Stop. Know. Work together.

Stop and Know™️ is a grassroots initiative to foster collaboration and awareness between law enforcement/first responders and the ever-growing population of individuals who have special needs, mental health diagnoses, or other conditions that affect communication and behavior by providing specialized ID products that help minimize communication gaps.

Understanding that panic and altered behavior may occur when a special needs or differently-abled person encounters an unfamiliar situation is crucial to their safety.

Providing first responders with a way to quickly identify these encounters is crucial to them being able to do their job.

KnowID. No problem.

Our KnowID™️ is our solution to minimize the potential of an encounter going wrong.

By equipping a special needs person with a card that quickly identifies their unique circumstances, a first responder can use this knowledge and their training to potentially avoid unnecessary escalation and provide necessary assistance, and keep your loved one safe.

It's a simple, fully customizable wallet-sized card that alerts the reader to the card holder's unique circumstances, (for example "I am autistic", "I have dementia", I have schizophrenia", "I have a TBI" ) followed by a short and to the point list of unique behaviors the individual may exhibit when in a stressful situation.

The back side of the card contains a QR code that, when scanned by any smartphone, provides instant access to that person's emergency contact information, and optionally, current medications and other important information.

The KnowID easily fits in any standard wallet slot or window can be kept with a person's photo ID. It also can be displayed on clothing by lanyard, clip, or a variety of sensory-friendly ways for individuals who may be less independent or more likely to wander or become lost. We also offer standalone QR code stickers, downloadable files, and wristbands that work with or without the wallet card.

There are multiple reasons and many moving parts as to why a person may cross paths with a first responder and no two encounters are the same. But whether it's a routine traffic stop, a fender-bender, a lost person, a medical emergency, or any situation that requires emergency personnel, one of the first things a responder will do is ask for identification or seek to identify those who are unable to do so for themselves at that time.

Having a KnowID readily accessible is the quickest way to get much needed information into the right hands.

Peace of mind.

Encouraging as much independence as is practical in those with communication difficulties is important to their quality of life, while always keeping safety in mind. The KnowID provides an extra layer of peace of mind for caregivers when our loved one is away from us.

Whether your loved one is a licensed driver, navigates public transportation on their own, or is more dependent on others for assistance, the KnowID is a simple tool that is invaluable in communicating their needs any time they are out on their own or may become separated from their caregiver.

It is not only a tool for first responders to provide assistance, it also provides a passerby a way to immediately assist your loved one by simply scanning the QR code to reach you if they are lost or need help.

In the know.

First responders all over the country respond to hundreds of thousands of calls annually, the vast majority we never hear about.

Just a cursory look at statistics show that roughly 26%, or 1 in 4, adults experience a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year (source: Johns Hopkins Medicine), with 50 to 57 million adults experiencing "any mental illness" and 11 to 14 million of those experiencing a "severe mental illness". (sources: National Institute of Mental Health and Mental Health America)

In addition, approximately 1 in 36 children and 1 in 45 adults in the United states is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). (source: CDC)

These numbers don't account for other conditions that hinder communication such as Deafness, stroke/TBI victims, or other physical limitations. These numbers also don't take into account historically un/under-diagnosed populations.

So it stands to reason that on any given day, a first responder will have an encounter with a person who is in distress and may be unable to advocate for themselves.

We hear horror stories on the news of emergency calls that have ended tragically because a person was having a mental health crisis and an officer made outright wrong decisions. There have indeed been bad players who never should have had a badge.

But the overwhelming majority of law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS are good people who want to do their jobs well and want to help those who need it.

Again, we are talking about hundreds of thousand of calls annually. No two calls are the same. And each one has the potential to quickly and unpredictably turn dangerous, because they don't know what they are walking into. They have families they want to go home to.

Getting a KnowID into their hands provides key information that helps that responder make informed decisions, pivot how they handle the call, de-escalate situations, and minimize harmful outcomes.

While we can't speak for each individual's professional training or character, and can't guarantee that the KnowID will prevent bad things from happening 100% of the time, we can confidently say that your loved one is in a better position if a responder is given information about them as quickly as possible.

We are all human. People don't know what they don't know. The KnowID helps fill that gap.