MT. PENN, Pa. – The Central Berks Regional Police Department is taking an extra step this Autism Awareness Month by using a visible sign to bring about awareness about the condition and how that could impact first responders.
“We really wanted to honor Autism Awareness Month for the month of April, and I am a parent of an autistic child, so this was kind of an idea that we’ve had for a long time,” said Central Berks Officer Sulivette Morales.
Morales is one of the officers behind the department’s push for autism awareness by offering car stickers for residents that read “Occupant with Autism”.
“We really wanted our community to feel seen and heard and we wanted to bring that awareness and make sure that they know we see you, we hear you, we want to collaborate with you,” Morales added.
The decals are meant to be an indicator to officers that there may be an individual in the vehicle who has autism and they should adjust their response accordingly.
“That allows us to change our approach,” explained Morales. “Communication, more patience, better understanding – especially in emergency situations.”
“I think every police officer, every EMT, every first responder needs to understand that an autistic individual is going to handle the situation differently than a neurotypical person,” said Maureen Klahr, the president of the Autism Society of Berks County.
Klahr says the stickers are a great tool. “Think about that someone in the car may be sensitive. They may not be able to listen to multiple step commands, they’re going to be overwhelmed by the situation itself so just take a breath and think about it,” Klahr said.
“Just that awareness alone, I think it creates kind of a moment for the officer to just, for a moment, to step back and think, oh, how am I going to handle this,” added Morales. “Maybe rephrase this, let me use shorter sentences.”