La Plata Fire and Rescue now carries an autism sensory kit meant to help firefighters work with people on the autism spectrum, the first Macon County agency named as a recipient of a Kirksville-based project’s kits.
American Legion Post 282 in La Plata paid for the kit, the Kirksville Daily Express reported Sunday, Oct. 11. Post 282 Commander Mike Kohrn and Lt. Cash Sawyer of the La Plata Fire Department were pictured with it, and the Autism Hero Project thanked the Legion post for covering the cost, the Express said.
Pastor Tim Polley of First Christian Church in Kirksville leads the project locally. In September, he told the Express that more kits would soon go to first responders in Schuyler and Macon counties. By then, he had delivered kits to the Schuyler County Sheriff’s Office and 16 kits to Adair County agencies, including the Kirksville police and fire departments, the Adair County Ambulance District, Truman State University police, and the emergency room at Northeast Regional Medical Center, according to the Express.
Polley started the effort in honor of his late mother, Mary Blauvelt, and her devotion to his son, who is on the autism spectrum, the Express reported.
"My late mother was a great nurturer of our son," Polley told the Express. "In my mother’s name, I have created this project to provide Autism Sensory Awareness Kits to our first responders to make sure they have the right tools to work with those on the autism spectrum."
He got the idea from a news story about police officers in Niles, Ill., who used a sensory kit to help a nonverbal person during an emergency, the Express said.
The kits are designed to lower anxiety and make communication easier during an emergency. Each holds picture communication boards for people who do not speak or who may lose speech under stress, along with dry-erase boards, writing tablets, and picture stories that explain situations such as personal boundaries and Miranda rights, according to the Express. Noise-canceling headphones mute sirens and radio traffic, dark sunglasses block flashing emergency lights, and fidget tools help a person stay calm. A training guide for officers and emergency crews comes with each kit.
A kit costs about $50, plus shipping and handling, the Express reported. The Kirksville Kiwanis Club, of which Polley is a member, paid for one kit in August, and a club member paid for a second. Polley has said he is looking for more sponsors as the project spreads.
The Express reports have not named any other Macon County agency that has received a kit.
Chariton Media Group emailed Polley and Macon County Sheriff Kevin Shoemaker on Oct. 1 to ask which Macon County agencies have received kits or are next in line. Chariton Media Group did not receive a response in time for publication.
Groups or residents who want to sponsor a kit can contact First Christian Church in Kirksville at 660-665-4636. More information is at autismheroproject.org.