Autism is one of the fastest-growing developmental disorders in the U-S. The CDC reports that 1 in every 31 children is on the autism spectrum, and more adults are being diagnosed.
In the Big Bend, a free resource for these individuals and their families is the Florida State University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (FSU CARD). Director Catherine Zenko says Florida lawmakers established seven of these centers statewide.
“When we were put in statute over 35 years ago, they were very specific that they want these regional autism centers to cover the entire lifespan of citizens in Florida. So, we’re over 7,000 people who are registered in 18 counties,” Zenko says.
On Speaking Of, we hear about efforts by the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) to improve outcomes for people on the autism spectrum who interact with law enforcement.
TPD recently announced its Approach with Care Autism Awareness Initiative. It includes additional training for officers, plus free decals to alert law enforcement that someone in a vehicle during a traffic stop may have autism.
TPD Deputy Chief Jeff Mahoney was the catalyst. It started when he met a fellow dad on a park playground about eight months ago.
“I was swinging my son, he was swinging his son, and we quickly started a conversation, and we both realized that we were dealing with the same thing,” Mahoney recounted at the TPD news conference announcing the initiative. “Both of our sons are nonverbal and have autism.”
Their meeting led to a proposal that Mahoney presented to TPD Chief Lawrence Revell.
“It was a yes right away,” Mahoney said.
The other dad that helped create the initiative is Shon Strickland, owner of Midtown Print. He also spoke at TPD’s announcement.
“I spend a lot of my life trying to understand how my son sees the world. It’s different from how I see it, and it’s wonderful,” Strickland said. “My son can’t always show what he’s feeling the way other people do. In a tense moment, that could be misunderstood, and that’s the thing that scares parents like me.”
“I think it’s important that law enforcement officers – because they have to be so alert on things – to also be able to identify those signs,” says Juming Delmas, “and I think these decals are brilliant.”
Delmas’ son is on the spectrum, and that inspired him to create the Infinite Spectrum Foundation in Tallahassee. He says the officer training component is crucial, as more people are being diagnosed.
“I think that officers are gonna really need to hone in on understanding the behavior of people on the spectrum and also understanding (how) to truly de-escalate situations,” Delmas says.
FSU CARD is helping train law enforcement. The center has long been a guiding light for people on the spectrum, serving as a free resource covering 18 counties around the Big Bend.
“Autism is such a broad spectrum. The definition has evolved over the years. It casts a very wide net,” Zenko says, noting that law enforcement often cannot tell someone has autism just by looking at them.
She says the decals can make a difference. “If they don’t know that the person has autism, watching the way that they are acting – reacting – could be misinterpreted as harmful, as aggressive, as something that justifies the use of force.”
Zenko says officers are required to have autism training compiled by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and they can take an optional 8-hour course as well. Other trainings include using virtual reality to interact with someone on the spectrum, then flipping the scenario so that the officer is the person on the spectrum.
Part of their efforts include fundraising so every officer can have sensory bags. If someone is distressed or a situation needs de-escalation, these bags would include items like fidget cubes, a communication board, and stress balls. Zenko says they plan to look for community partners to help put together 500 bags to dole out to officers.
For a free care decal, visit:
• Florida State University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (FSU CARD)
• Leon County Schools
• Behavioral Management Consultants (BMC)
• Cayer Behavioral Group
• Children’s Home Society Early Steps
• MidTown Print
Click LISTEN above to hear the full segment.
