AMHERST, New York —
New York State Assemblywoman Monica Wallace made a bold statement Thursday in favor of road signs alerting drivers when autistic children are nearby.
In a statement, Wallace said, "Over the past few days, it’s come to my attention that families have been requesting signage to alerts motorists that their child has autism and could wander or bolt into the roadway, but those requests have been denied by municipalities."
In some places such as the Town of Tonawanda, the signs have been approved when families requested them, but that’s not the case across Western New York.
Families that 2 On Your Side spoke to in places such as Hamburg and Lancaster said they were denied when trying to get similar signs put up in their own neighborhoods.
Tracy Panzarella with Autism Services Inc. and she explained why having these signs available would be beneficial for families of children with autism and drivers alike.
"If you’re driving they’re not gonna necessarily stop and they may dart out into the street, not understanding that they could very well be hit and severely injured by your car so by placing a sign in the area, it’s at least alerting drivers to the possibility that a child with autism could be out playing to use additional caution," she told 2 On Your Side.
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