THE
THE OTHER
THE OTHER FACILITY ON THE CAMPUS.
CAMPUS.
CAMPUS. >>> DOCTOR JAMES BENJAMIN AND
HIS WIFE JOYCE REALIZED THERE
WAS A NEED TO MAKE A SAFER
ENVIRONMENT FOR THOSE WITH
AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER, SO
THEY TOOK MATTERS INTO THEIR 4@
OWN HANDS TO HELP 4@PEOPLE LIKE
THEY TOOK MATTERS INTO THEIR 4@ OWN HANDS TO HELP 4@PEOPLE LIKE@
THEIR OWN TWO SONS.
JOINING ME TONIGHT, DOCTOR
JAMES BENJAMIN WHO IS A PLASTIC
SURGEON AND HIS WIFE JOYCE.
THEY WORK TOGETHER.
HER SONS KENNY AND BRAD ARE
ALSO JOINING US. 4@
THANKS FOR COMING IN, WE REALLY
APPRECIATE IT.
APPRECIATE IT. LET ME ASK YOU BOTH, WHAT WERE
THE CHALLENGES RAISING NOT ONE
BUT TWO SONS WITH AUTISM?
>> THE BOYS WERE FEARLESS
GROWING UP, THEY HAD NO FEAR.
THE INTELLIGENCE FACTOR WAS NOT
AS MUCH OF AN ISSUE AS THEIR
DAREDEVIL MISS.
DAREDEVIL MISS. THEY WOULD GO BY A POOL,4@
COULDN'T SWIM A LICK.
THEY LIKE TIGHTS SO WE HAD TO
WATCH EVERYTHING.
WATCH EVERYTHING. WHEN WE WENT OUT, JOYCE WOULD
TAKE ONE AND I WERE TOGETHER
AND WE WOULD JUST SHADOW THEM.
AS THEY'VE GOT OLDER AND
MATURED, IT'S BETTER BECAUSE
THEY REALLY IF YOU DON'T KNOW
INITIALLY, THEY LOOK LIKE AND
ACT LIKE NORMAL INDIVIDUALS
MOST OF THE TIME.
IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS, THEY
ARE ANXIOUS, IT MAKES THEM
CONCERNED AND THEY ACTUALLY
SHOW MORE OF THEIR AUTISTIC
TENDENCIES WHEN THEY ARE
ANXIOUS.
ANXIOUS.
ANXIOUS. >> THEY HAVE ALREADY SIGNALED
ME.4@
ME.4@
ME.4@ THIS IS OUT OF THE 4@NORM FOR
MOST PEOPLE.
MOST PEOPLE. WHAT'S IT BEEN LIKE FOR YOU?>>
THERE WERE SOME VERY
CHALLENGING TI4@MES BUT I HAVE
BEEN A 4@PEDIATRIC NURSE FOR A
LONG TIME BUT I WOULD SAY THE
RESULT REWARDS ARE MUCH MORE
THAN I COULD'VE EXPECTED WITH
JUST A NORMAL FAMILY.
>>4@ I HAVE A NEPHEW WHO IS
AUTISTIC.
AUTISTIC.
AUTISTIC. TALK ABOUT THE REWARDS QUICKLY.
>> I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE THAT IT
WILL MAKE 4@YOU A MUCH BETTER
PERSON IN THE END BECAUSE
YOU'VE LEARNED PATIENCE4@4@ WHI
WAS NEVER A PATIENT PERSON, SO
YOU LEARN PATIENCE, YOU ACCEPT
EVERY MILESTONE AS A BIG DEAL.
>> THE TWO OF YOU HAVE MADE
THIS NOT JUST ABOUT YOU AND
YOUR CHALLENGES IN MAKING IT 4@
EASIER FOR YOU, YOU FORMED A
NONPROFIT. YOUR REACHING OUT TO
OTHER FAMILIES TO TRY TO HELP.
YOU ARE ALSO REACHING OUT TO
FIRST RESPONDERS WHO MAY COME
IN CONTACT WITH YOUR SONS OUT
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. WHAT WERE YOUR CONCERNS?
>> THE PRIMARY ASPECT IS 4@SAFE
AND THAT'S BECAUSE A LOT OF THE
INJURY, A LOT OF THE THINGS
THAT HAPPEN ARE INITIATED BY
FIRST RESPONDERS AND AS A
RESULT OF NOT RECOGNIZING, NOT
UNDERSTANDING THE INDIVIDUAL
WHO THEY ARE DEALING WITH HAS
AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER AND
ALSO THOUGH4@ DON'T KNOW HOW TO
APPROACH AND 4@INTERACT WITH TH
INDIVIDUAL EVEN WHEN THEY DO
KNOW AND TH4@ERE WAS A BROUHAHA
IN RICHMOND THAT WAS STARTED4@,
KNOW AND TH4@ERE WAS A BROUHAHA IN RICHMOND THAT WAS STARTED4@,@
YOUNG MAN'S LIFE WAS FOREVER
CHANGED BECAUSE OF NOT
RECOGNIZING WHAT WAS GOING ON.
>> I'VE GOT4@ TWO MEN OF THIS
SIZE, IT'S OUT OF THE NORM,
THERE'S SOME DANGER AND THEY
ARE TRAINED TO HANDLE THINGS A
CERTAIN WAY.
CERTAIN WAY. BUT YOU'VE DONE SOMETHING ABOUT
IT.
IT.
IT. YOU
IT. YOU TOLD ME ABOUT THIS TRACKING
ADVICE.
ADVICE.
ADVICE. THERE'S A MEDALLION, RIGHT?
WHO'S GOT THE MEDALLION ON?>> 4@
KENNY HAS A BATTALION.
>> THIS IS FOR LIKE SAY IF HE
WANDERS OFF SO WERE GOING TO
ASK ANITA WANDER OFF AND WE'VE
GOT SOME COMPANY.
AND YOU'VE GOT AN 4@APP HERE,
EITHER ON THE iPHONE OR
ANDROID.
ANDROID.
ANDROID. >> IT'S CALLED A SMART THINGS
TRACKER.
TRACKER.
TRACKER. THE ACTUAL MEDALLION IS PUT OUT
BY SAMSUNG BUT IT IS THROUGH
VERIZON.
VERIZON.
VERIZON. >> SO WITH THIS APP, YOU KNOW
WHERE KENNY IS.
HE'S 4@IN THE BUILDING 4@BUT I'
TOLD YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO TRACK
FROM BOWIE TO FAIRFAX?
SO YOU'VE GOT SOME RANGE.
AND WE CAN SEE RIGHT HERE HE IS
STILL IN THE BUILDING.
BUT YOU WANT FIRST RESPONDERS,
DC POLICE AND OTHERS4@ TO ALSO
HAVE THIS KIND OF TECHNOLOGY,
RIGHT?
RIGHT?
RIGHT? >>
RIGHT? >> ABSOLUTELY.>> THAT SO4@ IF Y
GET LOST, THERE ARE MANY
AUTISTIC INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
NONVERBAL WHO WANDER.
49 PERCENT OF THE INDIVIDUALS
IN CHILDHOOD4@ WILL WANDER.
>> WE WILL KNOW IMMEDIATELY
WHERE TO GO LOOK.
IT WILL BE TRYING TO GET
EVERYBODY UP OUT OF BED4@, LET'
GET A HELICOPTER, THEY KNOW
IMMEDIATELY WHERE TO LOOK AND 4@
THEY CAN LAUNCH THAT SEARCH A
LOT SOONER.
LOT SOONER. >> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. >> SAVE A LOT OF TIME AND
MONEY.
MONEY.
MONEY. BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO
SOME PEOPLE, ALZHEIMER'S,
ARTISTIC, THAT HAVE BEEN LOST
FOR A LONG TIME.
WHAT YOU NEED, HOW CAN WE HELP
YOU WITH THIS?
>> WE PLAN TO BUY 100 OF 4@THES
AND ACTUALLY GIVE THEM TO THE
FIRST HUNDRED INDIVIDUAL4@S NOT
THE FIRST HUNDRED, THE
INDIVIDUALS WHO NEED THEM AND
WANT THEM.
WANT THEM. THERE ARE FAMILIES WHO WANT
THESE MEDALLIONS AS AN ABILITY
TO TRACK AND SINC4@E THEY'VE BE
IN EXISTENCE,4@4@ DO WE HAVE A
TRACKER.
TRACKER.
TRACKER. VERIZON HAS PUT OUT ONE 4@THAT
WORKS WELL.
WORKS WELL. >> WE ARE GOING TO PUT ONE ON
OUR WEBSITE