Autism and I/DD Safety Training for First Responders
Year 1: October 1, 2024 - September 30, 2025
System Gap Addressed
- People with I/DD and other disabilities are unnecessarily jailed, injured, and even killed during routine interactions with law enforcement officers and other first responders.
- Law enforcement officers and other first responders do not always receive training on how to appropriately interact with people with autism and I/DD.
Initiative Goals and Timeline
- Research the autism and I/DD safety training landscape in North Carolina for first responders, including law enforcement officers, to determine where the greatest areas of need exist.
- Pilot a training or a series of trainings in one or more areas of need.
- Scale the training statewide after the pilot to train first responders, including law enforcement officers, and people working in North Carolinaâs justice system as well as people with I/DD and their caregivers.
Description of Activities
- Conduct an inventory of available trainings related to I/DD for law enforcement and/or related crisis response in North Carolina and nationally and conduct a gap analysis of what is needed for law enforcement and/or related crisis response to determine where training and education needs exist in North Carolina.
- Meet with state agency officials, non-profit organization officials, and officials at private businesses who are involved in training law enforcement officers or providing crisis response for people with I/DD in North Carolina.
- Do outreach to diverse populations, including North Carolina Hispanic and Latino I/DD community and North Carolinaâs black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) I/DD community.
- Develop and implement, adapt, or utilize a pilot training for first responders, including law enforcement officers, crisis response teams, and related personnel.
- Scale the training statewide after completing the pilot training during Year 1.
Achievements and Outcomes to Date
Grantee connected to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, the Autism Society of North Carolina, and various individuals with I/DD and their family members who are concerned stakeholders in this work.
Presented at NCCDDâs February 2024 Self-Advocate Discussion Series session with 76 total participants.
Initiated a conversation about disclosure cards and blue envelope programs (tools to help people with autism communicate with law enforcement officers).
Conducted research to determine current training needs and regions to focus on for providing training in North Carolina.
Conducted the first pilot training for law enforcement in Asheville on August 5th, 2025 in partnership with the Buncombe County Sheriffâs Office. Trained 34 law enforcement officers and cadets. Two people with I/DD assisted in delivering the training.
Set up trainings for Year 2 in Guilford County and in Raleigh with a goal to train the entire Raleigh Police Department. Working with the New Hanover County Sheriffâs Office on setting up training in the Wilmington area during Year 2.
Expected System Change as a Result
- Increase the quality of interactions between people with I/DD and first responders, especially law enforcement officers.
- Improve the number of positive interactions between people with I/DD and first responders, especially law enforcement officers.
- More individuals with I/DD and their caregivers as well as first responders will stay safe during interactions with each other, particularly in times of emergency or crisis.
- Fewer individuals with I/DD will be unnecessarily arrested, injured, or killed during interactions with law enforcement officers and other first responders.
Contact for questions:
Philip Woodward, NCCDD Systems Change Manager:
Additional Information & Resources
Training First Responders to Protect and Connect with the Autism and I/DD Community (Newsletter article, August 2025)
Guildford County First Responder Training Flyer (October 27, 2025)
New Hanover First Responder Training Flyer (December 16-17, 2025)
Last updated October 2025