National Autism Association Launches New Safety Program; Provides Immediate Project...

National Autism Association Launches New Safety Program; Provides Immediate
Project Lifesaver Funding to Counties Nationwide

NIXA, Mo., July 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Autism Association
(NAA) announced today the launch of a new program aimed at providing families
and counties nationwide with safety tools for children with autism. The FOUND
Program is the organization's third direct-assistance program, which will
immediately fund $54,400.00 to provide at least eight counties with Project
Lifesaver equipment and tracking watches.

Project Lifesaver is a nationwide tracking program established to locate and
rescue missing persons, namely those with cognitive impairments and
developmental disabilities. Since 1999, 1709 missing persons have been found
through Project Lifesaver. In the past six weeks, ten missing persons with
autism have been rescued. "It's a brilliant program with a 100% recovery
rate," says NAA Executive Director Rita Shreffler. "Some Sheriff's offices
simply do not have the funding and we hope our new program will eventually
fund every county in the nation with this lifesaving equipment."

Shreffler noted that the funding to launch the program came unexpectedly from
a website called "Pixie's Train Ride." The site has raised over $53,000 for
NAA. Phyllis Cahoon, creator of the site and grandparent of a child with
autism stated, "I'm thrilled that the generous contributions from visitors to
my website will help protect the lives of children like my granddaughter who
are at risk of wandering." Cahoon is the mother of NAA President Wendy
Fournier.

Since 2005, at least 14 children with autism under the age of 12 have died as
a result of wandering. According to a study published in the Journal of Autism
and Developmental Disorders (Shavelle, et al, 2001), elevated death rates
among those with autism were in large part attributed to drownings. An online
survey conducted by NAA showed that 92% of children with autism are prone to
wandering. Board member Becky Grant-Widen of Maine believes all children with
developmental disabilities deserve access to this equipment. "This is such a
needed program for our community."

Along with funding at least eight counties, NAA has also created generic
fundraising tools for communities to download and use to raise funds in their
own county for Project Lifesaver equipment. The FOUND Program will also
provide advocacy in Washington for a federal bill offering guidance and
funding to states.

To download fundraising tools or donate to The FOUND Program through NAA,
visit www.nationalautism.org. Donors have a choice to also adopt an entire
county for $6800 or a partial county for any given amount.

To learn more about Project Lifesaver, visit www.projectlifesaver.org. Pixie's
Train Ride can be found at www.pixiesplace.com/trainride. Parents and
caregivers can also find safety tips on NAA's site at
http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/safetytoolkit.php.

CONTACT: Wendy Fournier, Portsmouth, RI, +1-401-835-5828, or Lori McIlwain,
Cary, NC, +1-919-741-1646, both of National Autism Association

SOURCE National Autism Association

Wendy Fournier, Portsmouth, RI, +1-401-835-5828, or Lori McIlwain, Cary, NC,
+1-919-741-1646, both of National Autism Association