May 15, 2016- "Mental Health Professional, Mom Creates Training to Help EMTs with Autism Patients"- Kimberly Stanford is the mother of a high schooler with autism who understands the difficulties individuals with autism can experience during emergency response situations due to sensory sensitivities and increase anxiety that can occur in those situations. To help assist individuals with autism, she partnered with Mike Hartle, operations supervisor at Medic Rescue, to develop a training for EMT responders. The objectives of the training are to give responders a brief understanding of autism and how to identify it. Stanford has also developed a prototype sensory kit, which includes a headset to block noise, weighted pads, soft things to shew on for those with oral sensitivities, and several toys. The kits are meant to distract the patient from their upsetting surroundings. Stanford isn’t attempting to copyright the kits, she just hopes to raise awareness for these situations and wishes to help departments create their own sensory kits.
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