"AUTISTIC PERSON AREA"

 In The Politics of Autism, I write about the everyday struggles facing autistic people and their families -- including safety on the streets.

Madeleine Wright at CBS Philadelphia:

A Philadelphia father has been working to protect people with autism by installing street signs with the goal of getting drivers to slow down.

Residents might notice new signs throughout Philadelphia that read "autistic person area."

Eric Williams is the man behind the very personal campaign. He's the founder of Project Elijah Empowering Autism, or PEEA, a nonprofit named after his son, who was diagnosed with the disorder at age 3.

"We need to bring more awareness to motorists," Williams said. "We see a lot of hit-and-runs going on lately."

The signs are meant to send a message to drivers because a person with autism may cross the street with little warning. Interested families can fill out an online application. 

"Child With Autism" Signs in Buffalo

 In The Politics of Autism, I write about the everyday struggles facing autistic people and their families -- including safety on the streets.

WRGZ in Buffalo:

The City of Buffalo has started the process of installing "Child with Autism" signs along roadways and in several neighborhoods in the Queen City.


The "Child with Autism" signs are being installed to warn drivers to be alert for children with autism who live in the area and may have difficulty recognizing the danger of oncoming traffic.

...
Based on recent state regulations the "Child with Autism" signs can be installed in an area when a child with autism is under the age of 18. The child must live in a house on a residential street where the speed limit is 35 mph or less and the daily traffic volume is less than 2,000 vehicles on average. In addition, a parent or guardian must provide a note from a medical professional saying the sign is for the safety of a medical condition.


Any parent or guardian of a child diagnosed with Autism can fill out an application for a sign by calling 311 or by going to www.buffalony.gov. 

Brown Signs Bill to Address Dangers on the School Bus

In The Politics of Autism, I write about the everyday struggles facing autistic people and their families -- such as dangers on the school bus.

KCAL-TV reports:

The parents of a special-needs student who died after being left on a school bus in Whittier on a hot summer day thanked Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday for signing legislation that requires school buses to have an alarm system to ensure students are not left behind.

“Although we tragically lost our son Paul last year after he was left behind on a school bus for seven hours, we know that the signing of this bill is a warm hug from heaven that will enable all children who ride a school bus to arrive at their destination safely,” said Eun Ha Lee, mother of Hun Joon “Paul” Lee.

The 19-year-old with autism died after being left on a bus for nine hours in 90-degree heat Sept. 11, 2015.

Senate Bill 1072 or the Paul Lee School Bus Safety Law, authored by Sen. Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia, will require school buses in California to be equipped with child-safety alarms beginning 2018.

The alarm system triggers a loud sound when the bus is turned off. The driver must walk to the back of the bus to turn off the alarm, and at the same time check to make sure no students are still on board.

Wandering: A Tragedy in South Carolina

Many posts have discussed wandering. Many youths with autism are attracted to water, so drowning is a major hazard. The Poughkeepsie Journal reports:

Jayden Morrison’s family is devastated after the 4-year-old autistic boy from White Plains was found dead Friday morning in a pond near the family’s second home in South Carolina, two days after being reported missing. 

“I’m hurt,” Carolyn Sumpter, Jayden’s grandmother told The Journal News on Friday afternoon. “My body hurts. My heart hurts. 

Police, first responders, K9 units, dive teams and about 150 volunteers had been searching for the boy since he disappeared from the family’s vacation home in Little River, South Carolina, about 5:30 p.m. Christmas Eve. His mother, Tabatha Morrison, had gone shopping and left her three children at the home with the grandmother 

Sumpter, who regularly watched the boy at his White Plains home, where she lived with his parents, said minutes after the mother left she noticed the front door was ajar and the boy was missing 

“We’ve always been in a gated situation,” Jayden’s father, Andre Morrison, told reporters Thursday afternoon after he arrived in South Carolina from New York. “We knew he was a wanderer when he was younger, but he was always in an enclosement. We never put him in a position to go out and freely wander.”

A Warning Sign

Previous posts have dealt with warning signs for ASD people at risk of wandering. WGRZ in Buffalo reports:

The City of Tonawanda is now moving forward with a plan to install a special safety warning sign for motorists on a residential street to help protect a child with autism.

A sign similar to those seen on playgrounds will be placed on Frederick Road at the request of Chuck Gilbert, whose child has autism.