LAPD Project Update--ASA-Los Angeles

Autism Society of Los Angeles LAPD Autism Awareness Training Project

2009 Project Summary

By Emily Iland, M.A., Project Manager

December 31, 2009

As of today, ASLA chapter leaders and project volunteers have personally provided autism awareness training for over 2,000 LAPD personnel, including patrol officers, the Mental Evaluation Unit, the SMART Team, the SWAT team, 911 operators, jail personnel, detectives and general services police who you might meet at the zoo or in public libraries. The response to the training has been very positive. Our project is unique because as often as possible, a person with autism participates in the training to bring the "face of autism" to the officers and help them relate on a personal level to people of all ages and abilities on the spectrum.

Looking back at our original plan for the LAPD Autism Awareness project that started in 2007, we anticipated having ASLA volunteers and their family members go to LAPD roll call trainings at their local police stations. The Valley Bureau (San Fernando Valley) was the first area of focus. Dozens of volunteers for that area were contacted, and all stations were served.

It became clear, however, that this method was not efficient and was not the best way to meet the needs of the department. LAPD officials decided it would be more effective to integrate the Autism Awareness Training into existing department trainings, whenever and wherever they are taking place. This way, many more departments and staff can participate, rather than only reaching patrol officers. The "integrated" method was used in 2009 to reach about 1,000 personnel.

Rather than have a variety of volunteers, the department requested to have a single lead trainer who is available 7 days a week for staff training. I was asked to take on that role, which I accepted. Sometimes I train on my own, but whenever possible a person with ASD and/or another volunteer is part of the training. There have been many success stories related to improved understanding, recognition and response.

Detective III Gilbert Escontrias of the Mental Evaluation Unit (MEU), who initiated the project with our chapter, continues as the Department liaison for the project, providing response and safety information for each training presentation. Officer Elizabeth Reyes and Officer Vivian Chester coordinated the schedule and also supported the presentation in the past year. They are all excellent and dedicated partners in this effort and have contributed greatly to its success.

Project volunteers also participated in a new training opportunity; a live training day for the Mental Evaluation Unit in which volunteers with autism and their parents played out various real-life scenarios in a simulated town so that detectives could practice interacting with people with autism and their families.

During the various trainings, it became clear that many LAPD officers are personally affected by autism. The Autism Society of Los Angeles helped form the LAPD Autism Support Group. Led by LAPD personnel from throughout the department, the group continues to grow and serve the particular needs of LAPD families.

The public outreach component of the Autism Awareness project has included presentations at conferences in partnership with the LAPD to discuss safe behaviors and prevention of problems for those with disabilities (for TASH, Foothill Autism Alliance, and the Autism Society of Los Angeles.) We (Emily and Detective Escontrias) will be presenting together at the Autism Conference in Anaheim in February. Officer Elizabeth Reyes of the Mental Evaluation Unit and I were interviewed live in Spanish for the Telemundo news show. That same morning, Officer Reyes and I had an unexpected chance to talk to Mayor Antonio Villarigosa about the autism awareness project! He was very pleased to hear about the project and its impact.

Due to past experience with law enforcement training, involvement with the LAPD project, and work with the California Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism, I was invited to be one of the Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to help create the State of California Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) DVD on autism. The content of the LAPD training was integrated into the POST material. The 2-hour DVD will be called Autism Spectrum Disorders: Recognition and Response and will be provided free of charge to all law enforcement agencies in the state in mid to late 2010.

The creation of the POST training is the realization of a dream. Caroline Wilson and I were two of the people who brought the need for statewide law enforcement training to the California Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism. Because the Commission recognized this key priority, the Commission drafted legislation to create training materials, and the bill was passed. The final version of the law did not mandate that training must be done, just that the materials be created and provided at no cost to all law enforcement agencies in the state. Now, we will work with the Senate Select Committee on autism to facilitate/encourage the use of the training materials locally and throughout the state.

The Autism Society LAPD Autism Awareness Project is a source of pride both to the LAPD and to our chapter because it is proactive, personal, and effective. Looking ahead, there are many thousands more who need to be trained and the project will continue. The new materials from POST will bring more opportunities and we will strategize how to best respond to the needs in our area, perhaps adapting our plans again. We will keep our members and volunteers informed about plans and progress, and any volunteer opportunities that become available.

Respectfully submitted,

Emily Iland

Project Manager, Autism Society of Los Angeles LAPD Autism Awareness Training

August 3, 2008

The Los Angeles Police Commission honored the Autism Society of America Los Angeles Chapter for the LAPD Autism Awareness Project on May 13, 2008. Pictured left to right are: Commissioner Robert M. Saltzman, MEU Detective Gil Escontrias, Commission President Anthony Pacheco, ASA LA Project Manager Emily Iland, ASA LA President Caroline Wilson, Commisioner Andrea Ordin, and Commissioner Alan J. Skobin.

update

ASA-LA/LAPD Autism Awareness Project
The Autism Society of America- Los Angeles Chapter
&
The Los Angeles Police Department

Update by
Emily D. Iland, Project manager
August 6, 2008

One year ago, Detective Gil Escontrias called the Autism Society of America, Los Angeles Chapter, and asked us to help develop and implement autism awareness training with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Detective Escontrias is with the Mental Evaluation Unit (MEU) that typically assists officers dealing with persons with mental illness. The MEU was receiving more and more calls involving people with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Detective Escontrias and his supervisors wanted to prepare LAPD officers to recognize and respond effectively to people with ASD. The ASA LAPD Autism Awareness Project is a proactive response to this need in the Los Angeles area. Interest grew throughout the LAPD, including Police Commissioner Anthony Pacheco, who has taken a personal interest in supporting and expanding our efforts.

Thanks to a successful collaboration, much has been accomplished in the past year.

- Project managers Emily Iland and Caroline Wilson developed the training content and trained more than 50 volunteers to present the information to officers. Volunteers are parents, professionals and people with ASD. Volunteers from Autism Speaks, Fiesta Educativa and Easter Seals are among the advocacy groups that accepted ASA LA's invitation to participate in this community effort.

- Personalizing Autism. Our project is novel because not only do we share essential information, we include individuals on the spectrum in the trainings. Personalizing the experience by putting a "face" to autism has been a meaningful and effective way for LAPD officers to understand the unique needs of those with ASD.

- LAPD department experts discuss the tactical aspects of the trainings (suggestions for officers about how to respond). It is handled by, in particular, Detective Escontrias, who works closely with our volunteers and is sensitive to the issues involved in improving response. Sergeant Danyell Enriquez of the MEU is a welcome addition to our team, helping coordinate our efforts and expand our reach. Sergeant Enriquez is the sister of a man with ASD.

- Close to 600 LAPD officials have been trained in brief roll call trainings and in longer department trainings. LAPD officials, officers, detectives, 911 operators, and even members of the SWAT team have participated during more than 20 awareness events. Groups have ranged from 8 to 80 participants. The impact was expanded by coverage in the media of several of the events, and related news stories.

- Success stories directly related to the trainings have been shared by LAPD officers. In one case, a trained MEU detective was called in to help a man with ASD who was highly agitated. The detective was able to use the information from the training to calm the man and completely turn the situation around. In another case, the LAPD North Hollywood department answered a call to help someone with autism within an hour of completing the training! The officers reported that the awareness information was very helpful in their response.

- The Los Angeles Police Commission honored the ASA- Los Angeles Chapter for this project on May 13, 2008. Emily Iland and Caroline Wilson accepted the beautiful commendation certificate on behalf of our chapter and all of our volunteers. We had the opportunity to address the commission about the importance of this project and hear the commissioners' positive and encouraging feedback. The commissioners stated that this project is an extraordinary effort and model of responsive community policing for the state and the country. Commissioners described the content of the trainings as "impactful" and "clear." Portions of the event were broadcast on KNX 1070 radio.

- Thank you to our excellent volunteers who have presented at numerous training opportunities so far, including: Police Commissioner Anthony Pacheco, Judy Andrews, Jeanette Darlington, Evan Darlington, Glen Darlington, Phillip Hain, Andrew Hain, Tom Iland, Rita Raskin, Ron Osburn and Pat Grayson-Dejong. Our volunteers made themselves available on very short notice, had very positive responses from officers and answered many questions. Volunteers Gabriela and Teresa Quevedo, who are well-known television personalities on Univision, expanded public awareness with several news stories about the ASA-LA LAPD autism awareness project.

- Autism affects the LAPD. By opening the dialogue on autism, it was discovered that many LAPD officers have children or other family members with autism spectrum disorders. As a result, an autism support group for LAPD will be launched on August 13, 2008 with the assistance of ASA LA and community partners, including: Fiesta Educativa, Autism Speaks, Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), Families for Early Autism Treatment (FEAT) and the Foothill Autism Alliance (FAA).

- As a direct result of the training, the LAPD became very aware of sensory issues of people with ASD. The issue of sensitivity to handcuffs was discussed in depth. The department is interested in acquiring soft restraints that can be used instead of metal handcuffs for those who need them (dependent on budgetary issues).

- Future directions for this project include scheduling training in all LAPD divisions. Other possibilities include creating a videotape version of the information. Training for members of the autism community to help reduce risk and improve interactions in emergency or criminal situations will be offered in the future by LAPD in an "Autism Awareness Day" as part of this partnership.

You can get involved! Your continued support is invited! We invite your donations of time or funding to the Autism Society of America Los Angeles Chapter to support the current project, expansion of the project, and assist with the purchase of soft restraints. We would love to be able to raise the funds to present two sets of soft restraints to all 19 LAPD Police Divisions!

Tips for Families and Professionals

Our interactions with hundreds of LAPD officers have brought some very important information into focus. Here are some ideas to act on now, to prepare for the future and improve outcomes.

Reduce Risk. Identify behaviors that could cause the person to become involved in a criminal situation, and work on replacing risky behaviors with safe behaviors. These include taking "No" for an answer, respecting personal boundaries, and asking for help.
Practice Safe Response. Watch TV scenes of people calmly following an arrest routine. Talk about and even role-play the steps involved. Emphasize how to follow officer instructions and how to cooperate calmly with the procedure. Plan and practice what to do in the event of an arrest.
Go to a Community Safety Fair. Emergencies can be particularly stressful for people on the spectrum. Get to know local first responders. Practice getting into an ambulance or patrol car. Plan and practice what to do in the event of an emergency.
Increase Comfort/Visibility Levels. Visit the local fire station. Tour the local police station and introduce the person with ASD. Take advantage of local registries or 911 tags that may exist in your community. Look into tracking devices, particularly for those who might wander away.
Protect their rights in an arrest situation. A criminal situation or arrest can be traumatizing for someone with ASD. Even those who can communicate well may become confused in an interview situation. Teach people with ASD to answer "No" when the person is asked whether they understand their rights! That way, someone can be called who can help the person communicate and share information appropriately (to protect the person's right to not incriminate himself). Similarly, the person can be taught to ask for a lawyer or parent before speaking with police.
Identify Autism, Asperger's or PDD. Parents or caregivers should immediately tell first responders that a person has autism. This information should be documented in all police reports. The Americans with Disabilities Act allows for reasonable accommodations for those with disabilities or those perceived to have a disability. This can include help communicating, being held separately from the general jail population, soft restraints, etc, based on the person's needs. The person with ASD should be taught to tell officers from the start that he or she has ASD. Identification bracelets or tags are a great help. If the person with ASD carries ID card or autism awareness card, be sure the person knows to ask before reaching into their pocket to show it to a law enforcement official, or gives it when asked to show an ID or drivers license.

February 5, 2008

Los Angeles Police Department
Autism Training Update

Thank you all for your continued interest and support for the ASA Los Angeles Autism Awareness Training for LAPD officers. To date 11 trainings have been held for approximately 550 total LAPD personnel, including officers at roll calls at West LA, Pacific, Van Nuys, Wilshire and North Hollywood Stations. SWAT team members, detectives, and an enthusiastic group of 911 operators have participated in a longer version of the training during their Crisis Intervention Trainings (CIT).

Police Commissioner Anthony Pacheco led the well-attended training at the Wilshire District in December. Commissioner Pacheco confirmed the Department’s commitment to this autism education program and the partnership with ASA Los Angeles. The response to the content and format of the training has been very positive and the officers have been very receptive to the volunteers.

We anticipate that roll call trainings will be scheduled more regularly February through April of 2008. The schedule is based on the availability of LAPD staff. We always have to be accompanied by a Detective who gives the tactical part of the presentation. Up to this point it was tied to Det. Escontrias’ work schedule and his many commitments and we are fortunate to have accomplished what we have with these understandable contraints. We expect to move ahead now because Detective Escontrias has assigned two more detectives from the Mental Evaluation Unit to go with us. As stations and times are selected by the LAPD, we will continue to contact volunteers based on the availability you have indicated on your volunteer form.

Sometimes there will be short notice for a session, so please do not feel bad if you are not available when we call a day before an event! Also know that we are making lots of calls, but if the time or day we need to cover does not match your availability, you will not hear from us! We will be sure to give all our volunteers updates more regularly and keep you informed about our progress in the 19 stations.

We are also planning a safety fair with the LAPD in May. There will be emergency vehicles available for our family members to get comfortable with the procedures and equipment involved in an emergency. We will need volunteers for the event and will keep you posted

Best regards,

Emily Iland and Caroline Wilson