Working with and protecting members of our society with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a term used to describe a group of complex neurodevelopmental brain disorders.
When we think of Autism we generally think of children. Unfortunately, Autism isn’t something you grow out of; there are adolescents and adults that have the disorder. The number of people with ASD increases yearly with males being four times more likely to be affected than females. We as a society need to understand and recognize the characteristics associated with ASD. As first responders, it is vital we are trained to recognize ASD. ASD falls into three general categories: social impairment, communication difficulties, and behaviors that are repetitive.

People with ASD do not have a specific look. They look just like you and me. However, their mannerisms may be different. For example, they may “stim” (shake their hands, kick legs, or rub their hands back and forth on their body). They often do not make eye contact when you’re trying to speak with them, and non-verbal autistics will not communicate verbally with you at all, but they can communicate, either by sign language, or picture boards, even drawings. Just because they are not looking at you, doesn’t mean they are not paying attention or don’t understand. Most are highly intelligent but, the biggest obstacle is opening dialog with them. Because they tend to be introverted, often they are what main stream considers “socially awkward”, and of course all of this is depending on the severity of the disorder. ASD is differentiated by 3 levels (see Figure 1).

During emergencies please have visual identifiers on your home for first responders. This will help inform them that someone within your household has ASD. Whether it is an evacuation or rescue, the sooner we know the better. Also, should there be a fire and your family member with ASD is still inside, tell the fire company personnel where they like to hide, and what their favorite object is. Statistically, 70% of ASD fatalities during fires, is because the individual with ASD wandered back into the burning structure to retrieve their favorite object or to hide in their hiding spot. We like to be cognizant of what our sirens do to people with ASD. When responding to an emergency at your home, knowing in advance also allows us to turn off sirens (when safe to do so) prior to turning onto your street.

Come Visit Us
If you have a member of your home that has ASD, please come visit us Saturday, April 22, 2023 at 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. We would like to get to know you and your family members. This is a great time for your family members to recognize who we are, help you reinforce things to do in case of an emergency, and to let them see, touch, familiarize themselves with our gear. We will have a giveaway pack that will include items to place at your home for us to identify that someone with additional needs lives in your home.
Questions? Give us a call (610) 325-5868 or mbarney@edgmontfire.org