Wearing a Medical ID Part 5: Autism

Medical alert bracelets have the ability to speak for you in emergency situations when you are unable to speak for yourself. It’s recommended that anyone with a serious medical condition or allergies wear a medical id. Typically, a medical ID is engraved with the medical condition first, followed by any medications or allergies that the person might have. Having this medical information readily available is crucial to receiving accurate medical treatment quickly. For people with autism there’s a second, equally practical benefit to wearing an ID bracelet.

In addition to communicating that the wearer of the bracelet has autism, an id bracelet can also be engraved with information on how to help reunite the wearer with their family. In a previous post, we discussed how important it is for emergency medical technicians to be able to quickly identify what’s going on in an emergency situation so that the patient will be put through as little confusion and distress as possible. In the same manner, having contact information engraved on the person’s medical ID can be of great value if a person’s lost. If lost, a person with autism may not be able to communicate their guardian’s contact information. However, if the medical id bracelet lists a family member’s name and phone number as well as their condition, a helpful bystander would easily be able to get in touch with a guardian or parent to help reunite them with the autistic person.