Florida House Seeking Autism Training for Law Enforcement

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HB39 would require law enforcement officials to attend 4 hours of in-person instruction about the symptoms and idiosyncrasies of an individual on the autism disorder spectrum and appropriate responses to a person exhibiting such qualities. Qualified psychology experts and graduate students have come from all over the state to speak with legislators in support of this measure, discussing how signs of autism are rarely obvious and thus require time intensive training to become familiar with the nuanced indications.

Dr. Ralph Cash, a licensed psychologist and Clinical Psychology professor at Nova Southeastern University, was among those who made the journey to Tallahassee to emphasize the need for additional and specialized training in light of how autism may go undetected or mistaken for aggressive behavior by law enforcement officials. Along with other members of the Committee for Education of Exceptional Children (CEES), Dr. Cash and his graduate Psychology students spoke with legislators like Senator Book (D), Senator Baxley (R), Representative Stark (D), and Representative Jenne about the issue. While these legislators are sympathetic to the cause and perceive it mostly as a common sense issue, there could be political aspects that hinder HB39’s success.