First Responders Collection

This training video developed with the support of the RCMP, the Vancouver Police Department, and the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform, provides information for police officers on best practices to improve community safety for the autism community.

Going to the Emergency Room can be an overwhelming and stressful experience for children and their parents. In this webinar, we will hear from a panel of experts that includes a triage nurse, an emergency pediatrician, a psychiatrist, and the parent of a child who has had frequent emergency room visits. They will discuss how to minimize stress and discomfort, communicate with medical professionals, and ways to prepare for visits ahead of time.

The aim of the study was to understand police engagement more fully with youth and adults with autism. Interactions with the police for individuals with autism were examined.

Dispatchers and Paramedics often have the challenging job of helping people with incomplete information. In this course developed with BC Emergency Health Services and the Ambulance Paramedics and Emergency Dispatchers of BC, first responders are provided with an introduction to supporting autistic patients during calls, provided with guidance on the ABCD approach to emergency calls, and provided with useful de-escalation support strategies to improve the likelihood of successful outcomes during calls.

This program was designed by the Pacific Autism Family Network to assist those that work in Frist Responder Positions. The course will help those individuals understand autism and how they can utilize strategies to support people on the autism spectrum when responding to an incident or emergency. The course takes about 30 minutes to complete.

Firefighters often respond to calls to support people with developmental disabilities. Richmond Fire Rescue and the Pacific Autism Family Network in British Columbia have been providing in-person training to first responders since 2009. We have adapted this training to create an online course so firefighters across Canada can have access to this potentially life-saving information. Firefighters can learn strategies to best support and de-escalate difficult situations and maximize the likelihood of successful outcomes

People who work in the Pediatric Emergency Department will treat children and adolescents who may have developmental disorders like autism and/or intellectual disabilities. Some may have challenges with communication, difficulty registering or tolerating pain, or be experiencing a mental health crisis. In this course, a pediatrician, psychiatrist, triage nurse, and parent all provide their perspectives on how best to support children and adolescents with developmental differences during visits to the ER.

This course offers autism-focused correction training. Modules specifically address the aims of increased understanding about autism, considerations for the correctional system, including support for autistic individuals within the correctional system, and means to promote individual well-being.

Autistic individuals and individuals with intellectual disabilities often lack resources and support and a number of them will experience homelessness as adults. In this online course created by shelter and day program/drop-in centre workers and an autism specialist, we provide information on how to recognize and support those who struggle with verbal communication or may have sensory processing differences. There are scenarios at the end of the course to help prepare you for common situations and give you options to try when managing conflict between community members.