West Virginia nonprofit launches hospital sensory care kit effort

UnPuzzled Parents Connect is launching a statewide initiative to help West Virginia hospitals better support children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities during emergency visits. The group is seeking $7,000 to fund its first 50 sensory care kits, along with hospital and donor partners.

Why it matters: - Hospital emergencies can leave autistic patients and people with developmental disabilities without the sensory and communication tools they rely on every day. - The initiative is designed to help families when a caregiver becomes the patient and cannot advocate in the moment. - The project could give hospitals a ready-to-use support option for children and adults who need regulation, comfort and communication help fast.

What happened: - UnPuzzled Parents Connect is launching a Hospital Sensory Care Kit initiative in West Virginia. - The project expands the nonprofit’s First Responder Training Program. - Founder and executive director Whitney Price says the idea grew from a personal emergency when she was the patient and could not support her son, Connor, who is 8 and has autism and significant support needs. - The organization recently received a startup grant to begin developing the kits. - UnPuzzled Parents Connect is seeking an additional $7,000 to produce its first 50 kits.

The details: - Each kit will come in a duffle bag. - The kits will include noise-cancelling headphones, a weighted blanket, sunglasses, a sensory stuffed animal, sensory toys and regulation tools. - The kits will also include an AAC mock communication book. - Overnight items will include toiletries and personal care supplies. - The communication book is meant for people who are nonspeaking or who use augmentative and alternative communication devices that may not be available during an emergency. - The nonprofit’s First Responder Training Program educates law enforcement officers, emergency personnel and other community professionals about interacting with people with autism and developmental disabilities. - The long-term goal is to build hospital partnerships across West Virginia so facilities can keep these resources available. - UnPuzzled Parents Connect is also looking for hospital partners, corporate sponsors, individual donors and community organizations to help launch the effort. - Community members and organizations can contact UnPuzzled Parents Connect at unpuzzledparentsconnect@gmail.com. - The organization also listed social media and audio channels, including LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Apple Podcasts.

Between the lines: - The initiative shifts disability support from emergency response to hospital readiness. - The kits aim to solve a common gap: families may arrive at the hospital without the tools they normally use to reduce distress and support communication. - The program also signals that training alone may not be enough without physical resources on site.

What's next: - UnPuzzled Parents Connect will keep fundraising until it reaches the first 50 kits. - The nonprofit will continue seeking hospital partnerships across West Virginia. - Price said the larger goal is to make sure hospitals are prepared before the next emergency happens.

The bottom line: - The launch turns one family’s emergency into a broader attempt to make West Virginia hospitals more accessible for people with developmental disabilities and their caregivers.