Inside The Backwards Backpack: How Sensory Tools Help Autistic Kids In Crisis

About this episode

The episode discusses how sensory tools can help autistic children in crisis, featuring insights from the co-founders of The Backwards Backpack.

A roadside crash. A child on the spectrum overwhelmed by noise and confusion. One pair of headphones, a set of picture cards, and a dinosaur-weighted plush turn panic into calm. That pivot—from chaos to connection—is the heart of our conversation with Aaron and Ashlea Garofola, the co-founders of The Backwards Backpack, a grassroots nonprofit outfitting first responders, schools, and families with sensory bags that work in real time. We dig into how the idea was born from a devastating ER mo...

People in this episode

Guests: Aaron Garofola, Ashlea Garofola

Topics covered

• autism
• sensory tools
• first responders
• nonprofit
• crisis intervention

Keywords

• autistic kids
• sensory bags
• crisis management
• nonprofit organization
• first responders

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Backwards Backpack

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