People with I/DD may repeat words, avoid eye contact, or run from authorities when they’re approached. They often can’t communicate clearly. Their behaviors can escalate a tense situation and make it worse. Getting stopped by police is stressful for anyone, but individuals with special needs can be mistaken as criminals or troublemakers when officers do not understand their behaviors.

According to research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, people with disabilities and Autism are more likely to be incarcerated than people in the general population. Civilian injuries and fatalities during police interactions are more common for this group, too. A lack of understanding how to interact with law enforcement can make one with special needs feel fearful of trusting the police when their services are needed.

A few years ago, we had a situation where a young man on the Autism spectrum at our vocational center in Broken Arrow walked off campus. I was walking with him down the road and the police arrived. I turned to them for help, but they refused to take him home or anywhere. They just said that he can make his own decisions. I tried explaining that he was with our agency as a vocational client with I/DD, and that for his safety, he needed to get into a vehicle, but they weren’t understanding of his condition. The client and I walked two miles until he stopped to get a beverage at a convenience store, and we were able to safely return to the vocational center.

I was so frustrated by the lack of understanding in this experience that I called someone I knew at a local police station and and talked to her about the situation. I then talked to the police chief, who told me his officers do not receive training on Autism, and that they were handling situations the best way they knew how. He invited me to do a short 15-minute training for them, and I knew I could help offer a solution, so I set up a day for us to conduct the workshop. There were 15 - 20 officers present. An Autism Works Program Coordinator and myself conducted the training. It was very basic. There is another individual in the Tulsa metro who does these trainings now, and I hope they’re increasing with frequency and popularity as we hear about misunderstandings far too often that result in the injury or death of a vulnerable individual.

Overall, there is a big deficit in mental health trainings across the board. Parents of kids with Autism and developmental disabilities can help prepare them for an encounter with the police, but that’s only a small part of a solution. For law enforcement, proactive education on behaviors associated with I/DD can save lives. Increased training for officers on how to approach disabled people can create greater understanding across the greater population so that our most vulnerable community members are not left to experience injustice beyond their control.

Roxie Metz, LMSW

Behavior Support Program Manager