The Scott Center for Autism Treatment at the Florida Institute of Technology will begin training police officers how to better respond to calls involving people with autism.
Educating officers and giving them the tools they need to avoid potentially fatal misunderstandings is the Scott Center’s newest focus, and has been the No. 1 request from local emergency personnel. Partnered with the Rockledge Police Department, the Scott Center’s autism experts have come up with a “unique, brand new curriculum” to train officers how to recognize symptoms of the condition that affects 1 in 68 children, said Kelley.
“It’s not just families that come in contact with children with autism, but it’s professionals,” said Kelley. “Parents have to bring their children to get their hair cut, they have emergencies. So they come in contact with doctors, dentists, with police officers and with fire fighters and with every other kind of professional that you can think of.” More information about Scott Center
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