Autism and Policing

Picture a teenager wandering the street, behaving erratically. Police try to stop and talk with him, he reacts angrily and maybe runs. The police chase and catch him but it’s a struggle. What the police don’t know is that the kid has autism. Run-ins between police and autistic people are increasing, but the training for police in recognizing the signs of autism is minimal or even non-existent in many places. Now that’s starting to change.