North Texas law enforcement train to recognize and respond to people with autism
ROCKWALL — Officers in Rockwall County are learning how to identify and respond to people with autism. They had the first of two days training starting Thursday during World Autism Month.
The U.S. Department of Justice reports that 20% of people with autism will have an interaction with law enforcement by the time they're 21 years old. The Rockwall Police Department is taking action by learning how to better interact with those on the spectrum.
Bart Barta knows all about police training. The 31-year law enforcement veteran, who is now retired, also found his passion through a personal experience.
"My wife and I have a 20-year-old son who's on the autism spectrum and was diagnosed at age three," Barta said.
Barta founded the training group Autism Safety 101 and travels throughout the country teaching officers how to recognize and respond to those with autism.
"People with autism, they communicate differently," Barta said. "If an officer engages with someone who has autism, and they're not giving them eye contact, that can make the officer think maybe this individual has some guilty behavior. They may not answer or only answer with one word."
Rockwall Police Department Lt. Aaron McGrew said he learned a lot from the class.
"Sometimes autistic individuals engage in what's known as 'stimming.' It is a physically stimulating activity they do to cope with all the things they're braining is processing," McGrew said.
This is Barta's second class. He first came to Rockwall 18 months ago, and the police department said officers have already used that training.
"We had some officers who had an interaction with an individual who's autistic and were quickly able to pick up on that and utilize strategies they had learned," McGrew said.
Those strategies include being patient and staying calm.
"I want officers to understand that people with autism really do want to help," Barta said. "They really do want to cooperate, but sometimes they just need more time."
Barta's time raising a son with autism helps the men and women of the Rockwall Police Department learn how to keep all members of the community safe in the future.
Officers from the Plano Police Department and deputies with the Rockwall County Sheriff's Office are also attending the training here at the Rockwall County Courthouse.