KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — A new Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office initiative is geared toward improving interactions between deputies and people on the autism spectrum.
Officials are providing decals, a discreet way to let deputies know that someone with autism is in a car or a home.
Rebecca Adams, a mother of two children on the autism spectrum, said it’s a positive step. To her, the new program comes at a time when understanding and acceptance of autism have grown greatly.
“You didn’t really talk about it much. Most stores didn’t know about it. Employees didn’t know very much about it. Now I go places and there’s sensory bags. You know, they are handing out stickers for the local community. I mean, it’s amazing how much the awareness has been brought up,” said Adams.
As a pediatric speech therapist, she said most of her pediatric clients are autistic. Because of that, she’s glad to see a new initiative from the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office, especially when following a routine is so important for her family. Any break in the norm, like a traffic stop or getting gas, could affect that.
“So, he is wondering, why are we stopping? And so he might try to open the door and if the cop isn’t aware that somebody in the car is on the spectrum and maybe eloping, you know, it can just really, you know, go bad in so many ways,” she said.
Kelise Stewart is the clinical supervisor at the Kalamazoo Autism Center. She has heard of other agencies adopting similar programs. It can help first responders think of another way to approach a situation.
“Those with the diagnosis may have some difficulty with communication. They may have some social difficulties, they may not understand what’s happening around them, especially in these high-stress situations,” said Stewart.
Among the positive feedback, there is some criticism. Part of the autism community is stepping away from the puzzle piece icon, opting for the infinity symbol with a rainbow color gradient. Michigan State Police and the Alpena County Sheriff’s Office have similar programs, both using the puzzle piece iconography.
Adams suggested her own changes to the sticker as well as language used, another point of debate among the community.
“If I could, I would make the background red and just have an Infinity symbol and use ‘autistic child’ instead of ‘child with autism,'” she said.
In an email to News 8, Undersheriff Michelle Greenlee said the sheriff’s office is aware of the feedback.
“We actively engage and like hearing community feedback, whether it’s positive or negative; it helps us grow. While the puzzle piece is nationally used and accepted, we recognize that things change, and we definitely want to be as inclusive as we can moving forward,” she said.
People interested in the program can pick up the stickers from the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office during regular business hours or request one from a deputy.