Our House, a nonprofit dedicated to serving homeless Arkansans, announced Tuesday that it will officially break ground on its $16 million capital expansion Thursday.
When EMT Saranika Griffith goes on emergency calls for Lancaster EMS, she is prepared with medical supplies and lifesaving equipment.
She also carries an extra bag with tools of a different kind: sunglasses, headphones, bubbles and fidget spinners. As a mother of a 5-year-old boy diagnosed with autism, she knows firsthand that children with special needs and sensory processing disorders require extra care.
The tools in Griffithâs bags can help de-escalate tense situations and calm individuals with special needs and sensory processing disorders.
âAs a mother, itâs my worst fear for my son to be in a situation where somebody thinks heâs being noncompliant or trying to act out when in reality itâs none of that,â says Griffith, 27, of Lebanon. âHe just doesnât understand what heâs being asked to do.â