Florida House Seeking Autism Training for Law Enforcement

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As Representative Jenne told students of Nova Southeastern College of Psychology like Ana Jessica Alfaro and members of the Florida Association of School Psychologists, an association backed by Cerra Consulting, the bill may face unintended political challenges. Jenne described to these groups that when members see a bill like HB39, they are inclined to add a mental condition that particularly affects their district to the training curriculum. While in theory it seems like a good idea for law enforcement to know about more types of conditions, in practice it is not so simple. If every member that supported the measure tagged on another condition, then the result would be an overly general, inadequate training that leaves law enforcement no more knowledgeable than before. Industry experts like Dr. Cash contend that more time ought to be spent educating on a smaller number of conditions, that way they are actually effective. To enlarge the bill with many other conditions would make it clunky politically, harder to send through committees, and thus less likely to succeed.