Been trying for a year now to get a police officer to meet with my autistic teen son during an occupational therapy session so he can get an understanding of what to expect during a contact with PD. Finally happened today. Come home to see a NINE YEAR OLD was

pepper sprayed during a contact with PD.

Today, the officer that met with us (25 year veteran) told my autistic teen son that the energy he gives will be the energy he gets.

BET.

WHAT IN THE EVERLOVING FUCK LED TO A NINE YEAR OLD BEING PEPPER SPRAYED.

So now I gotta follow up with my kid with the "Okay, here's what the PD guy today said, and here's the ACAB version."
Because my son is autistic and autistic men are more likely to have a negative outcome during PD contacts.

It's worth noting, for your knowledge, that autistic men of color are even more likely to have a negative outcome during PD contacts. This is not our issue, but one I would like to magnify.

It's important as you raise your autistic sons that you look within your community and the ones they will be living/working/traveling in and see what kind of training the local PDs have in dealing with autistic teens and men. Because there will eventually be PD contact.

Ask OT to help explain how to behave in the case of a PD contact so that our autistic teens and men and ESPECIALLY OUR AUTISTIC POC understand how to comply to LEO commands so that they can exit a PD contact situation safely.

Demand training at the local PD level. Demand that PD contact be a goal just as reasonable as hygiene and how to nail a job interview for our autistic teens. Work with school "resource officers" and demand they serve as liasons with local LEOs as is their job.

I had to fight with our OT to make running through danger scenarios including PD contact a goal for my "high functioning" son. I had to quote statistics and explain that he's going to eventually move out of our small town bubble.

If he doesn't understand how to interact with LEOs he may very well find himself at gunpoint and he needs to understand how not to. It's urgent for our autistic children and even moreso for our autistic children of color. There is also training available for LEOs. DEMAND IT.

Need help to figure out where to find the training for law enforcement agencies in your area or who to contact to get the ball rolling? I'm happy to help. Shoot me a message.

Need help to have the conversation with your OT to get this as a goal for your kiddo?
Also happy to help.