Project Lifesaver provides autistic children, families with locating gear
For some families, caring for an autistic child means always being on the lookout for dangerous situations.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder which affects one in 68 U.S. children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disorder is characterized by impaired social interaction, repetitive behavior and language issues – though children with autism carry differing degrees of symptoms.
“It’s a spectrum disorder, so every kid you meet is a little different,” said Sarah Pope, executive director of SOS Health Care, a Myrtle Beach organization that provides assistance to families of autistic children.
Jayden Morrison, an autistic 4-year-old boy, was visiting his grandmother’s home in the Hidden Lakes subdivision in Little River with his mother and two siblings when he vanished on Christmas Eve at dusk. His body was found in a retention pond shortly before 11 a.m. Friday, calling off a search of more than 200 volunteers and emergency crews from throughout South Carolina and North Carolina.
Autistic children sometimes have an affinity to water, Pope said, which creates dangerous situations for both locals and visiting families.
“Most of the children I know are very attracted to pools, to being in bathtubs,” Pope said, who has two autistic children of her own. “They love the ocean, and water is a huge factor for our autistic population.”
The leading cause of death for autistic children and adults is drowning, according to the National Autism Association. Jayden’s official cause of death is drowning, according to Horry County Coroner Robert Edge.
“A lot of times they’re attracted to something across the street or near water, and they don’t always understand that dangers of going toward something like that,” Pope said. “It’s very hard to teach our children to pay attention to dangerous things.”
SOS Health Care is working to make communities safer for families with autism by teaming with Project Lifesaver International, which provides tracking bracelets to “at-risk” individuals. Horry County residents can use these tracking bracelets or anklets, free of charge, to locate missing family members who have wandered from home.
When a person is reported missing, Horry County Public Safety is alerted and police are trained to follow the bracelet’s signal. SOS provides these bracelets to more than 30 autistic children, and some Alzheimer’s patients, said Bill Davis, founder of SOS Health Care.
“Autistic kids can be runners, so you really have to watch them,” Davis said.
SOS also lends the tracking gear to visiting families – a lifesaving measure few know about – through the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce. SOS will ramp up advertising this service this summer, so more people can keep their families safe.
“I was sad to hear about Jayden. I felt so bad because they’re from out of town, and we could have provided this service to them,” Davis said. “There is hope for other kids.”
For more information about SOS Health Care, visit http://www.scautismhelp.com or call 449-0554. To learn more about Project Lifesaver, visit www.projectlifesaver.org.
This story was originally published December 27, 2014 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Project Lifesaver provides autistic children, families with locating gear."