The Autism Society of Minnesota: Support Services

"Most people would be happy to see a fireman if their home were on fire. Individuals with autism may instead be afraid, resulting in running away, hiding or fighting out of fear. That's why this program is so important." - Sherrie Kenny, ED/CEO of AuSM

Essentials Program
There is a significant need to be better informed and better equipped to ensure positive outcomes in emergency situations. Whether it's because of the unique attributes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or their vulnerability, the risk of an individual with ASD having an emergency encounter or becoming a victim of a crime is higher than for those without ASD.
The Emergency Preparedness Essentials program is designed for families and professionals to better prepare for and respond to emergenies that involve individuals with ASD. These free Essential toolkits are downloadable here on our web site.
The Family Emergency Essentials Kit is designed for individuals with ASD and their families. It provides tools and resources to plan, prepare and effectively handle emergency situations.
The Emergency Responder Essentials Kit is designed for first responders, 911 dispatchers, EMT's, hospital personnel, law enforcement, fire fighters, service providers, legal professionals and community leaders. The kit includes general and specific effective emergency response training programs, tools and resources for professionals related to individuals with ASD.

Initial funding and support for this project was provided by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Disability Services Division, under Interagency Agreement, Contract 443755, with the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities and in collaboration with the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM).

Family Emergency Essentials Kit
This essential training for families provides tools for persons with ASD and families to understand, plan and teach the necessary steps to prepare and effectively handle emergency situations.

General Awareness: Understand the issues that impact emergency situations and the resources available.
click here to download (PDF)
Six Actions to Prepare: This two-page action card makes it easy to teach the six essential actions families need to prepare for emergencies. Display it in your home as a visual reminder of your plan.
click here to download (PDF)
Resources for Six Actions to Prepare: This resource list goes deeper and accesses more detailed information on training, tools and resources available.
click here to download (PDF)
Video Modeling: A great tool for teaching individuals on the spectrum life skills and appropriate behaviors. View five short videos illustrating common emergency situations, encounters with public safety officials and response strategies. These videos are free and available on our YouTube channel as well as through our Lending Library.
click here to view (YouTube)
Equipment Rental: Available to AuSM Members, video cameras, laptops, iPads and iPods may be rented through our Lending Library. The equipment can be used by families or professional Emergency Responders to assist in education and training.
5-Point Scale App: a free app downloadable through the iTunes store for iPods and iPads. Autism Help app provides an easy tool for individuals with ASD to communicate in an emergency situation with first responders and other personnel.
click here to visit the iTunes store
Children's Book: Coming soon! This charming story helps families teach their children with ASD how to respond in an emergency.

Professional Emergency Responder Essentials Kit
This essential training for emergency responders provides education on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and a way to understand the effects of an emergency situation on a person with ASD. Training includes: understanding, planning and teaching the necessary steps to effectively handle emgerency situations, from what characteristics to expect to how to effectively transfer a person with ASD to the hospital.
The following four training programs are designed for staff and are free to download from this page. Training can also be provided by expert AuSM staff at your facility upon request. For more information about on-site training opportunities, contact Dawn Brasch at 651.647.1083 x15 or at dbrasch@ausm.org.

General Awareness Training: Understand the issues that impact emergency situations and the resources available.
click here to download (PDF)
Public Safety Education Series: Designed for Emergency Medical Responders, Fire Fighters and Law Enforcement. Get an understanding of ASD and strategies to strengthen positive outcomes in an emergency situation.

EMS Training (click to download PDF)
Law Enforcement Training (click to download PDF)
Fire Fighter Training (click here to download PDF)
Five Actions to Prepare (click here to download PDF)
Resources for Five Actions to Prepare (click here to download PDF)
Emergency Preparedness Videos: View these videos to learn how individuals with ASD are being prepared to handle common emergency situations. They are free and can be viewed on AuSM's YouTube channel. Copies are also available through our Lending Library, accessible to members.
click here to view (YouTube)
5-Point Scale App: Get familiar with the 5 Point Scale Emergency App - Autism Help - for children and adults with ASD. It may be presented to you when you arrive on the scene. This free app is downloadable through the iTunes store for iPods and iPads. Autism Help app provides an easy tool for individuals with ASD to communicate in an emergency situation with first responders and others.
click here to visit the iTunes store