SAUK RAPIDS — They’re simple tools: A whiteboard and markers. A plush toy. Noise-reducing headphones. A fidget spinner.
But for someone who’s autistic, they can be a lifeline in a scary situation.
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That’s the theory behind Bit of Grace, a nonprofit that provides emergency sensory kits — backpacks full of communication aids and sensory devices — to law enforcement, first responders and medical staff.
The driving force behind Bit of Grace is its founder, Owen Chan, an 11-year-old boy with autism from Glenwood, Minnesota, south of Alexandria.
“Part of why it's so well received is because Owen is such a part of it,” said Jennifer Chan, Owen’s mom. For instance, Owen explains the kits to each group when they’re dropped off.
While geared toward autistic kids, the tools in the kits are useful beyond people with autism, Jennifer said. For instance, the communication boards could be used with a stroke patient, a nonverbal adult, or any kid in distress.
The Sauk Rapids Police recently partnered with the Sauk Rapids Lions Club to sponsor bags for all of their squad cars.
Assistant Police Chief Brent Bukowski said the department was prompted to seek help after an officer's experience in helping a person with autism who was nonverbal. In doing some research, the officer to his supervisors.
Bukowski sees the bags as tools to create connection and foster trust. He knows police uniforms, lights, sirens and radios can be scary for people.
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“How do we de-escalate that, right? Or how do we minimize that?" Bukowski said. "… There’s just so many great things that allow for that to happen with these (kits) in our patrol cars."
How it started
Bit of Grace came together pretty fast, said Owen's dad, Joshua Chan, a paramedic. Last summer, a colleague of Joshua's sent a sample sensory emergency kit for Owen to try out.
“It was a couple of days later, and Owen was still just really taken to the bag," Joshua said. "And we asked him, ‘Do you think this is something that we should do here in our community?’ And his first comment was, ‘Will it help people?’”
Joshua posted a message to his personal Facebook page, and the community responded with donations and purchases from an Amazon Wish List for items in the bags.
“If it wouldn't have been for that initial investment … we wouldn't be here,” Joshua said.
Because of that support, the family distributed their first bags locally, near Alexandria and around Douglas and Pope counties. Now the bags can be found in use by the Minnesota State Patrol and in Sauk Rapids, Stearns County, Mankato and even Haiti and South Africa.
It all happened in a matter of weeks, from receiving the sample bag to creating a nonprofit and distributing bags. As of mid-January, Bit of Grace had sent out more than 120 kits.
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Owen also picked the name for the nonprofit, his parents said.
“I reminded him, ‘You want grace and compassion when you're having a hard day. You have to remember that other people have those moments too. And so we need to give grace,’” Jennifer said. “I don't remember exactly how we stumbled on this, but he's like, ‘Yep, that's it. Bit of Grace.’”
His personal addition to the kits are little plushies: Owen carries around a “stuffie” stuffed animal to help regulate his emotions, Jennifer said.
What’s in the bags
The bags cost about $85 to make. Bit of Grace charges $100, using that extra $15 toward the next bag and supplies.
The bag include tools that help nonverbal people communicate, including cards and a communications board, as well as a whiteboard and markers. They also have equipment that serves sensory needs, which can help people with autism calm themselves, relax and focus.
How do they make sure law enforcement and others actually use the bags?
“I think our (school resource officer) said it best is, ‘Just open the bag.’” Jennifer said. “I think people get scared of doing something wrong. And I would say, all you can do is try because even as parents, we still make the wrong move.”
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The family consulted with local physical and occupational therapists about what the bags were missing, Jennifer said. They suggested a "biter" — something that can be chewed on — as well as a bubble timer, which visually marks the passage of time.
Owen’s family has witnessed firsthand how encounters between law enforcement and autistic people can go wrong.
“The first time you're seeing or interacting with some of these families are in those really hard moments. And automatically, especially a young person, like they're going to be scared of you,” Jennifer said.
While the Sauk Rapids police officers already receive training on working with the autistic community, Bukowski said he knows the bags can help.
“How much they're used doesn't matter," Bukowski said. "If it's used one time or 10 times … it's a great tool for connection."
Next steps
In the future, the family hopes Bit of Grace can do more education.
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“Maybe we could partner up and make this sensory-friendly,” Owen said. “So it's not a bad interaction. … Otherwise, it's kind of like, 'police, scary!'”
Owen is well on his way to becoming an advocate for himself and the larger autistic community.
“Owen will be an adult one day, and he's still going to have the same needs and he still may struggle with communicating in certain times. And there's not always going to be Josh or myself there to help,” Jennifer said.
In addition to explaining the bags, Owen has also talked about what it’s like to have autism in front of his classmates.
“For him to learn how to advocate for himself — and now to be advocating for others — it's a pretty amazing thing to be a part of and to watch,” Jennifer said.
More information
- For more about Bit of Grace, visit
- To purchase a sensory emergency kit for yourself or a local agency, visit
- To donate to Bit of Grace, visit or mail donations to Bit of Grace, PO Box 312, Glenwood, MN 56334. You can also purchase items off an Amazon Wish List at
The Trust Project
