Training Will Prepare Local Law Enforcement To Deal With Autism Disorders

Hundreds of law enforcement officers from Union County will gather at Union County College in Cranford today for a training session that will better prepare them to deal with members of the community who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.

"The Center for Disease Control predicts that one in 49 births in New Jersey will result in a child diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Now is the time for law enforcement to be trained in order to help these individuals and their families while avoiding potential pitfalls," according to a statement from the office of Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow, who is hosting the training event.

The sessions will  help give local officers a better understanding of how to deal with people with autism when responding to emergency calls or interacting with the community.

To lead the sessions, Romankow's office has secured the services of one of the country’s leading autism training experts, Dennis Debbaudt, a renowned author and internationally acclaimed autism instructor. He will be discussing ways to increase autism awareness among law enforcement, as well as offering appropriate response, de-escalation methods and safe restraint techniques. More than 250 law enforcement officers representing more than 100 state and federal law enforcement agencies will be in attendance, including the attorney general.

See full coverage of this event tomorrow on Cranford Patch.

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