The Portage Township Autism Action Coalition’s actions have spread beyond the township.

Three of its programs expanded throughout Porter County because of a grant from the Porter County Community Foundation, said Joyce Russell, community outreach and communications coordinator for the Portage Township trustee’s office.

Portage Township Trustee Brendan Clancy formed the committee in 2020. It includes the three police and three fire departments serving Portage Township, Portage Township Schools, Portage Township YMCA, Porter County Search and Rescue and Porter County Central Communications.

One of the group’s first projects was to create autism sensory kits for first responders. The kits contain fidget toys, noise-canceling headphones, sunglasses, a communications board and dry erase board with marker. In February 2021, the group distributed 170 of these kits.

After other Porter County police departments inquired about the kits and equipping their officers with the de-escalation tools used to help someone on the spectrum or improve communication between the officer and autistic person, the group looked for ways to make it happen, Russell said.

Clancy saw the Porter County Community Foundation’s latest round of grants as an opportunity not only to provide sensory kits to all Porter County police departments but also to expand other programs and to provide a regional autism training workshop.

The foundation awarded the $10,000 grant in April. The majority was used for the kits and to stock a sensory kit pantry at the trustee’s office.

In June, PTAAC distributed 140 kits to Valparaiso, Chesterton, Hebron, Kouts, Burns Harbor and Porter police departments. An additional 12 were given to the Porter County sheriff’s office and Portage Police Department to restock their original kits.

This allows every patrol car in Porter County to have a sensory kit, Russell said.

PTAAC also expanded its new Blue Envelope Program throughout the county. It includes a decal to be placed on a vehicle’s rear window to inform a police officer during a traffic stop that the driver is on the spectrum. It also includes a blue envelope with information for both the driver and officer as to what to expect during a traffic stop or interaction with someone on the spectrum as well as a contact card with the name and telephone number of a family member or friend in case the officer needs to contact someone on the driver’s behalf.

Since the Blue Envelope Program was launched countywide on April 1, police departments have distributed 48 packets, Russell said.

The materials are also available at the Valparaiso and Portage branches of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Porter County is a pilot program for Indiana, following the introduction of legislation by state Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage, in January to adopt the program statewide. Moseley and state officials agreed to use Porter County as a pilot program, Russell said.

A third program being expanded is the window cling program, featuring a primary-colored autism puzzle piece. Parents may get up to three of the clings at their local police station. Placing the clings on their vehicle or their home’s front window or door lets first responders know a child with autism is likely in the car or house.

The rest of the community foundation’s grant will fund a regional autism training workshop Oct. 16 at Portage High School, Russell said. Jerry Turning, a retired police officer and father of a 21-year-old autistic son, will return to Portage to provide the free workshop to first responders and others in Porter, Lake and LaPorte counties.

Doug Ross is a freelance reporter.