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 Local
Autism Group Receives Funding to Electronically Track
'Wanderers'
Jackie Igafo-Te'o, Bridges4Kids, March 3, 2005
For more articles like this
visit
https://www.bridges4kids.org.
Beverly Bishop
is the President of the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek Chapter of the
Autism Society of America (ASA)...and she is ecstatic. With the
help of Officer Holly Cerny of the Portage Police Department,
she applied for two grants to implement a program that helps
police track wandering loved ones. Yesterday, she was happy to
hear that the program has been funded in the amount of $28,545
by the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. "I am extremely thankful
to Officer Holly Cerny of Portage Police Department and Lt.
Wally Kipp of the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Department for
their efforts in making this program possible."
Project Lifesaver is a program that provides electronic tracking
wristbands to people who tend to wander. Police departments are
supplied with equipment to track lost program participants
through a radio frequency emitted from the wristband. "Our grant
will allow us to pay for the equipment for the police
departments, training for the police officers, reimbursement for
the officers' training expenses, and up to 25 wristbands for
people who need them. The only cost to participants will be a
nominal $10 per month, which will pay for monthly battery
changes."
This program benefits those with developmental disabilities,
such as autism, and memory-altering illnesses, such as
Alzheimer's.
Billy Igafo-Te'o, a Jackson resident and father of a 10-year-old
boy with autism, is also happy to learn of the new program.
"Hopefully, projects like this will start springing up across
the state. Last year, we mourned the loss of many young
people with autism. One little boy wandered from home and
drowned in a neighbors pool. Another wandered away and was
killed by oncoming traffic. More recently, a young boy wandered
from his home and was found frozen to death on a wooded road
over a mile from home. Children with autism require constant
supervision. A single moment of distraction can mean a lifetime
of regret for parents and caregivers. This is not a problem
specific to Michigan. Thankfully, neither is the solution. With
programs like Project Lifesaver, parents and caregivers can now
breathe a sigh of relief knowing that if their loved one wanders
away, they can be located before something threatening or tragic
happens."
Project Lifesaver's website provides a detailed introduction
to the program, as well as information on their flawless success
rate. "Project Lifesaver has completed over 1,000 successful
search and rescue missions for wandering victims of Alzheimer's
disease, autism, down syndrome and related dementia-type
disorders. All persons were found using Project Lifesaver at a
100% recovery rate. All persons were found alive and returned
home. Project Lifesaver uses electronic tracking systems to
locate the patient during a wandering incident. Project
Lifesaver has been successful because it actually locates the
person quickly, before it is too late. The difference between a
passive ID bracelet and an active tracking device is paramount
to locating the person fast enough to save a life."
While explaining her rationale for applying for the funding,
Beverly said "I truly believe that this program will provide a
lot of peace of mind for families. And, since drowning is a
leading cause of death among children with autism, I believe
this program will also save lives."
For more information on Project Lifesaver, visit
www.projectlifesaver.org.
For more information on Autism, visit
www.autism-mi.org.
For more information on the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek Chapter of
the ASA, contact Beverly Bishop, President, at
bbishop@asa-kal.org, or
visit the ASA-KBC website at
www.asa-kal.org.
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