Autism and Shoplifting

The holiday season is finally upon us. For most civilians that means family gatherings, Black Friday deals, tons of decadent treats, trimming the tree and more. For some public safety personnel, it means an increase in public disturbance and shoplifting calls. How does Autism fit into this? There are a few things to consider. At […]

1 in 45 Children Now Diagnosed with Autism: Should We Be Worried?

It’s time to update my website, brochures and training materials again… according to the latest numbers released from the CDC this past Friday (the 13th!), 1 in 45 children in the United States has an autism spectrum disorder. According to livescience.com, this new report is based on data collected during the yearly National Health Interview […]

Does Weather Affect Autistic Behaviors?

Anyone in the Atlanta area can attest to how dreary and frustrating it’s been to wake up to recent days of endless rain. I feel like it’s been raining for months straight! Memes are starting to pop up on Facebook naming us Atlantis or Seattle, Georgia. Oh and the MUD! I have two huskies that […]

Autism Tips for Emergency Responders: Pain Perception

Identifying sensory issues have always played a large role in autism. In fact, it’s what finally led my son to a correct diagnosis. I spend nearly one-third of my autism training class talking about sensory processing and how people with autism perceive the world, because I believe that once emergency responders understand what’s physically going […]

Halloween Safety for Autism Parents and First Responders

Halloween has always been the most important holiday in our house. My daughter would beg me to put up the decorations on September 1st, and then submit long-winded arguments for putting Santa hats on the Halloween décor instead of taking it down for the holiday season. Trick or treating is another story. Take one elaborate […]

Autism in the Emergency Room

Autism families learn fast and early how to effectively anticipate and manage a crisis. When that crisis involves a trip to the emergency room, it can escalate quickly due to the sights, sounds, smells, and accelerated pace of the environment, which can quickly overwhelm an individual with autism. Recognizing that someone has autism is only […]

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5 Ways Autism Skills Can Help Emergency Responders On Scene

The nature of my training classes unfortunately tend to focus on the struggles and deficits side of the autism spectrum, as this is the primary way for responders to quickly identify someone as autistic on the scene of a crime, fire, disaster or medical call and potentially adapt their response. In an emergency situation, being able […]

Using Redirection to Avert Harmful Stimming

Repetitive behaviors such as spinning objects, opening and closing things repeatedly, rocking, arm-flapping, squealing, making loud noises or even hitting are common in those on the autism spectrum. Often ritualistic, they are known as perseveration or self-stimulatory behavior (stimming). While they may seem pointless and “weird” to us, they fulfill a very important function for […]

Autism and the Criminal Justice System

During the introduction of my Autism Training for Emergency Responders class I talk about how special needs individuals are seven times more likely to interact with first responders, usually due to wandering, comorbid medical conditions and severely escalated behaviors that may mimic mental illness, drug abuse or just plain non-compliance. What happens when someone with […]

Emergency Responders: Why Address Sensory Issues First?

Sensory Processing issues play a bigger role in the daily lives of those with Autism and Asperger’s than most people realize. No matter what behavior I’m addressing with my son or what I encounter on a call, I always start with reducing sensory triggers. Years, ago, when I finally had a firm understanding of this […]

Autism Tips for Emergency Responders: Service Dogs on Scene

If you have recently attended one of my Autism Training classes for emergency responders, you’ll recall a short video of a woman’s service dog that alerts to self-harm while she is having a meltdown. You can view that video here. While I included that in my training to illustrate an adult with Asperger’s having a […]

Trix Are for Kids, Autism is Not (Only)

When I first began my Autism Training for Emergency Responders journey, my presentation focused heavily on children with autism, as that was my personal experience. This, of course, is well needed, but with 50,000 autistic teens transitioning into adults each year (with very few resources to aid that transition), my teaching has expanded immensely. Especially […]

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Spirit of Autism, LLC

Autism Training for Emergency Responders • Emergency Preparedness