KidWX was honored to participate in the Montgomery County Police Departments Autism Night Out yesterday. Officer Laurie Reyes of the MCPD organized the amazing Autism Night Out. The Kennedy Krieger Institute has found that 49% of children who have autism will wander or attempt to flee their homes. This and many other astounding facts highlights the need for first responders and caregivers to have safety measures in place to prevent wandering incidents and deaths. Officer Reyes gave tips to parents and caregivers on how they can help police find children quicker and easier, one great tip is to write down a “911 script” in advance. The script will allow parents to have all of the information that they might forget in a stressful situation already on hand. The MCPD also gave each child a sleep t-shirt with vital information about what someone can do if the child is found away from home. The event was not only informative, but a ton of fun for kids and parents alike! The search and rescue K-9’s were at the event performing tricks and licking all of the kids, there was a police car moon bounce, pizza and multiple raffles. The much-needed event was incredible and should be duplicated in every county! This week police in Montgomery County are highlighting autism awareness.
For more information about the logistics behind this amazing event, Officer Laurie Reyes can be reached via email at: laurie.reyes@montgomerycountymd.gov
