Easton Emergency Medical Service ambulances are now equipped with a Carter Kit, which holds sensory gadgets to help reduce stress in children diagnosed with autism or who are on the autism spectrum if they are involved in an emergency situation.
“We just want to be aggressive in taking care of the community,” said Peter Fiore, EMS’ newly assigned chief of operations. “There are so many different ranges for the condition, such as nonverbal all the way to children who are super inquisitive and intelligent. With the kits any kid who is on the spectrum can be helped if needed.”
Every kit holds a weighted blanket, sunglasses, noise-reducing earmuffs, sensory toys and nonverbal cue cards. The idea for the kits came in 2019 to Justin Severs, a Saginaw County, Michigan police detective whose son is on the autism spectrum. Nearly 20,000 Carter Kit Sensory Bags are used in 41 states, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Bermuda, and the Bahamas, according to its website.
Jill Madeo, the head of the Special Education Parent Teacher Association in Easton, (SEPTA) and mother of a child who is on the spectrum, played a vital role in making sure the Carter Kits could be placed in the community.
In November, Madeo and SEPTA member Liz Plastino and EMS staff took part in a training session with Heather Murray, a behavioral analyst, on how to use the kits.
“Some of the neurodivergent population are nonverbal, so in an emergency situation, the Carter Kits can be really beneficial to those whose conditions are more serious,” Madeo said. “Part of the Carter Kits are cue cards, which are resources for children to communicate what exactly is wrong with them. I’m really grateful we have been able to collaborate with everyone to make this happen.”
A kit has been placed in each ambulance. EMS is working on plans for an “open house” format where parents and their children can tour the ambulances to see how the Carter Kits work and how officials do their job in making sure the kids are OK.
“One of the main reasons this was thought of was the fact that we can take away some of the stress from the parents,” Fiore said. “Because parents are naturally overprotective over their children when they have special needs, the open house will provide comfort and reassurance that the kits will be effective in taking care of the kids.”
