YORK COUNTY, Va. — There’s a new initiative at the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office to bring awareness to autism and how deputies interact with someone who may have it.
“Going back and looking at some of the calls we’ve had in the last few years, we’ve actually dealt with many more people that were autistic than we really realized at the time,” said Sheriff Ron Montgomery.
He said his deputies have already completed three training sessions on the topic, and out of that training came magnetic car decals.
"When the deputies see these, they recognize them on the rear of the vehicle. And it lets you know that either the driver of the car, or someone in the vehicle, potentially is someone that has been diagnosed with autism,” said Montgomery.
There's another part of the initiative, called a "heads up" form. Citizens can fill it out to give first responders advanced notice before coming to their house that someone inside may have autism.
These tools, and more, make mother Melissa Sadler feel a little more at ease. Her 11-year-old son Adan is neurodiverse.
“My son may not be looking at you straight in the eye if he’s in a situation that’s scary. He may go into fight or flight mode where he just decides to run,” said Sadler.
She said having something like a small toy, or even ear muffs for those with sensory issues, could help. The Sheriff's Office has those, as well as an emergency communication board for those who are nonverbal.
“It’s just comforting to know they’re getting training to recognize that someone might be responding differently,” said Sadler.
If you want a decal, you can swing by the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office. Heads up forms can be found here.
