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The Autism Project and the ASD community in the news!

TAP Awarded DOJ Grant to Prevent Elopement

Young boy looking up at a nurse.

The Department of Justice has awarded The Autism Project (TAP) —affiliated with Lifespan’s Gateway Healthcare—an Elopement Prevention Grant.

It’s common for children and/or adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to wander away from caregivers or secure locations. The grant will provide training to family members and caregivers on the characteristics of ASD, as well as strategies to keep autistic individuals safe. Additionally, TAP will host outreach events to bring first responders and families together in non-stressful times, add ASD safety guidelines and protocols to the TAP website, design integrated outreach on social media platforms, add appropriate safety information to existing ASD trainings, and much more.

The grant will also provide education, in-person and online training to first responders, teachers, SROs, clinicians and medical staff, and the public. Evidence-based training will be provided on best practices to prevent elopement from their home or school. Additionally, the grant will provide visual packets for school staff, EMTs, and other first responders to use while engaging with individuals with ASD across the lifespan.

TAP recently trained close to 200 nurses at Hasbro Children’s Hospital on autism and evidence-based strategies to better engage with patients during their stay. Two new tools for communication with family members were introduced to participants.

To learn more about The Autism Project Elopement Prevention Grant or about the objectives and activities associated with the grant, please contact:

Joanne Quinn
Executive Director
jquinn5@lifespan.org
401-785-2666 ex 6

Susan Jewel
Manager of Family Supports
sjewel@lifespan.org
401-785-2666 ex 3