We are very grateful for the heroic men and women who sacrifice their time and personal safety to keep the rest of us out of harm’s way. Whether we are speaking about volunteers or those who serve in careers, all police, fire and medical professionals are invaluable.

In New Jersey, for example, over 76,000 firefighters are on alert at all times. They are truly indispensable!

It is the belief of America’s Special Kidz (A.S.K.) that we must do our best to support our men and women in uniform. We have worked diligently to develop resources and training seminars to help our heroes discern an unruly individual from a child or adult with true special needs. Once a clear assessment is made, effective tactics can be employed to diffuse critical situations.

A.S.K. workshop and seminar topics include:

• How to identify an individual with mental illness, autism spectrum disorder and other special needs
• Effective communication with individuals who have intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder and other special needs
• What to do and what not to do when communicating with an individual with varied special needs
• Proper home safety,
• Fire safety (including individuals who are blind and hearing impaired)
• Proper restraint and safety measures
• How to detect a possible food allergy and necessary precautions
• How to detect someone experiencing a seizure and proper first aid procedures

For more information on how to schedule your training or in-house seminar, call Joanne Bastante-Howard at 973-521-0433 or contact her via email atJoanne@AmericaSpecialKidz.org.