PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Pennsylvania State Police have a new resource for people with autism. They unveiled information cards on Monday to improve communication with officers.
The police want people with autism to carry the cards with them and show them to officers so that they can respond appropriately. The goal is to avoid communication barriers during an emergency.
The information cards were created after Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and State Police Col. Christopher Paris met with autism advocates.
“When an officer is notified that a person has autism, they can respond accordingly, resulting in a safer interaction for everyone involved,” Paris said in a statement.
The cards instruct officers to be patient, use a calm and direct voice, and keep their questions and commands simple.
The information cards can be taken physically or stored digitally on a phone.
You can print the cards from the Pennsylvania State Police website.
