Scott Schuelke, a retired police officer from Michigan, has a new mission: To educate first responders on how to properly interact with people who have an autism spectrum disorder.
According to the Associated Press, the former Lansing police sergeant now works for the Autism Alliance of Michigan as an autism safety specialist. He hosts seminars and training workshops to educate law enforcement officials about the disorders, which typically involve social and language barriers. Schuelke wants first responders to be able to effectively interact with autistic people they may encounter on the job or elsewhere in their lives.
The source noted that the former cop served on the force for 25 years. In his new role, he has hosted over 300 seminars and educated almost 10,000 people throughout the nation, just within the past three years.
Many cops who have experienced the training seminars feel that the information was extremely helpful. Often, they think back to situations where they had a hard time getting through to someone and realize that person was probably on the autism spectrum. If only they had had the proper communication resources, things could have gone a lot smoother. Some of Schuelke's students have children with autism, and they appreciate the skills they learned from the helpful seminars.
According to the Autism Alliance of Michigan, Schuelke covers a variety of topics throughout his training sessions. He focuses on risks that are close to home, such as people with autism wandering away – particularly to dangerous bodies of water – or having access to toxins. School risks are also highlighted, particularly the effects that bullying can have on someone dealing with autism and the potential for injury.
"The more we know about autism, then the better service that we can provide," stated seminar participant Mark Boody.