Autistic Child Area
August 31, 2006 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
Inga Krevatas is the mother of Alexa and Sophia, 5-year-old autistic twins. After noting signs reading “Deaf Child Area” and “Blind Child Area,” Kravetas wrote a letter to Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray for a sign reading “Autistic Child Area.” Within just two weeks, Murray responded that the town would post such a sign—-and the sign was unveiled on August 22, as reported in today’s Herald Community.
[Said Murray]: “I am proud that Hempstead is an ‘autistic friendly’ township.”
Murray also said she hopes other parents of autistic children contact the town about having the signs installed in their neighborhoods. She said that although the town has no jurisdiction over county and state streets, town officials will direct parents who want signs on those streets to the appropriate government office.
“It gives drivers more warning,” Krevatas said. “There are not just typical kids at play, so they have to be doubly cautious.”
The “Autistic Child Area” sign iin Hempstead is the first of its kind in Long Island and possibly in all of New York State, if not the country.
My neighbor and I were just talking about that!! He came over to chat yesterday, and ever since he found out Sam was autistic (about a year and half ago when the little yellow, or yallow like charlie says, bus started pulling up) he has been protective of Sam. He is almost 80. It is sweet. Yesterday he told me he checked with the city and that we could get one of those signs like “Deaf Child Area”. He has seen Sam’s lack of safety awareness and how the crazy high school kids drive on our street. He is really worried about Sam and wants us to get a sign. We will see
Would you put it right in front of your house?
I would put it at least before the driveway, and know my neighbors on either side wouldn’t object. I don’t know exactly what the sign says though either. I am not sure many people would even understand if it said “autistic child area”, I will check into. I am one of those idiots that is loud and proud of my son and wants the world to understand and respect autism better.
Damn.
If that caught on, it’d be wonderful!
Laura—if I may invoke Kamran Nazeer’s book—–let’s send in the idiots….
I believe Inga’s sign is the first in Nassau County. It’s definately not the first in the US. About 4-5 years ago a parent emailed me a picture of a sign that I used in an educational video.
thanks,
Christine
Great to know! Where in the US is the sign?
We’ve just recently added these signs to our traffic sign website due in part to a concerned parent requesting these. These types of signs are definitely new in our industry, but as time goes on, people will see more of these.
Mike Austin
USA Traffic Signs
Mike, can just anyone order from you, or does it have to be a municipal official?
As far as we know, anyone can order from us. You should keep a copy of the paid invoice on file as proof that these signs were purchased not stolen. The Autistic signs on our site will be on permanent sale in effort to promote these designs, they need more exposure and are not widely seen or offered elsewhere. You can see the designs by clicking my name above.
Mike Austin
USA Traffic Signs
What’s so wrong with a subcutaneous gps tracking device? If they were acceptable, I bet there would be next to no child abductions