Carrollton police equip officers with autism support kits for better emergency response

By ERIN JONES

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    CARROLLTON, Texas (KTVT) — Carrollton police are adding a new tool to their arsenal. They’ve been given special kits to help them respond to people on the spectrum.

“In the case of an emergency, we are going to encounter autistic citizens who either don’t recognize the danger that they’re in or the danger has overwhelmed their senses, and we need to find a way to make a connection with them,” Sgt. John Martin said.

The Hussman Institute for Autism, based in Maryland, has created autism support kits to make interactions easier. They offer tools that address challenges with communication and sensory perception.

Recently, Carrollton police received 10 kits. They include communication boards, ID/information sentence starters, reassuring phrases, sunglasses and sensory items.

“It’s come to light that there are a lot more autistic citizens than we thought,” Martin said. “We on average have one call per week or 52 in a year. You’ll see instances where someone has a light sensitivity or a hearing sensitivity or they lack the ability to speak, and in those cases, we need to be able to meet them where they are.”

They know these tools will help them do that.

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