Safety products & resources
Resources and services often differ widely between counties and states and change over time. We suggest starting the process of finding relevant resources for your family and watching for changes in programming in your specific area.
SMART911
This program allows people to register phone numbers with important information( such as diagnoses, medical conditions, allergies, and medicines), which are then automatically displayed when that phone number places an emergency call. More information can be found at smart911. com.
CIT officers
When calling 911, ask if a Crisis Intervention Trained Officer( CIT) can be there due to your child having ASD or a mental health diagnosis. More information can be found at citac. co / about.
Safety Planning
Safety. com has guidelines and tips that can be useful in thinking about when drafting a safety plan for your child with ASD. More information can be found at safety. com / autism-safety.
Big Red Safety Box
The Big Red Safety Box from the National Autism Association is a free toolkit that offers preventative safety tools for people with ASD. This includes safety window clings for homes and cars, an ID bracelet and safety wristband. More information can be found at nationalautismassociation. org / big-red-safety-box.
Safety Products & Services
AutismSpeaks has made a large list of resources to get window decals, ID cards, and other safety products for children with ASD. Many of these resources are free or low cost. More information can be found at autismspeaks. org / safetyproducts-and-services.
Books and websites
Books for kids about racial injustice and police
• Mama, Did you Hear the News? by Sanya Whittaker Gragg( ages 5-10)
• Something Happened in Our Town, by Marianne Celano, PhD, Marietta Collins, PhD, and Ann Hazard, PhD( ages 4 to 8; also available to read online at apa. org)
• The American Psychological Association has also made a list of updated resources for children, caretakers, and teachers to talk about diversity and social justice, available at apa. org.
Social Stories
• Autism & The Police: A Book for Black and Brown Kids
• Teachers Pay Teachers offers many social stories at low cost about social justice, police interactions, and safety. These stories may be found at teacherspayteachers. com by searching“ social stories police.”
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