Summertime is here, and with it all the family summertime fun: swimming at the community pool, visiting neighborhood parks, exploring weekly farmer’s markets for fresh produce and homemade candles, and weekends spent at the zoo, children’s museum, splash pad, and theme parks. For many families, large crowds and community events are no big deal. But for families with special needs kids, simple summertime fun can become much more complex and stressful.
It can be difficult to plan fun family events when your children require close monitoring at all times. It may feel impossible to take your toddler with ASD to the neighborhood park if they are prone to wandering off alone. The crowded children’s museum might be an automatic no-go for your preschooler with ASD, knowing they could suddenly sprint into another room without warning. Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) struggle with safety skills and staying near safe adults at all times. Luckily, there’s a community resource called “Project Lifesaver” that can help bring your family peace of mind and give you the resources you need to confidently give your special needs child all the fun, summertime memories they deserve.
What is Project Lifesaver?
Project Lifesaver is an international, non-profit organization that works with local first responders to provide 24/7 safety monitoring for anyone with a cognitive disorder. This organization provides no-cost-to-you tracking services for individuals with a variety of cognitive disorders, including Alzheimer’s, dementia, and autism.
Project Lifesaver provides a transmitter (tracker) that is attached to the participant and transmits their location at all times to emergency response personnel. This transmitter is attached around the wrist like a watch or around the ankle. An emergency responder or another certified individual will replace the strap and transmitter battery at regular intervals to ensure it stays attached to the participant at all times.
This is an additional resource the helps you have the peace of mind to bring your child out into the community for these special summertime events, knowing that if they get lost, first responders will be able to quickly locate your child and return them to safety.
How Do I Sign Up?
You can view Project Lifesaver’s website for full details on the application process, but we’ve broken it down here for you too. In the state of Indiana, Project Lifesaver operates in various counties. The following information is for Hendrick’s County, however many other counties in Indiana also have the program and will have similar requirements!
To qualify for the program in Hendrick’s County, you must satisfy the following requirements:
- Live in Hendricks County
- Participant has a diagnosed cognitive disorder (like autism)
- Participant has a history or tendency to wander or elope
- Participant’s needs require that a caregiver attend them 24/7
If your child satisfies all of these requirements, reach out to your local fire department for more information about how to apply. For the town of Plainfield, you may reach out to the Plainfield fire department:
- Address: 1080 Edwards Dr. Plainfield, IN. 46168
- Phone Number: 317-839-6939
The fire department will provide you with a Program Contract and Personal Data Questionnaire that will provide them with all the information they need to keep your child safe. They will request a description of your child’s physical appearance, diagnoses, emergency contact information, personality details, and school information if applicable.
A qualified individual will periodically visit your home or another preferred location (such as your child’s school or even Integrity Learning Center if your child is enrolled with us) to change the strap and transmitter battery. Always notify your local participating fire department is the strap or transmitter breaks so they can provide a replacement immediately.
It’s important to note that Project Lifesaver is simply another tool to ensure your child’s safety. Always provide direct supervision and go to community events prepared with everything you need to help your child thrive – and stay safe. This might include bringing many preferred toys and snacks, reading a social story about the event before going, enforcing a hand-holding rule at all times, and inviting multiple safe adults to attend too in order to ensure your child’s safety
In the event that your child does wander off, call 911 immediately and tell the operator that they are enrolled in this program.
Final Thoughts
At Integrity Learning Center, it’s our ethical duty to share any community resources outside the scope of ABA that would benefit your child with ASD. Integrity isn’t professionally associated with Project Lifesaver and gets no behind-the-scenes bonus for sharing this information – besides the joy of knowing your child is well equipped. We love this program and we think you will too! Many of our clients with a history of elopement already benefit from the program, allowing their families to rest easy at night knowing their child is safe 24/7.
Your special needs child deserves to have adventures this summer, exploring all the fun activities that Indiana has to offer. Going out into the community shouldn’t have to feel like a safety nightmare. Enroll in Project Lifesaver today and feel confident knowing your child is protected when you take them to the splash pad, park, or zoo on a lazy Saturday in July.
Visit Project Lifesaver today for more details: https://projectlifesaver.org/
Author: Erin Walker, RBT, B.A., B.S.
Registered Behavior Technician
