April is Autism Acceptance Month, which is dedicated to fostering understanding, inclusion, and support for autistic individuals. April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. In the United States, about 3.2 percent of 8-year-olds are diagnosed with autism.
National data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that 1 out of 31 children is diagnosed with autism by age 8, and boys are more likely to be diagnosed than girls. Autism is just one type of diagnosis within the broad umbrella of neurodivergent conditions, which include ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia. Neurodivergent individuals have brains that function, learn, and process information differently from what is considered “normal” in society.
Having a different way of thinking, learning, functioning, and reacting in everyday situations can be difficult for some neurodivergent individuals, both children and adults. But imagine when an emergency occurs. Emergencies bring extra stress to everyone. For parents or caregivers of neurodivergent individuals, an emergency like a fire or hurricane can introduce a whole new layer of concerns that many of us may never have to consider. It also means that caregivers need to prepare not only as they normally would, but also develop a specialized plan tailored to the individual’s needs.
As we get closer to hurricane season, families and caregivers of neurodivergent individuals have a new option to help them prepare strategically so their loved ones are ready in case they need to evacuate, go to a shelter, or face a landfalling hurricane at home. Even sheltering at home can bring a great deal of stress to neurodivergent individuals and their families.
Betsy Germain Evans and Kathy Rodriguez have created the ReadySet Backpack™, a specialized backpack tailored to the needs of children or adults with special needs.
Betsy is a professional speech pathologist, a mother of four girls, and her eldest is autistic and semi-speaks. As both a professional advocate with a therapeutic background and a parent of neurodivergent children, she has lived both the challenges and the hope firsthand, just to bring in that personal perspective behind the work.
Kathy spent years staging retail environments, designing spaces that guide how people move, feel, and interact. After becoming the mother of an autistic boy, she began applying that same approach at home. She realized that her staging experience could help her son face challenges such as going to the dentist or meeting someone new. She created safe, familiar environments—such as staging her living room like a dentist’s office—engaging all eight senses experienced by autistic individuals: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, vestibular, proprioception, and interoception. Over time, those small, intentional setups became a practical way to reduce uncertainty and help him feel more comfortable in situations that once felt overwhelming.
Both moms combined their expertise to create a backpack that serves as an everyday resource and is ready for emergencies, tailored to individual needs.
The ReadySet Backpack™ is a sensory-aware emergency preparedness tool designed to support neurodivergent individuals and their families in real-life emergency situations.
The backpack is organized into four key areas:
• Regulation and sensory support, to help the child stay calm
• Understanding and preparation, so they know what’s happening
• Communication and identification, so others can support them effectively
• Safety and emergency response, so caregivers can act quickly
The ReadySet Backpack™ is carefully designed. At its core, this is not just a backpack. It is a structured system that supports regulation, understanding, communication, and safety. Preparedness should work for the individual.
After an individual assessment, tools that help the person feel more comfortable and calmer are placed inside. These tools are nonperishable, so there is no need to store or restock items before leaving or sheltering. The backpack is always ready to go, and its contents can be updated as the individual grows and their needs change over time.
Betsy and Kathy are partnering with organizations and cities to help caregivers and families of people with special needs prepare for various emergencies. Cities, organizations, and community groups can contact them to host an autism-friendly emergency preparedness workshop.
Their focus is on helping families understand what to include and why it matters. While there is a cost to building a personalized backpack, many items can be gathered over time or adapted from what families already have. The goal is to make preparedness realistic and accessible, not overwhelming.
Workshops are beginning across Florida, with the first this season taking place in the City of Miramar. Betsy and Kathy, along with city officials, including special guests from the National Hurricane Center, will host a free workshop and share their expertise with the community to help families prepare for emergencies.
These workshops not only support an often-overlooked community but also raise awareness that everyone has different needs—and that we must work together to keep everyone safe.