The police came to wal-mart, the other day in my hometown. This was not for their own personal enjoyment, cheap shopping or taking a shoplifter to jail. No, this was to come visit me, the apparent perpetrator of Child abuse.
So, here is the story. I work with children and adults with autism, and it is hands down the best and hardest job that I have ever had. Well, on this specific day, I was working with a little 9 year old that I will call Matt. Matt's parents both hard working folks, haven't had a lot of time to teach Matt the appropriate skills for social situations thus I have made that the primary focus of our care. Matt's main habit in a store is to grab as many items as he can and put them in the cart, so that his mom or dad can buy them. I knew that this was something that I would have to stop, so that is why I took matt to Wal-Mart to work on this skill.
The story begins with us entering Wal-Mart, Matt is making fussing nosing, stomping his feet and being generally unruly. I encourage him to get a cart and then we start to browse the store. Matt runs towards the candy isle and puts as much candy as he can in the cart. I come over to him and I say to him that he has to put it back, at first he puts back one of the bags then his frustration started to become pretty evident. I give him a few sensory items and he starts to calm down, and he puts another bag on the rack. All of the sudden, he start to scream and threw himself on the ground. This behavior normally ends our trips, so I try to get him up so that the aggressive behavior does not escalate. At this point, Matt hits me and begins running around the store screaming, knocking down items, and hitting guests. I eventually catch up with him and I restrain him. (I am CPI certified) Google it, if you think its cruel and he begins to calm down. All of the sudden a guest at Wal-Mart comes up to me and asks me if he is ok, I respond that he is. She then tells me that she called the police. Why the police? because his behavior was a natural reaction to me beating him, and then she saw me restraining him. I explained to her that he has autism, and thats how he behaves. She responded snidely that "I can tell the police that."
The police arrive, ready to kick the ass of a child abuser and find Matt and I in the store, with Matt in a restraint. The police officers come over to us and they inform me, nearly yelling that I need to release the child. When i tell them that he is autistic and that I need to keep him here to help him calm down. The police tell me that "he doesn't look autistic." I proceed to explain that there is no such thing as looking autistic, but they tell me that I have to let him go. I let him go, and the police officer who was eye level with him, says "hi Matt" and then you see Matt swing at the police officer and hit him squarely in the eye. The police then decided to escort Matt and I out of the store, where they inform me that they need my information, my place of employment and they will be getting back to me about this little incident. I give them the info and they drive off, but not before they tell me that I should really learn to control that kid.
Oh how wise. I have a lot of respect for the police. I think their job is very hard, and that they are very busy but he doesn't look autistic. What does autism look like? I would like to see a picture of autism. I once saw a shirt that says, "I have blue eyes, a contagious laugh, and autism." There is no picture. When the police were offered, by my boss, to have autism training, they rejected it. They did call me and apologize to me for their harsh treatment. I just want them to understand that it is 2008 and Autism does not have a look.
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The police were probably mistaking autism with Downs Syndrome. Even so, people need to educate themselves. If that woman really felt it necessary to call the police, so be it. I would at least like the people who claim they are protecting civilians to know that autism doesn't have a look.
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All the believers, they were smiling and winking at each other, I could honestly say I was scared for my life.
The police were probably mistaking autism with Downs Syndrome.
"Ignorance of the law is no excuse." The same concept goes doubly for the police and any other civil servant. They were even offered to have training on autism and turned it down. So not only is that ignorance, it's willful ignorance. It's one thing to not know something because the situation has never arisen and you've never had a reason or opportunity to study something (or didn't even know something exists), it's a completely different one when you choose not to learn.
-- quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
sorry, I should have added that this misconception is no excuse. I agree that chosen ignorance is not acceptable, especially if you're in the field of law enforcement,
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All the believers, they were smiling and winking at each other, I could honestly say I was scared for my life.
The behavior of both the Wal-Mart employee, and the police involved was unacceptable! We have somehow come to live in a society where a child cannot even whimper before someone is screaming abuse!
The public needs to learn the difference between a tantrum, and a child who is really in need of help. Child abuse is a very very serious issue, and continuing to trivialize parents and caretakers authority, will not solve the situation!
The police involved were completely inappropriate in their comments as well. It just shows how far we still need to come as far as public awareness for disorders such as autism...
I think what you do is amazing! Keep on truckin'!
I don't think the employee should have been as rude as she was, but I don't think that she was in the wrong by calling the police.
She saw a little kid running away from someone screaming and then being restrained by the person. It is her responsibility as a human being to be concerned for the well being of others. I'm glad she called the police; in this situation, the kid was fine and the circumstances did not equal abuse, but what about next time? What if next time she sees a kid running away screaming she assumes he has autism and that the person restraining them is just keeping them safe? What if next time the adult happens to be a molester or kidnapper or abuser?
I think the walmart employee did the right thing.
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What's the worst that could happen, apart from all of us being flattened or fried or whatever bombs do? [Rudy Steiner from The Book Thief]
I as well work with children with autism and have had similar incidences happen, however the most severe have happened at home. Most of the time the police do not have the knowledge of the disorder or the resources to help in any way which frustrates everyone involved. Did you get a CPI card when you were certified... I'm pretty sure I got some sort of documentation, although mine has since expired, if so make sure you carry it, because when the police came to a home I was in it helped. Hopefully with the recent surge in autism awareness and celebrities trying to promote the cause more people will become aware.
They rejected the offer of autism training? That seems a little foolish. If they want to do their job properly and stay on the ball, they need all the training they can get.
Wow. I hope there will be some media coverage of their gaffe. I'm sorry you had to go through it, and I'm sorry that you would be in the spotlight if it were in the news, but it seems police departments only get sensitive to community needs when they are called out publicly.
I'm so glad "Matt" clocked him.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
You should report the incident to your local newspaper. Embarass the crap out of 'em.
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"Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical, and expecting more than others think is possible."
While it's a difficult and unfortunate situation you and Matt were put in, I think the police were just doing their job, at least up until they told you you needed to learn how to control Matt. I'd rather see police over react a little bit when they get a call about possible child abuse, then under react and end up with a child getting hurt, but telling you to "learn to control that kid" when you were trying to control him is totally uncalled for.
It seems really stupid that the police refused an offer to receive autism training, especially after an incident like this. To be ignorant simply because it never came up is one thing, but to refuse training, even when it's offered to you is beyond ignorant. The police should also be familiar with safe methods of restraining a child, so they can gauge the immediacy of any danger a child (or adult, for that matter) might be in.
Have you tried alerting your local media to this issue? Like Ediblewoman and IamSam said, this might embarrass the police into reconsidering the offer for training, and even if it doesn't , it might be a good excuse to get some autism awareness coverage in your local media sources.
"Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical, and expecting more than others think is possible."
Oh, my. I hope I never live in a town with such a police force that would endure the miseries of ignorance. That is humiliating for everyone in the town.
I hope you have been luck in the future with educating the public on what autism is, how the various degrees of the disorder effect the person as well as how they act.
Yea that is pretty disrespectful of them.
I don't like how police officers automatically think you're lying.
Can't you believe a person for once.
+mspin
My brother has autism although a very mild case. so i understand bothe sides of the argument and he does too, they're are countless stories like this one, Maybe a few years ago there was a boy with autism who ran towards a airplane terminaleven though told not too and because he did the police assumed he was a threat and killed him. The quality of our police is a shame in some cases and a disgrace in others.
Glutenously yours,
Pasta Rasta
I don't know why everyone is so appalled and shocked at the behavior of the police.
Yes, the situation could have been handled a little better; the employee and the police didn't have to be so snide. But they were responding to a potential child abuse case; they had to be as cautious as they could. They had to assume the worst. That is their job.
It was dumb of them to reject the training. It was ridiculous for them to be so rude. But honestly, I'm glad they at least care that something was potentially wrong instead of just passing it off.
You don't get that in Lakewood.
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What's the worst that could happen, apart from all of us being flattened or fried or whatever bombs do? [Rudy Steiner from The Book Thief]
I'm personally more outraged that they didn't take the time to become educated about autism. I think they were just doing their job to the best of their ability, and were prepared for the worse.
~C
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They should be more educated in what Autism is, but i agree that the police were just doing their job.