Police Chief Curt Lawson, Sara Grezlik and Kimberly Craighead presented the new program at the Franklin Village Council meeting June 8.
By: Mary Genson | Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle | Published June 15, 2026
FRANKLIN/BINGHAM FARMS — Through the Franklin-Bingham Farms Autism Emergency Response Support Program, people with autism can voluntarily register for free cards that are designed to help officers and the community communicate with and support them.
Behind this program are the lived experiences of local moms of children with autism. The idea for this program was brought up by Sara Grezlik, a Franklin resident who has a 13-year old son with autism. He was diagnosed with autism when he was in fifth grade at Bingham Farms Elementary.
“We originally saw that all the systems, once we learned he had autism, were very hard to navigate, including his school, including all the world around him and how he communicates,” Grezlik said. “At that point, we really had to adapt. We’ve had to learn the language of autism as well as we’ve had to put him in environments that help him thrive and succeed that really work for him, but in doing that, we’ve been met with a lot of closed doors.”
The Autism Communication Support Card provides officers with context and guidance to help support communication with an individual with autism. It is something that people can have on hand to help during interactions with officers, as well as other people they encounter.
Co-Responder Kimberly Craighead has a 17-year-old daughter with autism.
“Having a card to be able to right away let that officer know that this person has different types of communication struggles, this will immediately kind of shift that officer’s interaction from the start,” Craighead said.
Craighead added that the information on the card can help the department with search and rescue efforts because families can include information about any concerns they have about the individual wandering.
Grezlik has heard of other communities providing tools to help autistic people communicate their needs with officers through stickers. This is what inspired her to bring a similar resource to her own community.
The program also includes a Safety Support Information Form that can assist the department in emergency preparedness. People can include wandering concerns, communication preferences, emergency contacts and other helpful information that can support the department’s response during an emergency. The card and form are completely voluntary.
“I recognize that if you tell someone, they are much more willing to meet you where you’re at, but if they don’t know, then they can’t help in the way that you really need,” Grezlik said. “It really is just about meeting people where they’re at in a very thoughtful and inclusive way.”
Through the cards, people with autism can communicate with officers as well as other people they encounter at the grocery store, gas station, etc.
While this program is specifically for people with autism, Sara said she can see it evolving to help other people with disabilities.
The Safety Support Information Forms and Autism Communication Support Cards are available at the Franklin-Bingham Farms Department, 32311 Franklin Road.