By Annette Pinder
In July 2013, a Long Island group home placed a 911 call for help for a resident who was behaving erratically. When officers arrived, they placed him on his stomach, during which he was handcuffed, tasered, and pepper sprayed. The man, who had autism spectrum disorder (ASD), died due to suffocation. Community outrage ensued, demanding proper training of first responders in dealing with individuals with ASD and other disabilities.
Suzanne Reek, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk Chapter of the Autism Society, is a retired NYPD sergeant, and the mom of a 23-year-old severely autistic son. She, too, had to call emergency services during one of her son’s seizures. Upon suggesting that ER medical personnel administer calming medication to her son, they called a Code Gray, alerting ER personnel to the presence of a combative, aggressive, and dangerous person. When security personnel swarmed around her son, it only made things worse.
“First responders are taught to respond quickly, but dealing with ASD, emotional, behavioral, or developmental disabilities requires the opposite. It takes time to think outside the box to come up with helpful and calming solutions,” says Reek. So far, 2,500 first responders have been trained to successfully navigate and deescalate similar situations through a grant provided by the Department of Justice at the request of President Biden and Senator Schumer. Determined to educate first responders statewide, Reek has announced a free First Responder Autism Awareness Training in Western New York on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at Hilbert College’s Swan Auditorium at 5200 South Park Avenue in Hamburg. Attendees can participate in a full-day session from 9 am to 3:30 pm, or half-day session from 9 am to 1:00 pm, during which lunch and snacks will be provided.
Those who attend will learn how to recognize symptoms and behaviors of individuals with ASD, such as pacing, flailing hands, and other repetitive behaviors. They will also receive tools to better handle these situations. Anyone who may potentially come in contact with individuals with ASD or other disabilities should consider attending this free training, which also offers CME credit. This includes all 911 responders, police, EMT workers, ambulance and hospital personnel, doctors, nurses, fire department members, school safety officers, social workers, corrections officers, sheriffs’ departments, and educators.
Presenters are Retired Lieutenant Jimmy Donohoe of the Pensacola Florida Police Department and Retired Captain Bill Cannata of the Westwood Massachusetts Fire Department. Since 2005, both men have trained thousands of first responders to better handle calls involving individuals with ASD and related disabilities, and both have sons on the autism spectrum.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is the fastest-growing neurobiological condition in the world, which means first responders are more likely than ever to encounter a person with ASD during an emergency response. Since autism can impair a person’s ability to communicate and relate to others, these calls can become high risk for both the responder and a person with ASD. Register for the First Responder Training by calling 516-205-9925 or emailing vgarcia@nsasa.org. For additional information about the training visit www.autismwny.org.
