UAPD looks to meet the needs of autistic drivers

The University of Arizona Police Department is partnering with campus experts to train law enforcement officers throughout the state to safely and effectively communicate with autistic drivers during traffic stops. 

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The Blue Envelope Program, which originated at Southern Connecticut State University, provides blue envelopes to drivers on the spectrum. The drivers place their vehicle registration and proof of insurance in the envelope so they can hand it to an officer after a traffic stop.

"The blue envelope is the visual cue to the officer that the driver has autism or a spectrum disorder," said Sgt. Andrew Valenzuela, UAPD public information officer. "The officer then starts to mitigate his or her communication behaviors accordingly to make it easier for the driver."

The envelope contains instructions for the driver and police officer on steps to take throughout the traffic stop.

Tapping campus experts

Chris Olson, assistant vice president and chief of police, said he had wanted to implement the program in his previous position as support services division commander at the Oro Valley Police Department but didn't have the resources to put it together.

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"One of the challenges is finding the autism clinicians and specialists to help write and teach a program like this," Olson said. "When I got here, I realized I had access to a vast amount of resources and expertise in this field."

Olson began working with experts in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, the Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques, or SALT, Center, and the Disability Resource Center to create the training, which focuses on how officers can tailor their approach to traffic stops to meet the needs of autistic drivers.

"As we were brainstorming, for example, we felt that it was very important that officers understand that if somebody on the spectrum is not responding like an average person during a traffic stop, it may not be for any suspicious reason," said Roxana Samaniego, director of clinical services for the SALT Center and one of the creators of the UAPD training program. "Many people experience different communication challenges that might impact them during a traffic stop."

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The training provides guidance for officers safely and effectively communicate with autistic drivers and teaches them how to identify behaviors – often referred to as "stimming" – that might indicate that an autistic driver is experiencing distress.

Those may include repetitive body movements, fidgeting, taking a long time to respond or having trouble making or maintaining eye contact. Samaniego said officers in the situation should also consider turning off their vehicles' flashing lights and sirens, as bright lights and loud noises can cause heightened anxiety for those on the spectrum.

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"Another thing officers could be looking at would be ways to make themselves better understood," said Nell Maltman, assistant professor in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, who also helped develop the training program. "If the officer is using abstract language, it would be a good idea instead to be a little more direct and clear."

The training – held April 24 and attended by about 75 law enforcement officers from throughout Arizona – included simulated traffic stops with drivers using blue envelopes.

What's next

UAPD plans to hold another training in the fall, and Olson hopes to eventually make video training available through the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, which oversees training for Arizona police officers.

"Our autism experts on campus did an incredible job putting this together, so we want to do a video to make sure we don't experience 'program drift,'" Olson said. "When you train the trainer instead of delivering the content directly, you can dilute the science and research as it goes down the chain."

As research on autism continues to advance, the training will be updated with continued input from experts including Samaniego and Maltman. Olson said other similar programs may be added down the line, especially with conditions that have immediate safety impacts.

"The most common interaction that a community member will have with law enforcement is a traffic stop," Olson said. "If this is where we're meeting the public most often, let's make sure it's safe."

Blue envelopes are available at Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division office locations throughout the state.