Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorders

With an ever-growing population of individuals with autism and because school resource officers will inevitably come into contact with individuals diagnosed with ASDS, it is vital that officers become skilled in the recognition of behavioral symptoms of these conditions and develop effective communication and response strategies. Also, because individuals with autism are frequently enrolled in special education services, it is important that school resource officers have basic knowledge of special education rules and regulations that may affect how an officer responds to a child with ASD who is in a crisis situation.

This seven-hour course will provide fundamental information about what autism is, its associated behavioral characteristics, effective interpretation of behavior, risk management for both the officer and the student, initial response and communication/interviewing strategies. It will also address the alarmingly high victimization rate experienced by people with autism, and provide tips to SROs charged with preventing and investigating these incidents.

• This class is 7 hours.
• Class hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• This class is available at no charge.