Improving Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Care for People With Autism in the Prehospital Setting Through Sensory and Communication Aids

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social, communication, and behavioral challenges. Emergency medical services (EMS) environments, with their loud noises, bright lights, and unfamiliar personnel, often exacerbate these challenges, making care for individuals with ASD particularly complex. To address these challenges, the Franciscan Crown Point EMS system introduced the "Ben's Blue Bags" (BBBs) program. These bags, available on every transport vehicle, contain sensory aids, headphones, a dry erase board for communication with nonverbal patients, and a pictogram of the human body for identifying injuries. The BBB program serves 18 different municipalities across four counties in Northwest Indiana, covering over 200 paramedics, 500 emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and 60 transport vehicles in both rural and urban settings. Over an eight-month period in 2023, 77 EMS providers participated in a survey assessing the effectiveness of BBBs. The results indicate that 94.2% of respondents found BBBs enhanced their ability to deliver high-quality care to individuals with ASD. Sensory aids were deemed the most valuable component, helping calm patients and reduce anxiety during EMS interventions. On a scale from 1 to 10, the mean rating was 9.08, with a standard deviation of 1.757, signifying that BBBs were "overwhelmingly helpful." All but three respondents reported that BBBs were helpful in keeping individuals with ASD calm during interactions, and 58 out of 65 paramedics found BBBs useful for calming and/or distracting patients to enable intravenous (IV) placement. Additionally, 61 respondents reported at least one instance where an unnecessary emergency room visit was avoided due to help from BBBs. This study concludes that sensory aids and communication tools can significantly improve prehospital care for patients with ASD. We recommend the broader implementation of such tools and further research to explore their impact within EMS and emergency medicine.