Posted on 03/22/2008 12:41:56 PM PDT by Maelstorm
It is believed to be a first in Western New York. A traffic sign alerting drivers that there is a child in the area with autism.
Take a trip down Sargent Drive in the town of Amherst and you will no doubt see the traffic sign. It's a warning sign that there is a child in the area with autism. The Amherst Traffic Safety Board put the signs on the street Wednesday morning.
The father of Sawyer Aston, 8, took the idea of installing a traffic sign on their street to town officials several months ago. The idea was researched and approved.
According to the Autism Society of America, autism is the result of 1 in 150 births. It is the fastest-growing developmental disability.
Sawyer does not talk. His parents say he does not understand the danger of walking into the street as a car is passing by. The Aston's have taken numerous precautions to take keep Sawyer safe. He wears a tracking device and they have a fenced in front yard.
I was driving in Massachusetts last weekend and I saw one of these and while I have great sympathy for those who have children with Autism I could not help but chuckle at this. Wouldn't be enough to put up a Caution sign indicating children at play? What next? Mentally handicapped crossing signs?
The sign should actually have nothing printed upon it.
Of course not. Everyone would ignore it, just as they ignore speed limit signs and stop signs.
Maybe this one will actually affect a driver, since they could imagine the whopper lawsuit if they hit the autistic child. I've never seen a sign like this, but I've seen "Deaf Child" signs. The principle is that a deaf or autistic child will not respond to the sound of a car horn.
And just exactly what is a driver expected to do,
or expected to expect the autistic child to do?
They auto-attract to autos, and then auto-explode?
______
Today’s Governmint School damaged drivers
likely don’t even know what the word means.
What’s next? “Child with ADHD Area?
and the other presumed principal is that most drivers will toot the horn and figure that's warning enough for any child, not following up to see if the child continues to chase the ball into the street but proceeding on without regard for the child's response.
Right? That's the only scenario under which a sign like that makes sense; unless, of course, tweaking the emotions of the driver somehow makes him better able to avoid running children over.
Speed limit 20 when children are present
I really don't know what to do. What if there's one hiding behind a bush. How close to the sign do they have to be before they're present?
This is as annoying as those Baby On Board signs used to be.
When women ask me what my sign is, I tell them “Slow Children At Play”....
No point value?
Maybe it will. Maybe (miracles happen) he was already driving the speed limit, stopping at stop signs, and using caution because he's in a residential area. If so, the sign hasn't hurt him a bit.
My wife says we need a sign, “Grouchy Old Man In Area”.
beep louder!
I’ve got a cousin who lives in a “Deaf Child Area”. I always activate my flashing stobe light when driving through this area.
Got another cousin who lives in a “Bi-Polar Victim” area. I have extra meds ready.
Got another friend who lives in a “Schizophrenic Affected Person” area. First I drive one way, then I drive another.
Got a brother who lives in a “Beer Addled NASCAR Fan” area. I always take an extra six pack and a bag of pork rinds when I go there.
My sister lives in a “Sensitive, Progressive, Environmentally Concerned, Gentle, Anti-Bush War Peacenik” neighborhood, I always take an extra gun and some Claymores when I go there.
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Claudine Ewing reports