BOUNTIFUL, Utah — In the shadow of the growing backlash over national plans to create a registry to track those with autism, a Utah group is spreading awareness by delivering sensory bags to educate people in different fields.
“We’re going corner to corner across the state, giving every department, every sheriff’s office and every hospital some bags to use,” said Michelle Hiles with the Autism Council of Utah. “Our goal is to have one in the back of every patrol car.”
The council believes the bags will provide a valuable tool in overwhelming situations.
“This comes in handy because some of our individuals are non-verbal or they become non-verbal in crisis situations,” Hiles added. “They’ll recognize this from school or an app on their phone.”
Each of the Bountiful Police Department's patrol cars is equipped with a kit.
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“I would say these encounters are becoming a lot more common and we’re trying to evolve as a profession," explained Sgt. Sam Woodall with the department. "We now have mandated autism training, and I just think we’re going to continue to build and have extra resources, and I think this is a great addition to what we’re already trying to do."
According to Woodall, Bountiful officers deal with mental health crises or autism related situations on a daily basis, and just two days after receiving the new kits, officers put them to work.
“We had [a person] here at the police department and we could definitely tell that they were getting a little bit antsy and uncomfortable, we were just given [kits] two days prior, so we took one in and provided it to that person, and they loved it and it calmed them right down,” Woodall explained.
The bags are filled with simple items, like a fidget spinner and headphones, and they work well for individuals with autism.
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Hiles said some people with autism naturally do things that draw attention, like stemming or not following commands. She believes that providing education to law enforcement in the form of the kits can help in future situations.
“It’s a stressful situation from both parties,” Hiles added. “So we are just so happy to be able to help and bring calm to any situation that is going on.”
Sgt. Woodall said just having more awareness is important.
“Training and finding different resources that we can use that makes us more effective out in the field and dealing with people with autism."
