Tennessee police learn specialized training for interactions involving people with autism
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FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WSMV) – Police departments from across Middle Tennessee are learning new ways to protect and serve people with autism through a groundbreaking training program that launched this week in Franklin.
The two-day conference comes as new research from Vanderbilt shows the number of children in Tennessee diagnosed with autism has doubled over the past decade, creating an urgent need for specialized law enforcement training.
“We deal with these situations all the time. Whether it be a missing person or just somebody who is overstimulated,” said Dillon Lipinski, a major crimes detective with the Franklin Police Department. “I am just trying to help people better understand autism and how to respond to it effectively.”
The issue hits close to home for Lipinski, who has a son with autism. He understands firsthand how people on the spectrum can react differently in high-stress situations, like a traffic stop or other interaction with a police officer, and emphasized that each person’s experience with autism is unique.
Lipinski explained that officers need to adjust their approach when interacting with people who have autism, focusing on de-escalation and talking with someone person-to-person.
“They can get overwhelmed quickly. They can get overstimulated,” Lipinski said. “If we know how to better respond to that, we can kind of slow it down and respond in a more calm way and make them feel comfortable about it too because we don’t always need to be authoritarian.”
The training teaches officers to recognize signs that someone might have autism and provides practical strategies for various scenarios. Officers even practiced real-world situations interacting with volunteer community members with autism.
Practical tools for officers
Tanner Smith from the hit Netflix show “Love on the Spectrum” gave the keynote address at the training alongside his mother, Nicci Smith.
She shared stories that emphasized how easily autism behaviors can be mistaken for being on drugs or other issues, especially in adults who may not appear to have a disability.
“So many of the things that Tanner does can be so easily misinterpreted,” Nicci Smith said. “Because he is 5′10″ and a very typical looking man, if you don’t know what he has going on, it can really quickly become an undesirable situation.”
She stressed the importance of officers considering autism as a possibility before making assumptions about someone’s behavior.
Smith also said officers should turn off their bright flashing lights and loud sirens when interacting with someone on the spectrum because many people have extreme sensitivity to stimulants.
“I just think having knowledge of how autism can present so differently and the different mannerisms and things they might encounter when they find someone on the spectrum,” Smith said. “If that is the first thing they think, rather than assuming something else, and can approach them with caution and compassion. I think it can make all the difference in the world.”
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Smith believes the specialized training will help officers recognize autism traits more quickly than they would without proper education.
It’s important for officers to be aware of the signs someone might have autism and not be afraid to ask the person what accommodations they might need. Some people with autism don’t like to be touched or need additional time to process what they’re being asked before answering.
The University of Tennessee Law Enforcement Innovation Center hosted the event and plans to expand the program statewide, with the goal of training every police department in Tennessee to better serve people with autism.
Many departments already have programs and systems in place to help people with autism interact with police.
The Mount Juliet Police Department has developed practical resources including stickers parents can place on their cars notifying officers there is a child with autism and posters that help officers communicate with people who are non-verbal.
Every officer attending the training received a sensory bag they can keep in their patrol car designed to help process interactions and keep them from being overstimulated.
Smith praised the sensory bag initiative, saying it provides peace of mind for families and practical help for officers in various situations.
“I think that is so cool because even if they are helping someone, like they were lost or confused and you are getting them home, giving them ways to calm down is just incredible,” Smith said.
She emphasized that better communication and understanding between law enforcement and the autism community benefits everyone.
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