MariaPaula Ochoa is a passionate television reporter who tells stories that can make a difference. She has many questions about autism, safety and the police. “How do you sensitize the police about autism?” she asked me today when she interviewed me at home. I told her about Experience Autism, the hands-on training I designed for the Los Angeles Police Department and present to other Law Enforcement agencies. Officers try activities that help them experience one feature of autism at a time.

For example, when they struggle trying to clip paperclips to an index card while wearing oven mitts, they feel frustrated. Then they learn how to accommodate fine motor problems when we switch from paper clips to binder clips, and they can successfully complete the task. These activities help the police develop empathy and understanding for people on the spectrum who experience all the symptoms of ASD at once. Watch for the story, airing on the Telemundo National News on Monday August 4 or Tuesday August 5th.

Contact us to bring Experience Autism to your police department.