A growing number of Americans are diagnosed with autism, thus Sonoma County facilitated a specific training for emergency responders in dealing with those who were diagnosed with autism. More than 40 local public safety personnel joined the autism training on March 31, 2016.
According to The Press Democrat, the training was focused on responding to emergency cases which involved autistic individuals. The autism emergency response training was started by a Sanoma County Regional Parks Ranger, Beth Wyatt. It was mentioned that Wyatt was faced with several emergency situations, which involve children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Sonoma County emergency responders undergo training on dealing with autism: Emergency vehicles, screaming sirens or… https://t.co/hgrOgFPmGu
— Sonoma County News (@sonoma_news) April 10, 2016
One major case cited by the news website was when a 10 year old girl with autism spectrum needed assistance while swimming. The girl is not incapable of telling the responders her name, nor was she able to narrate the experience.
The girl was also unable to inform the lifeguard as to whether she was able to ingest any water. Another case involves a boy who was having a kayaking adventure with his mother.
As their boat flipped, the firefighters that rescued the boy had a hard time in conversing with him. The responders had a hard time in getting information from the boy, which prohibits them from learning about his health status and condition.
Austin Autism Advocates Produce Training Video For Emergency First Responders https://t.co/8DELA42VCX pic.twitter.com/QvoT27ZWLC — Round Rock Patch (@RoundRockPatch) April 4, 2016
Most incidents involve water, and life threatening situations. The lack of appropriate knowledge when it comes to dealing with people diagnosed with autism urged Wyatt to head start the training.
"Just as a parent, I wanted to do this training so my kids are safer in the community," Wyatt told the Press Democrat. Autism emergency responders are essential in giving appropriate response to individuals that are caught up in emergency situations.
Aside from the ones in Sonoma County, Autism Speaks also introduced the "First Responders." The responders were not only trained to respond to emergency situations, but they are also well equipped in dealing with individuals with autism spectrum disorders.
