Every child has a favorite toy or object that they drag with them everywhere they go. It can be anything from a teddy bear to a blanket to a little toy figure, and the child will carry it around in the car, at playdates, or even in preschool.
And, although it is normal for babies and toddlers to carry their favorite toy with them all the time, when it comes to children with autism, this obsession with a certain object can last until beyond childhood and even adulthood.
It is believed that these “comfort objects” provide the autistic person with structure, consistency, they make them feel secure and comfortable.
This is exactly how Ryan Paul of New Jersey feels about his teddy bear. He takes it everywhere with him, he even sleeps with him at night.
He is so attached to the small stuffed toy that he can’t handle it when he loses it.
Ryan, at the time 12 years old, lost his teddy bear. Again.
He had probably been told that he is supposed to call 911 if an emergency comes up, so he thought it was a good idea to call the emergency services when his teddy disappeared.
The boy talked to the dispatcher about the situation in his own way, and then hung up.
“My teddy bear fell down again,” he said, obviously worried. “Don’t worry I’ll rescue again,” he went on. “Goodbye again. See you again.”
The dispatcher on the other end of the line must have realized that this was not really an emergency, but in any case, according to police protocol, an officer has to be sent over to check in on the caller.
In the meantime, Ryan’s parents found out about their son’s call.
“I said, ‘Ryan, did you call 911?’ ” Ryan’s father, Robert Paul, told WABC. “He said, ‘Yes,’ and I said, ‘Why?’ And he said, ‘Teddy bear rescue.’ ”
A while later, officer Khari Manzini, with the Woodbridge Police Department, arrived at their home to see what was really going on.
“We found the teddy bear, the teddy bear was okay,” Manzini, who’s specially trained in autism response, said. “He was in safe hands, there were no injuries. Nothing like that.”
The officer added that Ryan was very happy to see him and he was happy to help the boy with his “emergency”.
Ryan’s dad, Robert, praised the young cop for his “kindness and understanding”, while he also thanked the 911 operator who called back after his son hung up to check if everything was fine.
Thanks to this properly-trained, but most importantly kind-hearted officer, Ryan had the opportunity to interact with a person that treated him right and made him happy.
As for the boy’s parents, they are proud of their son knowing what to do in an emergency, but they still need to work on explaining to him what a real emergency is.
Head over to the video below to watch this heartwarming story as it is narrated by Ryan and his new friend!
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