By John Penney
The Day
NEW LONDON, Conn. — Flashing lights. Screaming sirens. Water hoses and guns.
Fires, traffic stops and medical emergencies are by their nature chaotic situations, often filled with jarring sights, sounds and odors. But for individuals with autism, such interactions can be especially overwhelming.
In an effort to make interactions unfold more smoothly with residents diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), members of the New London Fire Department recently underwent training to gain a better understanding of the disorder and learn proper engagement and de-escalation techniques.
The department partnered with the Southern Connecticut State University’s Center of Excellence on the Autism Spectrum team, which provided general information on ASD, including those behaviors common with autism, as well as strategies to better interact with those on the spectrum.
Fire Chief Vernon Skau said he reached out to the center simply to provide his firefighters with additional interaction tools.
“Anyone of us would be upset if it was our property or our family affected by an emergency, but when you add in the dimension of also being on the spectrum — it’s difficult to appreciate how stressful that can be,” he said.
“Autism” is an umbrella term used to describe a wide range of social learning disabilities that manifest differently depending on the individual, said Dr. Fred Volkmar, the center’s director.
“In an emergency, many might not understand instructions, or become overwhelmed with flashing lights or at a traffic stop,” he said. “A firefighter might find someone with autism sitting at a fire scene looking dazed or out of it. They might try to run back into a burning home or have a seizure.”
The likelihood of a first responder interacting with a person on the autism spectrum is increasing, according to a 2023 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that found the number of individuals diagnosed with autism increased between 2018 and 2020, from one in 44 children in 2018 to one in 36 children in 2020.
Volkmar said his center has worked with roughly 24 police and fire departments across the state in the last two years, either with individuals or, like in New London, entire departments.
Skau said firefighters from all four departmental shifts, including himself, took part in the two-hour autism sessions this month.
“The classes really gave us an understanding of how difficult it can be for someone with autism and an appreciation of how important it is to be able to properly communicate with those individuals,” he said.
Some of those techniques include speaking in low, non-threatening tones, moving slowly and explaining each step of a procedure.
New firefighter Lt. Al Mayo said his colleagues were able to put some of their new knowledge into practice a lot sooner than any of them imagined.
“That same day we took the training, about 20 minutes later we were toned out to go to (an elementary school) for a child suffering a peanut allergy reaction — a child we learned had autism,” Mayo said. "(The child) was fidgety and just couldn’t sit still enough for us to put him on a stretcher. So, my guy made sure he wasn’t loud and held out his arms. He ended up carrying the child out to the ambulance. It was perfect.”
In addition to the classes, first responders were introduced to the “blue envelope” initiative, a state Department of Motor Vehicles resource that includes communication instructions. A separate set of communications cards printed with simple images were also introduced.
“Those plastic gizmos work very well with people that need visual cues,” Volkmar said. “They can simply point to an image if they’re thirsty or need a bathroom.”
Volkmar said younger autistic individuals can be particularly sensitive to unfamiliar stimuli, sometimes with tragic results.
“Kids tend to bolt or elope from a scene and there’s been cases of them jumping out of cars or onto the path of a train,” he said. “The number one cause of death for autistic children is accidents, and incidents of drowning are double the rate of the non-autistic population.”
The New London department was also provided with several sensory kits that can be stashed in a fire vehicle. The kits each contain noise-dampening headphones, fidget toys and other items designed to alleviate sensory overload in some individuals with ASD.
“It’s gratifying when an emergency worker calls us after taking the classes and tells us about a successful interaction,” Volkmar said.
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