April 2014 - Vol.07, No.04 

National Autism Awareness Month
Click here for information regarding how National Autism Awareness is celebrated, and how can you help.

About Autism

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person's ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause of autism, but increased awareness and funding can help families today.

 

In March 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued their ADDM autism prevalence report. The report concluded that the prevalence of autism had risen to 1 in every 68 births in the United States and almost 1 in 54 boys.  The spotlight shown on autism as a result of the prevalence increase opens opportunities for the nation to consider how to serve these families facing a lifetime of supports for their children.

 

Currently, the Autism Society estimates that the lifetime cost of caring for a child with autism ranges from $3.5 million to $5 million, and that the United States is facing almost $90 billion annually in costs for autism (this figure includes research, insurance costs and non-covered expenses, Medicaid waivers for autism, educational spending, housing, transportation, employment, in addition to related therapeutic services and caregiver costs).

 

Know the signs: Early identification can change lives

Autism is treatable. Children do not "outgrow" autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes. For more information on developmental milestones, visit http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/index.html.

 

Here are some signs to look for in the children in your life:

• Lack of or delay in spoken language
• Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects)
• Little or no eye contact
• Lack of interest in peer relationships
• Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play
• Persistent fixation on parts of objects

For more information about Autism, please click here

In what has now become more and more commonplace, an alert citizen has helped Public Safety capture three residential burglars who had broken into a neighbor's home. The incident occurred on March 17, when the citizen was inside her home washing dishes and noticed three strangers approach a neighbor's home. According to the citizen, the individuals looked suspicious and out of place as they went to the neighbor's front door. When no one answered, the citizen then saw one of the individuals climb into a window while the other two went through a gate into the side yard. The citizen called 9-1-1 and was on the phone with Public Safety dispatchers when disturbingly, the neighbor returned home. At the dispatcher's direction, the citizen called to the neighbor, preventing her from entering the home where the suspects were located. 

 

During this time, units from both the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety and the Santa Clara Police Department converged on the area. Within a short time, the suspects noticed the police response and fled from the home, jumping fences into neighboring backyards. With the neighborhood locked down, K9 officer Robin Smith and her dog Colt began searching from yard to yard, and soon were able to locate all three suspects. The search also yielded a significant amount of property that had been stolen from the victim's residence. This team effort resulted in the victim avoiding potentially dangerous contact with the three suspects inside her house, all of whom were ultimately taken into custody, and the subsequent recovery of valuable property. This incident serves as a reminder what can be accomplished when citizens, local police, and allied agencies work together to combat crime.  

Matt Francavilla is a 2008 graduate of Fremont High School. He has participated in Special Olympics for five years in the sports of swimming, basketball, bowling, softball and floor hockey. Matt's mom, Leslie Francavilla, says, "Special Olympics has made all the difference in Matt's life. It has given him the opportunity to connect socially in his community, to play sports and to be part of a team." Matt lives in Sunnyvale with his parents and volunteers at Sunnyvale Community Services.

The Sunnyvale Fit and Fun Fair is Saturday, April 26 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Columbia Neighborhood Center. This free community event features nutrition and health information and screenings, a children's area, bike safety rodeo and child safety seat inspections.

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month and, on April 2, DPS held a BBQ in honor of their dedicated volunteers. More than 60 volunteers attended the BBQ which was prepared and served by public safety management and staff. Guests enjoyed burgers, sausage, watermelon and cake under sunny skies on the DPS patio. 

Sunnyvale Amateur Radio Emergency Services (SARES) is a group of volunteers that provide short wave communications backup when other forms of communication such as phones and cell phones are disrupted. They practice weekly to verify that members and their personal radios are prepared for an emergency.  

 

On Saturday, March 22, a training exercise was conducted for new members to familiarize them with SARES emergency procedures. The exercise started with a classroom session to verify that all member radios were programmed to a selected group of frequencies, then the drill procedure was briefed. Six small teams comprised of a combination of experienced SARES members and new members were deployed to various outdoor locations around the City complex. These small teams practiced using various frequency resources and communication protocol techniques. The exercise was monitored and controlled from the City's Radio Command Center Radio room.

 

Classroom radio synchronization and instruction (left)

Field Communication Practice (center)

Command Center Radio Room Synchronization (right)