Heart of the Matter: The Mom Spearheading Police Training on Autism
A cop who is also the mother of a child with autism gives her perspective on policing residents with invisible disabilities, and the value of neurodivergence training.
Wendy Yancey, a police officer of 18 years, is particularly invested in keeping community members with autism safe during police encounters. Yancey is a mother of three, including a nine-year-old son with autism. She is also the founder of a voluntary registry for people with autism and other conditions, which equips first responders in her Sleepy Hollow, New York, community with valuable information. The registry is called H.E.A.R.T.S., which stands for Helping Embrace Autistic Residents Together and Safely.
Officer Yancey offers her perspective, as a mother and a police officer, on ensuring the safety of community members with autism and other invisible disabilities.
Q: What worries you most when you think about your son with autism, or others with disabilities or mental health concerns, encountering the police?
Nationwide, many people, particularly African Americans, have been injured or killed by police officers because of misunderstandings about autism, mental illness, or other conditions. Officers are too quick to get physical, from giving a command to drawing a gun. Where is the in-between?
When my son hears sirens or loud noises, he shuts down and grabs his ears. Sometimes he’s in so much pain, he says that he can’t even hear you speaking. What if an officer is talking to him and he shuts them out, and they misconstrue that as being rude or non-compliant? What if he starts flapping his arms, and they think he is violent?
[Self-Test: Signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children]
Q: How have you benefited from disability awareness training?
I received training to learn how to understand and respond to people with autism. They gave us a lot of insight: statistics, what to look for, and better ways to approach someone when we’re called to a scene.
I learned that people with autism tend to gravitate toward bodies of water, and this can lead to drownings. In Sleepy Hollow, we’re on the Hudson River, so that opened my eyes.
Q: Tell us about the H.E.A.R.T.S. registry you developed.
H.E.A.R.T.S. is a voluntary registration program for people in the community with autism, dementia, and other conditions. You register your loved one by filling out a questionnaire, giving us (first responders) information, so we can make things better when we respond to a call. The questionnaire asks for the person’s address, school, emergency contact, and about fears, favorite things or places, and actions or words to avoid. A parent might write, “My son has an infatuation with trains.”
[Download: The ADHD-Autism Link in Children]
Q: How does a registry help first responders support people with autism?
When we get a call from a mom who says that her son is a little out-of-control, we can check to see if they’re on the registry. If so, the desk officer can tell the dispatched officer, “No lights, no sirens,” so we know not to spook the kid. The responding officer can call the desk and get more information.
If a person is missing, it helps us locate them. A little girl who had autism and was nonverbal was signed up. One day, someone called in and said they saw a child in pajamas in the middle of winter on a busy roadway. Because her picture was in the registry, the officer identified her right away and reunited her with her family.
Autism Awareness: Next Steps
- Upcoming Webinar: AuDHD Guidance: Why Autism Is So Difficult to Diagnose in Women and Girls with ADHD
- Free Download: Free Autism Evaluation Checklist
- Read: ADHD, Anxiety, and Autism — Your AAA Guidebook
- Read: Autism vs. ADHD — A Parent’s Guide to Tricky Diagnoses
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