U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Reducing injury and death of missing individuals with Autism and other developmental disabilities through First Responder training.

Award Information

Award #
15PBJA-23-GG-04258-MAPX
Funding Category
Competitive Discretionary
Location
Awardee County
Summit
Congressional District
Status
Open
Funding First Awarded
2023
Total funding (to date)
$149,833

Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2023, $149,833)

To address the critical issues of wandering, elopement, and preventable water deaths in the Autism community, The Autism Society of Greater Akron (ASGA) has recently been chosen to be a pilot for the Autism Society of America's Safety on the Spectrum program. The purpose of the program is to improve interactions between first responders and the Autism community who are prone to wandering and elopement, and who have an increased propensity to suffer water submersion injuries and drowning deaths. Project activities include developing a "train-the-trainer" approach to provide both in-person and online training to first responders, to identify and assist those wandering from safety, and to provide an online education on elopement and water safety to families, caregivers, and schools through an online downloadable toolkit campaign.

Date Created: September 27, 2023