Greetings community! Spring is finally here!
April is Autism Awareness Month and we have exciting news on that front. Our newest EMT, Deb Doering, has become the “Pediatric Champion” for our service and has been training in many different aspects of pediatrics through SDEMSC (South Dakota EMS for Children). One of the projects she is working with is designed to help our service better interact with children who have autism. We have received two Carter Kits from SDEMSC which are equipped with sensory adaptation equipment. They have noise cancelling headphones, dark glasses, fidget spinners, and other things that can help calm the persons based on their level of anxiety. These kits were designed by a police officer in Michigan who has a son with autism and wanted to initiate a program for first responders who interact with persons with Autism. His goal is to integrate awareness with not only first responders, but eventually all community groups such as schools and churches as well.
Autism is a disorder that a person is born with and continues through adulthood. There are many different levels on the Autism Spectrum, and symptoms vary from mild to severe. Signs begin to show generally before age 3 and can improve or worsen as they grow, depending on early recognition and support. There is no treatment for autism, but behavior modification techniques can be effective in coping with the condition.
There are three severity levels relating to Autism. Level One requires support for communication, social interactions, and reducing stimulation that can affect behavioral episodes. Level Two eafects verbal and non-verbal abilities more intensely. Patients at this level may not be able to verbalize as effectively and require assistance and are very focused on one specific topic based on their interest level, such as electronics, animals, lists, dates on a calendar, etc. These patients need order and routine to help them function. Level Three is the most severe level. These patients are almost always non-verbal and most difficult to communicate with. They are highly sensitive to anything out of routine and respond best with one-on-one interactions. These patients can become violent during an outburst and are difficult to calm because of their level of perception. They can’t express why they are frustrated which leads to increased frustration.
There are many Autistic persons who lead very “normal” lives and have learned to cope with their disorder. They know what bothers them and how to control their reactions and bring order back to their minds. These people have jobs and can live on their own. There is no known cause for autism, but is known to be genetic in nature. Understanding continues through more research, and improvements in assistance are forever changing for the betterment of these patients.
What can the public do? Be aware of how to interact with persons with disabilities and disorders such as Autism. If you know someone who is affected, you can help by making your local EMTs and law enforcement aware of what works and doesn’t work for this person. Introduce us into their lives before something happens that is ‘out of order’, so they are already familiar with us. An emergency is scary for most people, but even worse for someone who finds it difficult to express themselves effectively. We can all be part of making life as enjoyable as possible for anyone affected.
Our EMT class is finishing this month and the next goal for the students is to take the National Exam. They are nervous and excited to finish their journey, but we have every confidence in them that they will do well. This course has been time consuming and mindnumbing for them, but they have worked very hard and we are extremely proud of them! Congratulations to them for all their hard work and best of wishes in completing their education and certification.
We also have some new faces joining us on weekends. We have reached out to EMTs that live outside of our service area and have had wonderful response. If you see some unfamiliar faces roaming about or responding, please extend them a warm welcome and thank them for joining us. Their names are Missy Rausch and Becky Deibert from Webster, Carter Star from Sanborn County, and Noah Johnson from Miller, SD.
Thank you all for your continued support for our service. We really love our community and are proud to serve each and every one of you.
