Aug 21 (Reuters) – U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday launched an initiative to improve preparedness and response when autistic individuals are reported missing.
Here are more details:
• The National Autism Missing and Endangered Person Alert Initiative will work to strengthen coordination among emergency management agencies, law enforcement, first responders, and community partners nationwide, HHS said in a statement.
• The initiative will also establish a national framework of best practices to address the leading causes of preventable injury and death among autistic individuals, which include accidental drowning linked to wandering and elopement.
• According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism affects about one in 31 children in the United States.
• At an April 28 meeting, an interagency autism committee approved several recommendations, including enhanced screening for co-occurring medical conditions and the development of federal guidance on wandering and elopement.
• In addition to this initiative, the Department of Health and Human Services is releasing a broad set of coordinated actions to improve the safety, healthcare, and services available to individuals with autism across all stages of life, HHS said in its statement.
(Reporting by Sneha S K in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)
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