Resources for Encounters Between
Individuals with Autism and/or Intellectual Disability and First Responders

It is helpful to practice what to say during an encounter with a first responder. Caregivers can provide support by practicing how to provide important information, request for help, and advocate for needs. Not all individuals will be able verbally express themselves or memorize this information, so it is important to tailor the script to the individual. The decision to share a diagnosis is up to you*

Examples:

 “My name is Troy. I am 12 years old. Can we please call my parents for help? My mother’s name is Stacy Johnson, and we live in Palo Alto. Her phone number is 444-333-7777”

“My name is Shawna and I am 16 years old. I have autism. Sometimes it is difficult for me to share information, can we call my grandmother for help?”

“Hello, my name is Luka and I am feeling very nervous and overwhelmed right now. Can we get someone from my family or school to help?”

It can also be helpful to practice expressing challenges related to sensory processing.

Examples:

“Excuse me, the sounds are hurting my ears”

“The light is too bright, its uncomfortable”

“I am having trouble understanding you, can you say it again?”

Bay Area Resources

• Special Needs Awareness Program (SNAP) (City of Santa Clara)
  
  • Voluntarily register with the confidential and secure database through SCPD
  • First responders are advised that an individual with special needs is involved, prior to responding to the scene, to increase use of effective de-escalation strategies
  • More than 150 officers participated in a training to identify effective strategies for identifying and interacting with individuals with special needs, including those on the Autism Spectrum
  • Residents eligible for SNAP include those with physical disabilities, cognitive impairments, autism, and more
• PRAGNYA - Preparing Resources & Alliances Galvanizing NeurodiversitY Acculturation
   

Online Resources

• Parents Helping Parents, Inc.
• Autism Speaks: Interacting with Law Enforcement
• Law Enforcement Themed Books for Youth (Police1.com)
• Pathfinders for Autism: How to Interact with Police
• BE SAFE The Movie
• How to Improve Autistic Encounters with Law Enforcement (Psychology Today)
   

Resources for Black and Brown Families

• Autism and the Police: A Book for Black and Brown Kids (University of Colorado/Children's Hospital Colorado)
  
• I Love ABA: Black & Autistic + The Police
• Autism Ontario: Preparing Black Autistic Children to Interact with Law Enforcement
• The Color of Autism Foundation
• The Autism in Black Podcast
• Children’s books on Racial injustice and Police:
  • Mama, Did you Hear the News? by Sanya Whittaker Gragg (ages 5-10)
  • Something Happened in Our Town, by Marianne Celano, PhD, Marietta Collins, PhD, and Ann Hazard, PhD (ages 4 to 8; also available to read online at apa.org)

Big Red Safety Box

The Big Red Safety Box from the National Autism Association is a free toolkit that offers preventative safety tools for people with ASD. This includes safety window clings for homes and cars, an ID bracelet and safety wristband.

Smart911

This program allows people to register phone numbers with important information (such as diagnoses, medical conditions, allergies, and medicines), which are then automatically displayed when that phone number places an emergency call

Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)

When calling 911, ask if a Crisis Intervention Trained Officer (CIT) can be there due to your child having ASD or a mental health diagnosis.

If I Need Help