Families of children with autism connect with community at Spread Locks with Love event in Marshall, MN

Dozens of families of children with autism came together Oct. 5 at the Lyon County Law Enforcement Center in Marshall, Minn. for a “Spread Locks with Love” event, sponsored by community activist Sheletta Brundidge , a mother of three children on the autism spectrum.

Marshall was home to Alexander Bee, a 4-year-old boy with autism who wandered from a family friend’s home late last May and drowned in the Redwood River.

At the event, Brundidge raised spirits while distributing free keyless electronic interior combination door locks from Amazon to parents and caregivers to help keep their children with autism safer at home. Sheletta finds this type of lock helpful in keeping her own children safe from wandering, which is why she wants more families of children with autism to have it.

“The event was a great success and meant a lot to the community,” said Mary Lockhart-Findling, Head Start Director for United Community Action Partnership (UCAP). “Families impacted by autism were able to connect with each other and see they were not alone.”

Lockhart-Findling recalled a touching moment at the event when Alexander’s mom and her other children arrived and witnessed first-hand how their family’s tragedy had such an impact on the community. “She has another child with autism, too, and was thankful for the lock,” said Lockhart-Findling.

Attendees expressed gratitude for the free locks, and for the opportunity to connect with other families like theirs, including local mom, Riley Sellman. Sellman was diagnosed with autism two years ago, and has two young sons with autism. She shared her appreciation for Sheletta, who helped create broader awareness for the autism community in Marshall.

“I liked that I was able to bring my children there, and some of the other people from the community were able to see my kids and understand their diagnosis, including law enforcement,” said Sellman. “I liked that it was here because I don’t see a lot of things about autism in our small town, which was refreshing.”

During the winter holidays last year, one of Sellman’s sons unexpectedly wandered out of his grandfather’s sight, and was thankfully found shortly after he went missing. The experience gave the family an incredible scare, and she looks forward to installing the keyless electronic interior combination door lock at her own home soon.

Sellman’s children are both enrolled in the local Head Start program, which is where they learned about the event, and where Alexander Bee was a former student.

“Many families impacted by autism are often isolated in rural areas, and making positive connections, and bringing them love and laughter helps everybody get to know each other and be more comfortable,” said Brundidge.

This was the sixth “Spread Locks with Love” event Brundidge has hosted for families of children with autism. She has mounted a national campaign to raise awareness about the role keyless electronic interior combination door locks play in keeping autistic kids safe.

In addition to Marshall, she recently funded giveaways in in Hopkins , Minn., Sutton, Mass and several Texas communities after children with autism have wandered off and drowned.