The Autism Society of Greater New Orleans is transforming the vaccine experience for all ages and abilities through its Vaccine Education Initiative.
Flu and COVID vaccine season is here again this fall, and, for many, with it comes anxiety, fear, and needle hesitancy. The Autism Society of Greater New Orleans (ASGNO) is working to make the vaccine experience more positive, inclusive, and accessible for all individuals, but especially for the most vulnerable members of the Autistic community through their Vaccine Education Initiative (VEI). This project is funded by grants from the American University Centers on Disability, and through USAging and is a national program with local impacts.
Healthcare inequities are seen across disability communities, including Autism, and are exaggerated by social and economic factors. These inequities can result in differences in length and quality of life, disease rates, access to treatment, disability, and death. Recent data shows that people with Autism have barriers to accessible healthcare, an increased risk for comorbidities, and have more anxiety and depression than people without disabilities.
Vaccine hesitancy has long been an issue within the Autism community, and has been perpetuated by unsupportive provider settings, unprepared healthcare providers, and traumatic vaccination experiences. ASGNO is combating these issues head-on by providing free training for healthcare providers on Autism and neurodiversity and high-impact strategies to make their clinics more inclusive and accessible. They also distribute adaptive equipment for both providers and directly to families in the form of Vaccine Accessibility Kits.
What is inside a Vaccine Accessibility Kit?
These kits are designed to tackle specific areas of need identified by our community. They include evidence-based support items including fidget items for sensory regulation, specially designed communication supports such as symbol communication boards and letterboards, Visual schedules, and a ShotBlocker®. A ShotBlocker®, is a flexible piece of plastic that “uses a number of blunt contact points to saturate the sensory signals around an injection site distracting patients from the pain of the needle poke. It is a simple, non-invasive, drug-free method that instantly reduces needle pain and anxiety.”
Additional support materials include social stories to prepare Autistic individuals for what to expect during the vaccine experience, plain-language educational resources, and a flyer on the Facts about Autism and Vaccines. The Communication boards, social stories, and visual schedules are available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
How do I get my Vaccine Accessibility Kit?
Over the last year through this program, ASGNO has connected over 150 people with inclusive and accessible vaccination experiences, distributed over 250 Accessible Vaccine Kits, and trained 25 providers and they hope to reach many more people over the next year. If you, your family, or someone you know would benefit from this program, all of the materials are available for free on ASGNO’s website at www.asgno.org/VEI and can be used digitally or printed. For more information about getting a Vaccine Accessibility kit, or dates for inclusive vaccination distributions and clinics with trained providers, email Claire Tibbetts the Executive Director of the Autism Society of Greater New Orleans at info@asgno.org. The healthcare provider and student training is a foundational element of the VEI and interested students, clinic managers, and providers should reach out to the VEI Program Coordinator Brittany McBride at Brittany@asgno.org to learn more about how they can partner on this program.
For more information on the Autism Society of Greater New Orleans, visit their Directory Page here.
