With little public understanding about autism-related wandering, coupled with a lack of resources to combat occurrences, drowning deaths associated with autism elopement remain a leading cause of fatalities among children and adults on the autism spectrum. Although no formal data exists about the number of wandering incidents per year, cases are becoming increasingly common and awareness alone can play a major role in reducing occurrences. To learn more, click here.
FORT LUPTON - There is little she can say or do to bring her three-year-old son back. But Bonnie Lawson is hoping this story will help others avoid a similar fate.
Lawson and her son Aiden were playing around the house Saturday when Aiden managed to slip out the sliding door into the back yard.
Once he was in the back yard, Lawson said Aiden climbed over the fence and ran toward a pond. No one saw him take off.
Lawson, her husband Alan, and several neighbors searched and searched, but they couldn't find him.
"There was no sign of him," she said.
About 45 minutes later, a neighbor saw something floating in the pond. It was Aiden's body.
More: http://www.9news.com/news/article/182604/188/Parents-talk-about-sons-drowning
Dear IACC Subcommittee on Safety Issues and Autism Spectrum Disorder,
This is why safety related issues should be included in your work!!!
Girl, 7, who drowned in Lawton had struggled to overcome autism
LAWTON — Doctors once said Savannah Martin would never talk, but she defied the early diagnosis and started to speak. Then she learned to read. She even tried to learn to swim.
But Sunday, Savannah, 7, who was autistic, slipped away from her home in Lawton and headed for a chilly pond nearby. Her brother, Tommy Martin, 2, who was wearing a bicycle helmet, may have followed her to the pond, said the children’s’ aunt, Ruth Sanchez, 35.
Savannah was found face down in the pond, which was about 50 yards from her home. Her brother was floating upright next to her, buoyed by the Styrofoam in his helmet.
FRISCO, Texas, Feb. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Through a partnership between local citizens and the City of Torrance, Calif. Police Department, impaired individuals, their family members and caregivers can now enjoy added peace of mind and enhanced safety thanks to a new wearable locator system called EmSeeQ®. Now available through the City of Torrance PD Community Affairs Division, the watch-like EmSeeQ device by EmFinders uses cellular technology to quickly locate individuals in the event they become lost or wander off as a result of cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, autism and dementia.
Every year thousands of individuals become lost or intentionally wander away, sometimes with tragic results. The ensuing search and rescue can take days or even weeks, costing taxpayers thousands of dollars and causing overwhelming anguish for the families of the victims.
To prevent this kind of tragedy, EmSeeQ uses the nationwide U-TDOA cellular technology to accurately and rapidly determine the location of the device wearer, enabling rescuers to find him or her quickly and reduce the risk of grave injury or even death.
Beginning immediately, free EmSeeQ bracelets will be available for use by city residents with a diagnosed cognitive disorder thanks to the fundraising efforts of former city councilwoman Maureen O'Donnell. In less than three weeks, O'Donnell and several other individuals secured enough donations to purchase the units, making them available free of charge for Torrance residents in need.
The Torrance PD issues the devices; individual families are responsible for registering them and paying the monthly $25 fee for location services. The program is modeled after the City of Long Beach's Safe Reunion initiative.
"This is a great partnership between city residents and our department to ensure the ongoing safety and security of individuals who are at risk of wandering. You have heard me say it before, keeping a community safe is based on the support and involvement of the community," said Torrance Police Chief John J. Neu. "Prior to EmSeeQ, a search and rescue operation for a lost individual may have taken hours or days, even with our resources, and with coordinating mutual aid from our neighboring police departments. EmSeeQ provides added peace of mind to residents and their families, plus enables our public safety officials to launch a more strategic and rapid response when a wandering emergency does occur. Thanks to the generosity of those who've contributed to the program, we can offer the devices for free and the service comes at a very affordable price. I salute our Community Affairs department for bringing in this new program, a great example of Focused Based Policing."
EmFinders works directly with public safety access point (PSAP) dispatchers to greatly reduce the search timeframe for a rescue operation. The at-risk individual wears the bracelet 24/7 or as needed, based on the unique situation. If the individual is missing or has wandered off, the caregiver first performs a brief search. Once an emergency situation is confirmed, the caregiver calls 911 to report the elopement and then contacts EmFinders to activate the EmSeeQ device. The device places a call and provides its location to 9-1-1 dispatchers who can then send assistance, as they do every day for thousands of wireless 911 calls per month.
"With the incidence of Alzheimer's and autism disorders on the rise, public safety organizations across the country are becoming keenly aware of the need for an effective alternative to GPS and other less reliable solutions," said EmFinders Vice President of Sales Harry Smeenk. "The EmSeeQ system has already proven effective with life-saving rescues in California, Texas, Virginia and more, and we are pleased to offer this valuable service to the residents of Torrance."
The EmSeeQ product is available in two different styles: a watchband-type device with a traditional buckle, and a clasp-style that requires two hands to remove for added security.
For more information about EmFinders' EmSeeQ emergency locator system, please visit www.emfinders.com. Torrance residents interested in acquiring a device or making a contribution toward the purchase of additional units should contact Officer Chad Farley with the Torrance PD Community Affairs Division at 310-328-3456.
About EmFinders
EmFinders, based in Frisco, TX, is a new technology company that has developed a device and subscription service for locating people with Alzheimer's or other impaired adults and children who wander and become lost. The wearable device and locator service uses advanced cellular technology to locate lost individuals, even if they wander inside a building, under a structure or just about anywhere. The device becomes activated on remote command and the locator service works in coordination with emergency responders. EmFinders is a privately held subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to the Liberty Capital group (Nasdaq: LCAPA), which owns a broad range of electronic retailing, media, communications and entertainment businesses. For more information, visit www.emfinders.com.
SOURCE EmFinders
Sharon Lewis continues to astonish me. In the history of IACC I have never before heard from such an insensitive and compassionless member as she. Ms. Lewis, who is not a scientist, not a clinician, not an autism specialist and not the parent of an affected child, represents the the Administration for Developmental Disabilities at HHS. Ms. Lewis is hostile to towards IACC’s proposed letter to Dr. Sebelius alerting her to the alarmingly high rate of child mortality in the ASD community and is opposing an IACC program to prevent ASD child mortality. Yes, you heard correctly, Lewis is against a program to prevent ASD child mortality. The anti-wandering program in question is directed towards the needs of severely affected, often nonverbal children with autism.Henry Claypool of the federal Office on Disabilities, also does not appear understand this issue or what is at stake. Mr. Claypool argued there is no rush to address wandering deaths now, “because kids don’t die in the wintertime.” OK, Mr. Claypool you need to introduce yourself to the parents of James Delorey. Last year their 7-year-old son went missing and died. James suffered horribly for two days and two nights in frigid temperatures. He was found with a faint heartbeat but later died at the hospital. James probably heard the rescuers calling his name, over and over again- but he was nonverbal he could not respond. In January 2011 alone the media has reported on 8 incidents of missing ASD children. Just because fewer children die in the winter than in the summer, acting now should be less of a priority? However, Mr. Claypool deserves credit for saying he was open-minded to changing his mind. If he would like to talk to AWAARE program founder Lori McIlwain and Wendy Fournier of NAA, I am sure that could be arranged.
Sharon Lewis is not open to changing her mind. Ms. Lewis repeatedly stated that she does not feel that IACC “should elevate” the prevention of wandering deaths of ASD children “at the expense of other issues.” Ms. Lewis please enlighten me, what “other issues” are so much more important than keeping small children from dying? How does combating child mortality come at the expense of “other issues?”
Ms. Lewis went on and on about how she has spoken with hundreds families (not mine!) and people with developmental disabilities and she does not believe the prevention of wandering deaths as a high priority.More at Age of Autism: Why Is IACC's Sharon Lewis Against Protecting Against Autism Spectrum Child Mortality?
OGDEN — Police are looking for an autistic teenager who ran away from a residential treatment center. Lee Cravath, 15, was last seen Friday at 3:30 p.m. at Waterfall Canyon Academy, 818 N. 950 East. He is 5 feet 8 inches tall, 150 pounds with sandy hair and green eyes, and was wearing a bright yellow and black jacket.
Ogden Police Lt. Mike Ashment said it is the third time the teen, who functions at the mental level of a 6-year-old, has run away since coming to the center a month ago, but the two previous times he has been found quickly, including once in a trash bin.
His parents are on their way to Ogden from Arizona. He also had a history of running away there and at times "has been able to travel quite a ways," Ashment said.
If you see Cravath, you are asked to call 801-629-8221.
FRISCO, Texas, Feb. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- To help improve the safety and security of residents, the Citrus County Sheriff's Office is deploying a new technology designed to upgrade its search and rescue system for locating wandering and lost individuals. Through the generous support of the CCSO Citizens' Academy Alumni Association, the sheriff's office will provide a limited number of EmFinders' EmSeeQ® wearable locator systems that use cellular technology to quickly locate individuals who are prone to wandering due to cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, autism and dementia.
The wearable, watch-like EmSeeQ system uses the nationwide U-TDOA cellular technology, which locates more than 60 million 911 calls a year, to accurately determine the location of the device wearer, enabling rescuers to quickly find him or her. The system helps eliminate time-consuming search and rescue operations that can jeopardize the lost individual's safety and cost taxpayers thousands of dollars.
Citrus County is the first sheriff's office in Florida to deploy the EmSeeQ system. The first units will be available to those most at risk and who are suffering from a cognitive disorder. The agency hopes to expand use of the system in the near future. Individual families are responsible for registering the device and paying the monthly $25 fee for location services.
"Missing and endangered individuals who wander is a serious issue not only for the people themselves and their caregivers, but for this agency, too," said Sheriff Jeff Dawsy. "Without a quick recovery, the person can die from exposure or other hazards encountered along the way. After careful research and numerous tests of the EmSeeQ system, we are confident that this system will help to recover these individuals more quickly, which will not only save lives, but a considerable amount of money on search and rescue efforts as well."
EmFinders works directly with public safety access point (PSAP) dispatchers to greatly reduce the search timeframe for a rescue operation. The at-risk individual wears the bracelet 24/7 or as needed, based on the unique situation. If the individual is missing or has wandered off, the caregiver first performs a brief search. Once an emergency situation is confirmed, the caregiver calls 911 to report the elopement and then contacts EmFinders to activate the EmSeeQ device. The device places a call and provides its location to 911 dispatchers who can then send assistance, as they do every day for thousands of wireless 911 calls per month.
"We've looked at several other devices on the market, like GPS and radio frequency systems, but EmSeeQ is best-suited for our unique situations," Dawsy said. "There's no interference from clouds or tree cover, and if the missing or endangered person were to get into a vehicle, he or she can also be tracked while moving."
Because tough economic times might make it difficult for individuals who need the devices the most to cover the expense, Dawsy reached out to the Citizens' Academy Alumni Association, the Citrus County Senior Foundation and several other private donors to purchase the first 10 units. These will be loaned out by the Sheriff's Office to residents in need. The caregiver or family must simply sign up for a one-year contract through EmFinders, which costs approximately $300 (monthly payments are an option). When there is no longer a need for the device, caregivers return it to the Sheriff's Office to be reissued to the next person in need.
The EmSeeQ product is available in two different styles: a watchband-type device with a traditional buckle, plus a clasp-style that requires two hands to remove for added security.
"The Sheriff's Office is truly excited about this community partnership and the donation of the units," Dawsy said. "It gives those in our community a helping hand in getting a locator device without having to bear the additional cost beyond the yearly fee."
For more information about EmFinders' EmSeeQ emergency locator system, please visit www.emfinders.com or contact Sgt. Chris Evan at the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, (352) 527-3701. Or visit the agency's website at www.sheriffcitrus.org.
About EmFinders
EmFinders, based in Frisco, TX, is a new technology company that has developed a device and subscription service for locating people with Alzheimer's or other impaired adults and children who wander and become lost. The wearable device and locator service uses advanced cellular technology to locate lost individuals, even if they wander inside a building, under a structure or just about anywhere. The device becomes activated on remote command and the locator service works in coordination with emergency responders. EmFinders is a privately held subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to the Liberty Capital group (NASDAQ: LCAPA), which owns a broad range of electronic retailing, media, communications and entertainment businesses. For more information, visit www.emfinders.com.
SOURCE EmFinders
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