How Police Learn to Work with People with Autism
The officer did not understand Connor's behavior
When the officer approached Connor and asked what he was doing, Connor truthfully replied, “I’m stimming.” Stimming is a common behavior for people with autism, and involves repetitive behaviors, such as flapping the arms or repetition of words. The officer, being unfamiliar with the term, got confused by Connor and the situation very quickly escalated. Thankfully, Diane returned and was able to intervene before any violence occurred. But, Connor was still wrongfully accosted by the officer and pinned to the ground, and it all could have been avoided if the officer had proper training on autism.