Nonprofit Donates Autism Sensory Kits To Anne Arundel County Police

Press release from the Anne Arundel County Police Department:

April 6, 2023

Anne Arundel County Chief of Police Amal E. Awad was joined by Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman today at the Police Department’s Eastern District station to receive an initial 200 autism sensory kits from the Hussman Institute for Autism. In addition to the sensory kits, patrol officers, school resource officers, and the Crisis Intervention Unit will receive educational information for interactions with children and adults with autism.

“I want to thank the Hussman Institute for the incredible work they do to support individuals with autism and their families; and for bringing this program to the Anne Arundel County Police Department.” – Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman.

According to the CDC, one in 36 children has been identified with Autism spectrum disorder. While emergency situations can produce anxiety for anyone, many individuals with autism have strong reactions to their environments—including sensory inputs such as noise, lights, even physical touch. Some people with autism may be non-speaking or limited in their ability to communicate.

“In times of distress, the ability to understand and support differences can be critical,” said John Hussman, Executive Director of the Hussman Institute for Autism. “Offering reassurance, communication supports, sensory accommodations, and the patience to complete routines or deescalate can be enormously helpful.”

“The generous donation of these sensory kits will assist our officers in schools and in the community when they encounter a child or adult with autism,” said Anne Arundel County Chief of Police Amal E. Awad. “While our officers receive numerous hours of instruction on mental health and developmental disabilities, including instruction from Pathfinders for Autism, these kits are another tool to provide comfort in a situation where an individual with autism may experience confusion or stress.”

In addition to guidance documents on how to assist people with autism in emergency situations, the kits include items that can increase critical communication and provide comfort. The items were selected to help with sensory regulation, communication, and calming—headphones designed to block out noise, sunglasses for light sensitivity, and fidgets to calm and keep hands busy.

A letter board and dry-erase board are included to assist non-speaking people, who may type, write, or draw. The dry-erase board can also be used by first responders to give choices, to write a list of what will happen first or next, or even to give a simple yes/no option.

The kits were assembled by JP Hussman and Kyle Hill, two young adults with autism.

This press release was produced by the Anne Arundel County Police Department. The views expressed here are the author's own.