CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Autism Association announced today that Orange County, North Carolina, is a grant recipient of Project Lifesaver funding through the organization's FOUND Program. FOUND was developed to counter the rise in wandering-related deaths among children with autism.
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Project Lifesaver is a nationwide tracking program established to quickly locate and rescue missing persons with cognitive impairments and developmental disabilities. Chapel Hill was chosen mainly because it is the location of the TEACCH Program, a comprehensive service program for children with autism through the University of North Carolina.
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"We knew more autism families were moving here to be closer to the TEACCH program," commented Lori McIlwain of NAA. "They desperately need access to Project Lifesaver equipment and Sheriff Pendergrass has shown he is dedicated to keeping children with autism safe."
Due to its 100% recovery rate, NAA hopes their FOUND Program will fund every county in the country. At its inception, FOUND had only enough funding for eight counties across the US. With a recent anonymous donation, two more counties were added.
Fundraising tools were also established by NAA for communities that wish to raise funds in their own counties for Project Lifesaver. To download these tools, visit www.nationalautism.org.
The FOUND Program relies heavily on donations. Donors have a choice to adopt an entire county for $6800 or a partial county for any given amount by visiting www.nationalautism.org.
To learn more about Project Lifesaver, visit www.projectlifesaver.org. Parents and caregivers can also find safety tips on NAA's site at www.nationalautismassociation.org/safetytoolkit
Contacts:
Wendy Fournier (Portsmouth, RI) 401-835-5828
Lori McIlwain (Cary, NC) 919-741-1646
SOURCE National Autism Association
