Greater Sudbury Police launch autism registry

By the time Trish Kitching resorts to phoning police after her youngest son, 10-year-old Morgan, has gone missing, she's in such a state of panic that her mind has gone blank.

“Your heart races, and you just want to die,” she said. “You say 'Oh my God, I'm in a section of town that's busy, and he's gone. I even forgot my address when I called (the police).”

Kitching said she or her husband have phoned police on three separate occasions to find Morgan, who has severe autism.

He once went missing in the bush at camp. He's also fled from their house several times.

“It was just by accident,” she said. “We'd walk in one door, and he'd walk out the other. He's been found in a car, underneath the porch and up the road in a yard.”

Her older son, Liam, has a less severe form of autism. On occasion, he's run away from school, although Kitching said she's never had to phone police to find him.
Autism is a developmental disability which causes difficulties with verbal and non-verbal communication and social interactions.

Given these experiences, Kitching, the founder of a support group for parents of autistic kids called Autism Coffee Chat, said she's “overwhelmed and so pleased” that Greater Sudbury Police has developed an online autism registry
The tool, launched April 2, on United Nations World Autism Awareness Day, gives local police quick access to critical information about a registered person with autism.

It was developed over three years in partnership with Autism Coffee Chat, the Sudbury and District Chapter of Autism Ontario, the Sudbury detachment of the OPP and all four local school boards.

Parents and caregivers of those with autism are invited to fill out an online form with information such as physical descriptions of the person in question, methods of communication, emergency contact information, identification worn, best methods of approach and calming techniques.

They're also asked to attach a recent picture of the person being registered. The registry is open to both children and adults with the condition.

The information is then made available to officers responding to incidents involving those flagged on the autism registry.

“When a family phones 911 (about an individual with autism), their information is already in the database,” Rick Grylls, president of the Sudbury and District Chapter of Autism Ontario, said.

“The police officers know how to respond. They know they're dealing with a child that might kick, might bite, and runs away. This is a child that needs their extra support when they get there.”

In developing the autism registry, Greater Sudbury Police received help from the Ottawa Police Service and the North Bay Police Service, who have launched their own version of the tool in recent years.

Greater Sudbury Police Const. Eric Krmpotic said he plans to enter information about his four-and-a-half-year-old son, Eli, in the autism registry as soon as possible.

“You can't get anything better to get information out to officers when a parent is not available, or when they're stressed and panicked, and can't remember all the information that is key and vital,” he said. “This gives them the opportunity to put the information down when they're of sound mind and judgement.”

Krmpotic said his son is considered a flight risk, although he hasn't yet had to phone police to find him.

“It's called a deaf run, where no matter what you say or do, they continue on the same path because something has caught their attention,” he said.

“When they get in that mode of being a flight risk and running, yeah, it's very scary. They are very susceptible to hurting themselves, and, unfortunately, dying. This will assist officers in quickly getting the right information required, in a matter of minutes instead of dozens of minutes, to locate the child.

"Parents have nothing to lose.”

To register an individual with the autism registry, visit www.gsps.ca.

Posted by Arron Pickard