Why You Should Train for Contacts with Autistic Persons

POLICE contributing editor Doug Wyllie speaks with Seattle Police Officer Chris Christman about what officers need to know when contacting autistic subjectes.

Doug Wyllie Crop Headshot

It is not unusual for law enforcement officers to be called out for incidents involving autistic subjects. Autistic persons are prone to wandering away from their homes and officers are often called to help find them. Officers are also brought into contact with autistic persons when they experience distress in public. Seattle Officer Chris Christman, who trains officers on contacting autistic persons, discusses the need for minimizing the sensory input that the autistic person is experiencing during the contact, some of the behaviors autistic persons may present during the contact, and the types of behaviors that bring officers into contact with people on the autism spectrum.

 

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Doug Wyllie Crop Headshot
Contributing Editor
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