AUTISM AND LAW ENFORCEMENT

            I’m sure most of you saw the news report just this past week, about a Miami police officer shooting the caretaker of a man with autism. The individual with autism was holding a toy truck when he wandered from the group home where he resides. The caretaker, Charles Kinsey, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article90905442.html, went to fetch him and was shot in the leg.

            This is a scenario that could easily repeat itself with our own children. What if they are confronted by police and are not accompanied by an adult? What if they are with a parent or caregiver yet still find themselves in a situation where they have to respond appropriately in order to prevent arrest or being shot?

            It is vital that, as parents or caregivers, we prepare for the eventuality that our children or wards might, at some point in their lives, be confronted with police or first responders. Fortunately, there are several products out on the market that can be very useful, alerting police or first responders to the fact that your child has autism and might not be able to respond as expected.

Listed here below are some of the top products on the market (if you know of any others, please go to the comments section and let me know. Thank you!)

·         ID bracelets, jewelry or tags. There are several websites that sell these products, from brightly colored silicone bracelets that are embossed with the word autism in large letters to shoe tags that attach to the laces. Some of the websites that sell these products are www.AlertMeBands.com, www.FundraisingForACause.com/Autism, www.StickyJ.com, www.SafeID.com, www.medical-id-bracelets.com.

·         ID card for wallet which will alert authorities that this individual has autism and who to contact. Caution: This is carried in the wallet, so the individual must be taught to tell police to pull out their wallet instead of the individual doing it themselves. Three of the sites I have found are: www.autismalertwilts.com, www.autismidcard.com, www.wayshelter.com which offers a free downloadable version.

·         Autism Alert decals you can put in your car window and house window. These will alert law enforcement and first responders to the possibility of a person on the spectrum being one of the individuals with whom they are dealing. If you contact www.NationalAutismAssociation.org and request their Big Red Safety Box, they will send you one free of charge. These boxes contain most of the safety products used for individuals on the spectrum and the window decals are one of them. Also sold at www.teespring.com with a selection of child, children, adult or teenager on board.

You can also make your own tools to help your child understand and deal with encounters with law enforcement. Here are a few:

·         Make your own hand-out card. At the top, in bright, capital letters, write I HAVE AUTISM, then include information that might be helpful (ie: doesn’t like to be touched), and contact information so parents, guardians or caregivers can be reached immediately. Laminate.

·         Create a card with the phone number of your advocacy organization or personal lawyer that you, caregivers and/or individuals on the spectrum carry on their person, in case you are detained. Laminate.

·         Develop situational stories you can share with your child regarding these types of situations. Teach your child how to act and handle themselves when confronted by law enforcement (ie: show your hands), and repeat these situational stories until your child fully knows what to do if stopped by police (a bit like fire drills at school). Above all, teach your child that police and first responders are there to help and are your friends. Teach them not to be afraid of them, but also reinforce the fact that police expect certain actions and reactions from all people and he/she must abide by those requirements (ie: it is not okay to hit a police officer or first responder, no matter how anxious or scared you are). The more you educate your child or ward, the better they will learn and respond to instructions.

I trust this post has been helpful to you. Please share this blog with others so we can get word out. Feel free to print it out and give to your local police and fire departments. The more we educate everyone about autism and law enforcement (individual with autism, parents or guardians, law enforcement and first responders), the more likely we are to prevent scenarios where someone gets hurt. We want to keep our children safe as well as those who have been assigned to keep peace and order and provide safety to our community.

About the author:

Renée Vajko-Srch grew up in France where she obtained her French Baccalaureate then attended Emmaus Bible Institute in Switzerland, graduating with a degree in Bible and Theology.

She currently lives in the Missouri Ozarks with her husband and three sons, one of whom has been diagnosed with Asperger’s.

She is a member of  the Ozarks Chapter of American Christian Writers and ha s published several articles in the Missouri Autism Report. She is currently working on a novel and a devotional for autism and special needs families.