Law officers, first responders learn how to recognize and respond to those with autism

Autism Spectrum Disorder is something many people do not know about or understand. To help with that, the Autism Society has designated Autism Acceptance Month to help educate the public.

This past week, law enforcement and other agencies, who are statistically more likely to interact with those with autism, were given free training on how to respond in various situations.

The training was sponsored by King Therapies of New Albany and drew participants from as far as the Gulf Coast and other states.

King Therapies owner Bailey King said area parents with autistic children had reached out to her and she was aware of the person who actually presented the training and decided this would be good for the area.

Bart Barta, who is the father of an autistic son and is a retired law enforcement commander in Florida was the featured speaker. In addition to his extensive law enforcement accomplishments, he has taught more than 8,000 first responders on dealing with those with autism.

There is a growing need for such training because Bailey said autism spectrum disorder is one of the fastest-growing developmental disorders in the world. The CDC estimates that ASD affects one in 54 children. Males are four times as likely to be autistic as females, although no one really knows what causes the disorder.

While some may see autism as spreading, King said the answer more likely is simply better testing, more public awareness and increased support.

More to the point, training is needed because emergency responders may mistake autism for the effects of controlled substances or mental disorders if they are not properly trained. While there are some commonalities among those with ASD, Kind said every case, literally, is different. That is why it is referred to as a spectrum.

Some people with ASD function well in the world and hardly anyone would be aware of the disorder. Others are completely non-verbal and some may be sensitive to types of touch or other sensory stimuli.

Those with ASD may be gifted in terms of thinking and problem-solving but others may be challenged.

A problem for law enforcement officers is that those with autism may be reported as “suspicious” more often due to their behavior.

When approached by an officer, such a person may respond in unexpected ways, which the officer may perceive incorrectly as a threat or flight, or not respond at all.

For medical and fire personnel, autism recognition is particularly important. As Fire Chief Mark Whiteside noted, they may find someone with autism in a wreck. If they don’t realize that, they may interpret non-response as injury and may have difficulty in determining what a patient’s actual condition is.

De-escalation is important in preventing a situation from becoming worse. And if a person with autism has to be restrained or taken into custody, many normal actions can lead to a disastrous outcome.

Autism can be complicated to deal with but those who attended the training were left with a better understanding of what autism is, how to identify it and were given a variety of tools to successfully interact with someone who has ASD.

King deals with those with ASD on a regular basis and said more training or awareness might be made available if there is enough demand.

The training was done in conjunction with Autism Acceptance Month. Other activities include social media postings, “Light It Up Blue” with the county courthouse and trailhead plaza illuminated with blue lights in honor of autism all month and a proclamation by Mayor Tim Kent.

Finally, New Albany Main Street, Union County Library, and King Therapies will host an Autism Acceptance Walk and on Saturday, April 24, at 10 a.m. This is a free, fun, short walk. Cookies and a craft will follow. Everyone is encouraged to deck themselves out in blue.

For more information about Autism Acceptance Month, contact New Albany’s office of Community Development at 662-534-3438 or email visitnewalbany@gmail.com.

From left, New Albany Fire Chief Mark Whiteside, Board Certified Behavior Analyst Lillie Taylor and Bailey King, who was the primary sponsor, talk about the challenges of identifying autism in an emergency situation.