of our kids are non-verbal,

and will communicate with computers, sign or picture cards. They may not

understand your facial expressions or that they are in danger. They may

appear deaf, and can be very sensitive to noise, smell and light.

So you now have developed some understanding of how harsh and

overwhelming this disorder can be.

You arrive at the scene – Perhaps there is a warning sticker " Child

with Autism " (Contact unlockingAutism.com). Or during your search and

rescue, you make the determination that this child exhibits the

characteristics of Autism. Let me suggest the following: Please be aware

that people with autism will usually seek their " quiet place " – they might

move to their bedroom, closet or crawl space despite the fire. The sirens,

your gear, uniform and the excitement are very disturbing, so keep calm. Don

’t shout or wave rapidly. Use short, repetitive requests " Come here! - Come

here! - Come here! "

Gain their attention. You may encounter this child rocking, staring

straight ahead, oblivious to your commands, already so overwhelmed that he

or she is dealing with the situation the only way they know how. Don’t waste

time – Don’t risk retreat! Grab and rescue. Bring the child to a quiet place

and try to explain (perhaps with gestures and pictures) that they are out of

danger and that you will allow them their space.

Evaluate very carefully for burns, injuries, broken bones. Remember

children with autism may not be able to tell you they are hurt or they may

simply not want to deal with it. Keep them calm, comfortable and contact

parents or an expert immediately.

I could relate many stories about rescues gone wrong, but a funny

anecdote comes to mind. We do a lot of safety training at home with my son.

We cross the street utilising our therapists as drivers. We teach to

show his I.D. card, we demonstrate escalator and elevator safety. We take

to the security office at the mall, and teach him to dial 911 for

emergencies. One night my wife and my sons’ therapist were alone with

Chris. His TV and VCR broke down and he became very upset. My wife attempted

frantically to make some repairs as ran into his sister’s room crying.

They fixed his television and all calmed down. A few moments later my wife

went into my daughter’s room to make a phone call. On the line was a 911

emergency operator asking if she was OK, they had kept the line open waiting

for a reply because 911 was dialled. They had traced the call and were about

to dispatch a police unit to our home. Well, you guessed it,

dialed 911 because to him a broken television was indeed an emergency! We

applauded his independence and initiative and then shaped our training so

that learned what a true emergency was! I admire and respect the work

that emergency responders do. You are heroes. So is my son – he is my best

friend. He is a happy, strong, intelligent boy. I love him dearly. He is

truly my best friend. Sometimes you just have to " step outside of the box "

and realise that my little guy and others like him are not strange or

frightening – they simply look at the world in a different way. They want

love, friendship and harmony. They deserve understanding and respect. I know

you will serve my son, and his friends well.

They deserve your understanding and respect.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

-

Bill is an author, advocate and lecturer who lives in Lancaster,

Pennsylvania, USA, and is married to noted autism expert Jae . Their

son – one of three children – was diagnosed with Autism six years ago.

Bill and his family actively campaign on Autism awareness and he provides

the Bill Emergency Responder Training Course to Police, Fire and EMS

providers. Check out his website at www.breaking-autisms-barriers.com One of

the most recent books Bill has published is ‘Dangerous Encounters – Avoiding

Perilous Situations with Autism.’ Most emergency workers know very little

about Autism. This book explains what to look for and how to successfully

handle encounters with people who have autism. It takes emergency responders

and parents through everyday situations, stressing safety and awareness.

This helps to avoid the many problems that can arise when encountering

autism in emergencies.

In addition, this book is aimed at retailers and retail security, as

people with autism can look extremely suspicious in shops. For instance, a

person with autism may well start to rearrange CDs or books by colour. This

can give the wrong impression to a retailer and lead to the police being

called.

Both parents and professionals can work to prevent escalating

situations. If given proper educaiton, serious situations can be avoided

when a person with autism is involved. This book contanis practical

appendices, such as emergency ID card instructions and how to make a travel

communication safety book, as well as safety social stories that teach a

person with autism how to act safely in emergency situations. It outlines a

number of steps everyone can take and guidelines that can be followed.

Fire International can offer Dangerous Encounters –

Avoiding Perilous Situations with Autism to readers at a special

discounted price of £12 (approximately 18.5 euros). Contact:

Kinglsey Publishers Ltd, 116 Pentonville Road,

London N1 9JB UK(tel: +44 20 7833 2307; fax: +44 20 7837 2917).

Or, alternatively, order online at www.jkp.com - type ‘Fire

International Offer, £12.00, Postage Free’ in the ‘Special

Instructions’ box on the payment page of the website and you

will be charged the discounted price.

A ‘video version’ of Dangerous Encounters – Avoiding Perilous

Situations with Autism has also been produced, directed at emergency

responders. The video provides general information, where Bill

reviews: Why training is needed; characteristics of autism; why emergency

responders might be called; and how to communicate.

He then breaks his discussion into areas of speciality where he spends

a brief time speaking to ambulance and ER workers, fire and rescue personnel

and retail security staff.

The video is available in NTSC format ($39 plus postage) in the USA

and PAL for European purchasers ($44 plus postage). When ordering, customers

will be asked to indicate their preference. Discounts are offered for

purchases of more than five copies.

To order the video, or to see a complete description and preview small

segments of Bill’s presentation, visit

http://www.discountlearning.com/autism/

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