Studies show Florida has the highest numbers of those with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome in the country, and about 20% of the autistic population has said they’ve had a law enforcement encounter before the age of 21.
Because of the condition — insistence on routines, language deficits, tantrums, anxiety, a propensity to elope (wander off), just to name a few characteristics — it’s easy for those encounters to go … not well.
It’s because of it that Rep. Paula Stark (R-St. Cloud) is proposing a new bill during the upcoming legislative session, HB 829, which would mandate four hours of training for first responders like police in handling citizens on the autism spectrum.
A few law enforcement officers and officials signed up for an early version of that training Tuesday at the Kissimmee Civic Center. If featured hands-on training, with two members of the autistic community as a part of the training, to show their responses to how police may respond to them.
It’s a matter of creating an approach to taking care of people with those special needs safely, and creating a way to find and pursue an autistic person with “as little stress as possible,” Stark said.
“We’re making sure we’re making everyone feel safe, and changing the dynamic in that way,” Stark said of the bill. “The officers here are getting that first-hand information, so they can understand more of what they’ll see on the street.”
She also noted that Stark has partnered with the Autism Society of Greater Orlando and Osceola County on the bill.
“It only took about five minutes talking with them and doing my own research to be in on it,” she said. “It’s a growing population, and there’s a high percentage of it in the Hispanic community, so for us it’s a growing issue to deal with sooner than later. We don’t want our law enforcement to be at odds in those situations, and we certainly want those individuals to be safe. It’s our responsibility to help those who may not be able to communicate what’s happening themselves. If everybody knows how to communicate with each other, then they can resolve those issues before they become a problem.”
The bill will be headed to committees when the legislative session starts on Jan. 9.
The bill will mandate the four-hour program for law enforcement, correction facilities. Tuesday’s session was led by Donna Lorman, Executive Director of The Autism Society of Greater Orlando & Osceola. She said the community can make life difficult for those on the spectrum.
“It doesn’t look right, I don’t understand it, or this is inconvenient,” she said are the biggest reasons why the population at large repels against it, or calls police. “The community puts pressure on parents to break our rules, because they want it to go away. I’m not going to break my rules (for dealing with those on the spectrum), it’s not about making the community happy.”
Also Tuesday, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office unveiled a special cruiser wrap that it is touting as its autism awareness cruiser vehicle. The agency has put together wraps for other issues such as domestic violence and its Project Lifesaver project that helps track and find those with other mental disabilities who could get lost.
"We recognize the needs of our citizens. Education is key," Sheriff Marcos Lopez said. "This make sure people know we're doing our part to make sure everyone has a positive experience."
