Autism Canada is excited to be at the OAFC Trade Show!
Search & Rescue For Autism
Approximately 1 in 50 people in Canada are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This means that any organization providing emergency services to their community can expect to encounter autistic people, their families and caregivers in the regular course of providing emergency services.
Many autistic people perceive, process, and respond to emergency and social situations very differently than other individuals in their community.
Search & Rescue For Autism is intended to introduce an individual responder to neurodiversity and autism. The program defines these terms and explains how neurodivergent people relate to neurotypical people during emergencies.
Through a one hour presentation and online supporting materials, this training program provides examples of behaviours that are common to most autistic people and explains why many autistic people actively display these behaviours. For each behaviour there are specific concerns that any first responder must be aware of in order to support the autistic person during an emergency.