A Nationally Accredited Law Enforcement Training Academy

Course Description: The purpose of this hybrid course is to train first responders across Virginia on safe, evidence-based, and community-informed procedures for supporting people with autism in crisis. Content covered will include a description of what autism is, how to recognize it, how to successfully communicate with autistic people, how to de-escalate them during crisis, locate them during wandering episodes, and connect them and your agency with follow-up resources. This training meets the new HB1246 law-enforcement training requirement, which will mandate autism training for law enforcement by 2027.

Instructors for the in-person component have lived experiences with autism and as first responders. This course is intended to teach interdisciplinary audiences (i.e., law enforcement, emergency medical services, and fire rescue) how to collaboratively respond to and support the autism community.