How Police Learn to Work with People with Autism

Another eyebrow-raising event recently took place in Arizona. In this case, police stumbled upon 14-year-old Connor, who has autism, standing alone in the park while his caretaker briefly went inside. His caretaker, Diane Craglow, says that letting him be alone in familiar places for short periods of time is good for his growing independence. She was shocked when she returned outside and saw a police officer standing over the boy, ready to handcuff him. As body camera footage revealed, the police officer saw Connor standing alone and moving his arms, and thought he might be using drugs.