Officers with Columbia PD undergo autism training

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Local law enforcement encounter a range of people and situations every day — which may include interactions with people who have autism.

A new training course will help officers in the Columbia Police Department more effectively communicate when the situation arises.

Stephanie Turner is the Autism Division Director for the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs.

“I think that situations that law enforcement find themselves in, in a crisis is a little bit different than the average teacher or parent, and so we want to give them some more specialized training so that they feel confident that when they walk into that situation they can handle it,” says Turner.

In partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the hour long course Turner helps teach includes characteristics of autism, best communication practices, and available community resources.

Turner says a concern she often hears from parents of children with autism is that first responders may not know what autism is or how it affects their child’s behavior.

“Once you know one person with autism, you know one person with autism. No two of them are the same. So this gives officers kind of the view on the spectrum of autism, what their behaviors can look like in a crisis, and that it’s not necessarily malicious or the intent is to hurt themselves or others, but how can they de-escalate the situation on scene and help this person get to safety,” Turner says.

Corporal William Miller with Columbia PD’s Training Division says putting parents at ease should officers be called to the scene is a top priority.

“It’s extremely important and that’s a part of that communication as well. I know I have two children at home, as well and they’re my number one priority. Everything about them. And so if something was happening with them, and I was having to speak with the police, I want to know they’re doing absolutely everything in perfection with my children,” says Miller.

Turner says officers who complete the course are given a heart shaped pin with puzzle pieces – a commonly known symbol for autism — letting the parents know the officers are there to help.

“We don’t always know what we’re going to. But we always have to keep in the back of our minds that this could be something that falls along these guidelines. We have to be prepared, we can’t necessarily jump into a situation and treat it like everything else,” says Miller.

Miller also says officers will undergo virtual reality training allowing them to experience interactions with an officer as someone with autism would experience them.