Autism
Medina Township Police Department Red Flag Program
Preparing for an Autism Emergency
© Debbaudt Legacy Productions
www.autismriskmanagement.com
Preparing for an Autism Emergency:
To help ensure safety and lower risk for a child or
adult with autism to have an unfortunate encounter, parents and care
providers will need to become proactive and prepare an informational
handout. Please complete the emergency contact form and return it to the
police department. You can fill out the form online or print it and
bring it in to the Police Department.
Leading causes for concern are children and adults with autism who run
away or wander from parents and care providers. Tragically, children and
adults with autism are often attracted to water sources such as pools,
ponds, and lakes. Drowning is a leading cause of death for a child or
adult who has autism. Wandering can also lead to high-risk field
contacts with law enforcement or members of the public.
Preparing for a wandering incident may seem extreme for some families.
After all, their child or adult hasn’t wandered or bolted. Yet, for many
other families, addressing wandering the first time can be the worst
time. These preparations will also be invaluable before, during and
after a natural or manmade emergency situation. For example, when a
parent or care provider has their own medical emergency and becomes
quickly incapacitated.
Contacting 911 Call Centers:
In the U.S., some law enforcement, fire rescue, and emergency 911 call
centers are willing and able to proactively place this information into
their data base.
If wandering is a concern, ask your local 911 call center to red flag
this information in their 911 computer data base. When a call comes from
families that participate in the red flag program, 911 operators can
alert the first responder before they arrive with key information that
can improve the response. When we provide law enforcement with
information before an incident occurs, we can expect better responses.
When Wandering or an Emergency Occurs:
When you are listed in a 911 special needs database, please be aware
that the information is typically linked to your home to help assist
during an emergency. The information may not automatically transfer to
identify a person who has wandered away from home or is involved in an
accident out in the community.
Before searching please remember to call 911 first. It will be your
responsibility to inform them that a family member is missing and needs
assistance in the community. Be ready and willing to provide information
about the person who is missing, either proactively to 911 operators or
on the spot to first responders such as police, fire-rescue or other
emergency medical responders. Your preparation and planning can be the
positive critical difference to the field response.
Preparing for an Autism Emergency
© Debbaudt Legacy Productions
www.autismriskmanagement.com
The Autism Emergency Contact Form can be completed, copied and carried
with you at all times. Keep one at home, in your car’s sun visor or
glove box, in your purse or wallet, or affixed to a child’s car seat. An
autism decal on your vehicle can alert first responders to search for
the handout if you are incapacitated for any reason. The information in
your Autism Emergency Contact Form can also be used with a 911 alert
program. Also, circulate this handout to family members, trusted
neighbors, friends and coworkers.
The Autism Emergency Contact Form will also come in handy if you are in
an area other than your neighborhood and are approached by the police.
The Autism Society of America’s Safe and Sound initiative features
autism alert stickers for homes and vehicles.
Plan Your Response with the Autism Emergency Checklist
Identification Options:
Some type of ID wear is essential for those with autism, especially if
they are nonverbal or are unable or become unable to respond to
questions about their identity if they are found.
• MedicAlert® or similar style bracelet or necklace
• Joggers shoe tags
• Laminated ID card
• State issued ID card
• Card on belt loops and belt,
• Card sewn into pants or jackets
• Hang from zippers
• Silk screened into undergarments
• Non permanent tattoos
Bracelets, anklets, necklaces, shoe or jacket tags, ID cards, clothing
labels or permanent ink ID on t-shirts or undergarments are all good
options. Some ID options may be removed by the person with autism with
sensory sensitivities. An innovative option is the use of prepared,
washable, non permanent tattoos that bear ID information. These can be
found by visiting
www.tattooswithapurpose.com . If ID wear is used, first responders
may not know what autism is. More specific language should be included
in addition to name, address and phone number, such as, non-verbal,
sensitive to light, sound or touch, possible seizure activity, or may
not seek help.
References
© Debbaudt Legacy Productions
www.autismriskmanagement.com
References:
Debbaudt, D. and Rothman, D. (2001) Contact With Individuals With
Autism: Effective Resolutions. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 7, 4,
20-24.
Debbaudt, D. (2002) Autism, Advocates and Law Enforcement Professionals:
Recognizing and Reducing Risk Situations for People with Autism Spectrum
Disorders. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Debbaudt D., Are You Prepared for an Autism Emergency? 2004, Autism Risk
& Safety Newsletter. Port St. Lucie, FL
Debbaudt D. and Legacy. D Autism & Law Enforcement Video. Appendix.
2004, Debbaudt Legacy Productions, LLC. Port St. Lucie, FL
For more information:
Contact this document's author Dennis Debbaudt via:
email: ddpi@flash.net
phone: (772) 398-975
fax: (772) 398-2428
Mailing Address:
Dennis Debbaudt
2338 SE Holland Street
Port St. Lucie FL 34952
Risk and Safety
Life Skills
© Debbaudt Legacy Productions
www.autismriskmanagement.com
Developing Risk and Safety Life Skills for Persons with Autism
by Dennis Debbaudt 2009
Learning to recognize that men and women in uniform are people you can
go to and stay with
during an emergency is a lesson we all learn. Persons who have autism
can learn these lessons
when we teach these safety skills at home, reinforce them at school and
practice them in the
community. Make building safety skills a part of the daily routine. They
are learned best when
they are delivered early and often, and are suited to a child or adult’s
age and ability levels.
Plan cross educational opportunities for students with autism and law
enforcement
professionals. Provide them in a safe, non-threatening environment.
These opportunities can result in improved and safer field interactions
and develop skills that will last throughout careers and lifetimes for
both populations. Students with autism will learn that law enforcers in
uniform are safe "go to" people in times of emergency. This can help
demystify police in uniform, and teach that inside the uniform are good
people who are also neighbors and friends.
Law enforcers who have had a basic training about autism can learn for
themselves, for example, what communications in the field with persons
who have autism will look and sound like and when to use the specialized
autism-related tactics they learned during training. Police officers
will get the opportunity to meet the children and adults who have autism
that live in their community. Best of all, the initial contact will be
in a safe, relaxed, controlled environment, not during the oftentimes
emotionally charged atmosphere of a sudden field contact.
Building skills for children and less independent adults
To establish these life skills education for children or less
independent adults who have autism, form partnerships with teachers and
law enforcement professionals to help develop a simple curriculum that
helps expand skills that will enhance their safety in the community and
build personal resilience to risk. Formally or informally, invite a
variety of law enforcers to sit among, not stand in front of, the
students. The session should be designed to last about ten minutes, be
delivered as frequently as possible, and by as many different officers
as possible. Rotation of officers reinforces the message to students
that police officers can and will look and sound differently. Rotation
also makes the skill easier to generalize for the student and will allow
more officers to participate without generating extraordinary time
constraints for one particular officer. Officers can be asked to talk in
their own words about the life skill that is being taught at the time.
Risk and Safety Life Skills
© Debbaudt Legacy Productions
www.autismriskmanagement.com
Skills to build:
1. Recognize and respond as best they can to law enforcers, their
uniforms, badges and
vehicles
2. Stay with--not run from--safe, “go to” police or other uniformed
first responders
3. Keep an appropriate distance when interacting with a law enforcer--or
anyone else
4. To avoid making sudden movements, i.e. hands into pockets
5. Carry and safely produce an ID card
6. Disclose their autism, carry and/or produce an autism information
card
7. Recognize inappropriate touching or sexual come-ons directed at them
8. Effectively report bullying or other incidents
9. Tell someone they need help, or use the phone to request it
(Debbaudt and Coles, 2004 b)
Building skills for the more independent person with autism or Asperger
syndrome
Persons with autism who are able to navigate the community without
assistance should strongly consider developing a personal handout for
the police and develop the skills necessary to appropriately disclose
their need for an accommodation. Remember that the initial uninformed
contact with police presents the highest potential for a negative
outcome.
What can and should the independent person living on the autism spectrum
expect during sudden or even expected interactions with law enforcement,
customs and immigration, first responders such as fire rescue,
paramedics, hospital emergency room professionals or other security
professionals?
With few exceptions, law enforcers and other first responders will have
had little or no training about how to recognize, communicate and
respond well when they interact during field contacts with a person on
the spectrum. There may be little understanding of the significance of
the words Asperger Syndrome, or autism when they hear them. You can
expect a higher level scrutiny from law enforcement and security
personnel when traveling in the 21st century.
Risk and Safety Life Skills
© Debbaudt Legacy Productions
www.autismriskmanagement.com
Expect public or private sector scrutiny at:
• Airports
• Security checkpoints such as government buildings, schools, any
secured facility
• Drive-up or walk-up guard shacks
• Building entrances
• Campus
• Shopping malls or districts
In these days of heightened security? Anywhere! So, what are the best
options for the independent spectrum person during a sudden interaction
with a law enforcer during an emergency or non emergency situation?
Should you disclose your autism or AS? When? To whom?
Disclosure tools and options:
What's the best tool to use when you make the decision to disclose your
autism or Asperger syndrome to a police officer? A handout card.
1) Develop a handout card that can be easily copied and laminated
2) The handout is replaceable. You can give it away to the officer on
the scene
3) Carry several at all times
4) The handout card can be generic or specific to you
5) Work with an AS support organization to develop a generic handout
6) Work with persons whose opinions you trust and value to develop a
person specific handout
How to present a handout to a police officer ;
What's the best way to tell the officer that you have a handout?
(A) Avoid making sudden movements to reach for the handout card
(B) Obtain permission or signal your intentions before reaching into
coat or pants pockets,
briefcases or bags, or in to glove compartments of vehicles
(C) Verbally let officer know you have AS and have an information card
for them to read. If
nonverbal, or if sudden interactions render you nonverbal or mute,
consider using a medical alert bracelet for an officer to read that
alerts them to your condition of AS and the fact that you have an
information card.
Disclosure to a police officer:
The decision to disclose will always be yours to make. If you have
learned through experience
that disclosure would be helpful, you may decide to disclose to a police
officer. Law enforcers report that they make their best decisions when
they have their best information. A good, strong AS disclosure that
includes the use of an information card, contact information for an
objective AS professional, and proof of diagnosis should be considered.
Risk and Safety Life Skills
© Debbaudt Legacy Productions
www.autismriskmanagement.com
Plan and practice disclosure techniques
Plan your response and practice with others for a sudden encounter. They
will happen to all of us. Your preparation is your best chance to have a
successful interaction with law enforcement.
1. Discuss these risks with people that you trust
2. Develop a hard person specific disclosure handout
3. Develop a personal plan of how you will use the handout
4. Practice through role playing with people you know and trust
5. Develop disclosure handouts and role play when, where and how you
would use them.
6. Adapt and amend disclosure handouts. It's only paper. They're not
written in stone.
Further suggestions for you to consider during sudden
interactions with police:
(1) Do not attempt to flee
(2) Do not make sudden movements
(3) Try to remain calm
(4) Verbally let officer know you have autism. If nonverbal, use
alternative communication tools, such as a simple sign language card,
that indicates the need to write
(5) Obtain permission or signal intentions before reaching into a coat
or pants pocket, or reaching into a car glove box
(6) If unable to answer questions, consider use of a generic or
person-specific autism
information card
(7) If you lose the ability to speak when under stress, consider wearing
an alert bracelet or
necklace that is easy to see--one that lets the reader know you have an
information card
(8) Ask officer to contact an advocate, if necessary and possible
(9) If you are a victim or are reporting a crime, you may want the
police to contact a family
member, advocate or friend who can help you through the interview
process
(10) Carry the phone number of an advocacy organization or personal
advocate, relative or friend
(Debbaudt, 2006 b)
Avoiding street crime:
Everyone should take precautions to avoid becoming victims of criminal
activity. Unfortunately, persons with autism may need to take extra
precautions. In order to avoid detection, arrest, and prosecution,
criminally bent individuals become skilled at picking out easy victims.
Robbers and con artists will notice unusual behavior when they select
their next victim. An unarmed robber or con artist will operate in
public places.
Anywhere there's regular pedestrian traffic or large public gatherings
will afford a criminal the chance to identify or mark victims. If you
are threatened or asked to give up money or valuables, do not resist.
Give them what they want. These things can be replaced. Once in a safe
area, call the police. To avoid victimization from street crimes or
abusers: Avoid areas that are unfamiliar to you.
Risk and Safety Life Skills
© Debbaudt Legacy Productions
www.autismriskmanagement.com
• Consider carrying a cell phone
• Travel in groups if possible or walk with the crowd
• Do not dawdle or appear rushed in a crowd
• Park in a secure area
• Keep car doors locked
• Take a look around the parking lot before unlocking doors and exiting
vehicle
• Arrive with the crowd to work, school, events
• Avoid gawking
• Do not maintain eye contact
• Let someone know of your travel plans
• Do not carry large amounts of cash
• Dress to suit the area
• Stay in well lit areas
• Do not wander or explore off well traveled pedestrian walkways or
vehicular avenues
Author, Dennis Debbaudt, is the parent of a young man who has autism, an
author, law enforcement trainer and producer of autism-related videos
and curriculum for law enforcement and first response agencies. His
materials are in use by NYPD, Chicago Police Department, and the Palm
Beach County Sheriff’s Office among hundreds of agencies in the U.S.,
Canada and United Kingdom.
Dennis can be reached via his web site:
http://www.autismriskmanagement.com
email ddpi@flash.net or call
772-398-9756.
References:
Debbaudt, D. (2002) Autism, Advocates and Law Enforcement Professionals:
Recognizing and Reducing Risk Situations for People with Autism Spectrum
Disorders, London-Philadelphia, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Debbaudt, D. and Coles, W. (2004 ) The Role of the Family-School Liaison Counselor: Safety & Risk Support for Students with ASD. Autism Spectrum Quarterly
Debbaudt, D. (2007) Plan Your Response to an Autism Emergency. Autism Risk & Safety Newsletter. Port St. Lucie, Florida
Debbaudt, D. (2002) Protect Students with Autism from Bullies Taunts. Maintaining Safe Schools LRP Publications, 9, 1, 7
Debbaudt, D. (2003) Safety Issues for Adolescents with
Asperger Syndrome. In Liane Holliday Willey (ed) Asperger Syndrome In
Adolescence: Living With the Ups, the Downs and Things In
Between London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Debbaudt, D. and Rothman, D. (2001) Contact With
Individuals With Autism: Effective Resolutions. FBI Law Enforcement
Bulletin, 7, 4, 20-24
Risk and Safety Life Skills
© Debbaudt Legacy Productions
www.autismriskmanagement.com
Additional Reading & Viewing
Debbaudt, D. (2006) 'Disclosing to the Authorities' In Dinah Murray (ed)
Coming Out Asperger: Diagnosis, Disclosure and Self-Confidence
London-Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Debbaudt, D. and Legacy, D. (2004) Autism & Law
Enforcement Roll Call Briefing Video. Debbaudt Legacy Productions, Port
St. Lucie, Florida. (video and booklet)
Medina Township Police Department Autism Emergency Contact Form
Please submit completed form OR: Fax: 330-725-7717
OR: print copy and return it to: Medina Twp. Police Dept.
3801 Huffman Road
Medina, OH 44256