To Our First Responders,
Everyday you are met with new challenges that you must face head on to protect members in our community…
You are the people who have to deal with a wide array of potential emergencies.
You are the police officers, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, firefighters and the gifted individuals who step in when an emergency occurs.
You are the ones who everyday help us feel safer just knowing that you’re here in a world that keeps getting scarier it seems every time you turn on your television.
I wanted to let you to know today that we’re thankful for you. We’re also thankful for all of you who are being trained to help our loved ones who have autism. More and more trainings are being provided around the U.S. from organizations such as Autism Speaks and the Autism Society. People are getting diagnosed with autism everyday in our community and when a situation arises where they may be in a harmful situation you are stepping in to help by being educated and also by being aware.
I was diagnosed with autism when I was four and know many families with children who have needed one or more of your services at times. Wandering in particular has been a huge issue that has affected many of our loved ones.
By you learning about things the early signs, the common characteristics and symptoms and common generalizations and misconceptions of autism… even if you don’t know it already you are making a huge difference.
For those first responders out there who don’t know what autism is yet I’d encourage you to look at websites such as Autismspeaks.org for more information. It takes a village to get to where we want to go but with your help and support, we can make for a better day for all of our loved ones on the spectrum.
By your actions, and taking the time to learn more not only about autism but all those with special needs, you are potentially going to save one of our lives in the future. Don’t ever underestimate the impact you have.
This is so important and we appreciate you for what you do…
For those who know of a first responder in your area that is taking the time to learn more about autism, please share this with them. Let them know we appreciate their support and looking out for our loved ones. There’s certainly more that can be done but hopefully with this letter we can start an even bigger conversation about an autism education around the world. Thank you.
Happy faces from kiddos at the @autismspeaks Safety Fair! #firstresponders #safety #autismawareness pic.twitter.com/3Y100G0oUp
— AutismSpeaks-Georgia (@AutismSpeaksGA) August 29, 2015
First Responders Learn How to Engage with Individuals with Autism >> https://t.co/i8Clba8OWZ pic.twitter.com/Fd4AgBTTiM
— Autism Speaks (@autismspeaks) May 20, 2015
