The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

This presentation will provide an overview of a model that was developed to provide transition youth and adults with autism spectrum disorders information on the hidden curriculum of interacting with law enforcement. The model brought together the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities, the Autism Society of Northwest Ohio, and the Toledo Police Department to collaborate on the development of the training. Presenters will describe how they developed this model, the curriculum content, lessons learned, and ideas for replication. According to research individuals with autism spectrum disorders or other developmental disabilities are seven times more likely than neurotypical individuals to encounter law enforcement officers (Debbaudt & Rothman, 2001). Often these encounters have less than favorable outcomes. For example, in May of 2010 a young man on Tybee Island, Georgia had an interaction with police. Both the individual with an autism spectrum disorder and the police officers were unprepared for the encounter. Consequently, the youth with an autism spectrum disorder was tasered, restrained, and hurt. The police officers lost their jobs.

Sheila Wagner, an expert on inclusive practices, suggests there is much we can do to prepare for this probability (2010). Ms. Wagner proposes intervention/education needs to happen not only with law enforcement but the individual with an autism spectrum disorder and his/her family. This three pronged strategy targets all persons involved who have accountability in the interaction. Autism safety expert, Dennis Debbaudt has made a career of training law enforcement professionals how to interact with individuals who have autism spectrum disorders. Mr. Debbaudt, in collaboration with the Autism Society, has developed the Safe and Sound Initiative which includes information for families, professionals that support individuals with autism, and law enforcement officers. In an effort to address the “third prong,” the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities and the Autism Society of Northwest Ohio, in collaboration with the Toledo Police Department, developed a model for teaching transition youth and adults on the autism spectrum the hidden curriculum of interacting with law enforcement.

The importance of the hidden curriculum has been documented by Brenda Smith Myles and others in the field of autism. Encounters with law enforcement officers are a primary example of how not understanding the hidden curriculum could impact an individual’s safety.

The hidden curriculum is complex, elusive and can change overtime (Myles, Trautman & Schelvan, 2004). School age children are often told that police officers are our friends. We further teach school age children with an autism spectrum disorder how to interact with friends. Many of these skills are not appropriate for interacting with law enforcement as individuals with ASD get older. Consequently, in order to not put transition and older individuals with autism spectrum disorders at risk we must re-teach that law enforcement officers are authority figures that make assumptions based on expected and unexpected behavior and have a rigid protocol once a person has been arrested.

This presentation will describe the structure and curriculum of the training for youth and adults that was developed to address this need. The training was organized into two sessions. Parents/care providers met separately during the first session to hear an attorney involved with the juvenile justice system speak about competency. Parents/care providers were encouraged to sit in on the second session with the individuals.

The curriculum included:  

• Role of law enforcement officers
• Expected and unexpected behavior from the police officer’s point of view
• Carrying identification
• How to behave when one is first stopped
• Disclosing one’s ASD
• Learning and reporting personal identifiers
• The difference between detainment and arrest
• When and how to ask for an attorney

The trainers will describe and show examples of the methods used to provide instruction including short lecture, Power Point presentations, video modeling, role play, visual supports, guest speakers, handouts, quizzes, review, and differentiated instruction. Visual supports and “classroom rules” used to maintain structure will also be examined.

Finally, the presenters will detail session planning and development, curriculum ideas, participant recruitment, the structure of the training, instructional methods, behavioral supports, evaluations, and follow up.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will learn the hidden curriculum of interacting with law enforcement.

 Participants will learn how to replicate a model to teach transition youth and adults on the autism spectrum the hidden curriculum of interacting with law enforcement.

References:

Autism Society (n.d.) Safe and sound campaign. Retrieved December 9, 2010: http://www.autismsociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_safeandsound

Debbaudt, D., & Rothman, D. (2001). Contact with individuals with autism: effective resolutions. The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. April 2001.

Myles, B., Trautman, M., & Schelvan , R.(2004). The hidden curriculum: practical solutions for understanding unstated rules in social situations. Shawnee Mission,  KS. Autism Asperger Publishing.

Wagner, S., (2010). Inclusive programming for individuals with autism spectrum disorder: from kindergarten to adulthood [power point slide 32-46] Practical Solutions Workshop, Toledo, OH.

 

Learning Objectives: