By Betsy Roche | Director of Development
With the summer months upon us, The Arc of South Norfolk Family Autism Center's ALEC (Autism & Law Enforcement Education Coalition) is busy planning and scheduling trainings for First Responders throughout the United States. In June, the Fire, EMS and Police components were updated with current stats on prevelance rates of autism, wandering and elopement stats, as well as success stories regarding our training along with stories that justify our training program and the work we do with ALEC.
Did you know that Autism Spectrum Disorders impact 1 in every 68 births? Did you know that it is almost 5 times more common in boys than girls? Did you know that 20-40% of all people diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders also have a seizure disorder? Did you know that nearly half of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders are prone to wandering? Did you know that people with Autism tend to be attracted to water sources, and that accidental drowning accounts for approzimately 90% of lethal outcomes involving wandering?
These are the topics addressed in the ALEC trainings. Presenters teach First Responders how to identify behaviors and characteristics associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders and give them strategies and techniques on how to best handle crisis situations with this special population.
With your continued support, ALEC will train First Responders, AT NO COST TO THE POLICE, FIRE OR EMS AGENCIES RECEIVING THE TRAININGS to better serve the community at large.
ALEC- keeping people with Autism Spectrum Disorders and First Responders safe.
Thank you for being a part of our success! Since we first launched this project in an attempt to raise funds to support ALEC, we have surpassed the 34,000 mark for the number of First Responders we have trained with the ALEC Program. We couldn't have done it without supporters like you!
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