WHEATON, Ill. (AP) — Sheriff’s deputies and a hospital’s occupational therapists in an Illinois suburban city launched the first of what they hope will be a series of classes to prepare drivers with developmental disorders for traffic stops.
The Daily Herald reports the course hosted by Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital and DuPage County deputies in Wheaton helps police recognize how someone on the autism spectrum reacts to stress and overstimulation.
The course was tested on four graduates of Marianjoy’s Driver Rehabilitation Center. Participants of the course received an informational card where they can make note of behaviors they display in stressful situations. Drivers can also include their emergency contact on the card.
Sheriff’s Cpl. Cliff Seward told the participants the card should make the traffic stop “traffic stop a lot easier with less anxiety.”