Suffolk Sheriff's Office Enhances Support For LI's Autism Community

WEST BABYLON, NY — New York has the third highest rate of adults living with autism spectrum disorder in the United States, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention.

With these stats in mind, the Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon's Office teamed up with Long Island's Winters Center for Autism, or WCA, a non-profit dedicated to helping autistic adults, to support communication between emergency personnel and autistic adults in emergency situations.

Tools include cards with visual aids and tips for communication that will be distributed to first responders and will also be available at WCA for its many members who take public transportation to the center.

WCA was established in 2020 to offer jobs, training and placement to address the high unemployment rate for autistic adults. The center identifies the skills and talents of participants and matches them with organizations open to creating jobs for adults living with autism, Toulon said.

The news comes during the sixth annual National Autism Acceptance Month which aims to empower everyone in the autism community to live fully, according to the Autism Society.