Personal Emergency Profile

To help individuals affected by language and learning challenges, the National Autism Association (NAA) and n2y have worked together to build on NAA’s body of work around safety. Together, we have created a free, SymbolStix-supported version of NAA’s Personal Emergency Profile.

Printable Safety Tool

This important safety tool is printable, shareable, and usable for adults, caregivers, first responders and the general public. The Profile is also symbol-supported for access by individuals with language and learning challenges. The single-sheet, printable, safety tool includes a SymbolStix® communication support on the bottom to facilitate communication with individuals before, during, and after crisis situations.

Any person who is affected by wandering, elopement, or impulsive discovery situations is encouraged to talk with his/her family member(s).

Consider talking as a caregiver group with the individual about:

• What does the person desire when wandering or eloping?
• How can those desires be met in a safe and consistent way?
• What communication methods are most effective for reciprocal understanding?
• Would completing this profile be helpful to the individual and his/her caregivers?
• Could this profile be helpful if shared with local first responders?
• Where could this profile be kept for easy and fast access in case of emergency?
• Could this profile be updated each time the clocks change every year?

Over the last twenty years, n2y has produced highly-regarded, award-winning educational curriculum, materials, activities, and symbols for individuals with language and learning challenges. Used in classrooms and homes nationwide, n2y’s solutions support hundreds of thousands of learners with access to the general education curriculum, current events information, reciprocal understanding, and clear self‑expression.

Wandering Prevention and Response

Over the last decade, the NAA has dedicated the vast majority of its time and resources to autism-related wandering prevention and response. NAA sounded the alarm on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) wandering-related deaths before a federal committee and since that time has been able to secure many resources, including formal data on elopement and a medical diagnostic code, as well as create extensive educational materials.

n2y and NAA understand that what people don’t know can hurt them. Children and adults with language and learning challenges have a critical need for understanding safety, hazards, and self-advocacy. We encourage the sharing of the downloaded document with anyone. The profile can only encourage communication and help prevent tragedy if it is shared and used.

Using n2y’s expertise and the hard work and diligence of the NAA in the safety realm, the two have worked together to produce accessible materials for what is hoped to be, a life-saving support.