On September 26, 2020, the autism and ABA world lost two powerful advocates: Feda and her autistic son Muhammed “Mu” Almaliti, tragically in a house fire. Feda, her sister, and her niece were able to evacuate the burning house. Unfortunately, Muhammed did not immediately exit their home and so Feda ran back inside. Unable to convince her son to leave, Feda remained inside the burning home with Mu. There is a popular saying in the autism community, “A child with autism becomes an adult with autism”, meaning we must plan and prepare for the entire lifespan. Feda spent nearly two decades prior to her death adamantly advocating for quality autism services, spearheading successful autism insurance reform in the state of California. She was a powerhouse and a force to be reckoned: in her life and in her death. From this tragedy, the September 26th project was created. The project aims to develop and disseminate information about safety protocols to be used in an emergency. To achieve this goal the National Council on Severe Autism has created a comprehensive resource in the form of three simple, quick, easy-to-use safety-related checklists, checklists that may prevent similar tragedies. This presentation will review the life and death of a fierce advocate, as well as the tools and checklists created as a result of our loss. The presentation will also serve as a call to action for providers to join the discussion and to practice conceptualizing meaningful treatment targets, which relate to surviving safety and crisis situations for our clients –and their caregivers.
