Trish Ieraci
Appearances
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Okay. Well, what I recommend is we have the parent or the caregiver there, depending on the level of communication that the individual has. Ask, is the individual able to speak for themselves? And do you want to stay here while I ask some questions? So we might want to find out overhead lights on or off, side lights. Is that better?
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
One of the big things that I'm finding out, Tony, is that when I'm speaking about individuals under the spectrum, it seems like a lot of people and I'm not just talking law enforcement go to those that are a severe B that are children. So I also educate them that you can have, yes, those individuals that are severe, they need the 24-7 care, 365.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Is it better to have two officers there or should we just have one officer in the room and maybe just have the other one off in the background? Again, bullet point questions, make sure that we give them time to answer. And if they don't answer...
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
rephrase your question don't ask it the exact same way because again that could be aggravating to some of them rephrase your question keep them short keep them simple and in some cases if this is difficult for the individual we might have to do some questioning during a second session that you might not be able to do everything in one session.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
So it's really, it's going to be having input, meeting the individual where they are at, finding out what their comfort level is. Some autistic individuals that I have spoken to, that all they have to do is hear that there's a police officer coming and their anxiety will go through the roof.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
And even though they might be highly verbal because their anxiety is extremely high, it is going to be difficult for them to communicate. So do we need to go with maybe yes or no questions and have them point to a yes or no card? Well, maybe. And then again, hopefully the parent or caregiver is there and they can let you know that. Do we need to go maybe to picture cards?
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Is that going to be something? Again, we're not trying to belittle the autistic individual, but this is special circumstances. And again, we're not looking to escalate something. Let's find something that is going to be easier for them to communicate. Now, another thing that I am looking into are sensory bags for the officers to keep in their vehicles.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
So I've started reaching out and asking law enforcement, is this something that you have? And maybe this is something that we need to look into. I have seen some articles where this is being used and it has been extremely helpful. So, again, I go and I give that scenario where you go and you have law enforcement that is looking.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
They've been watching the house and they know there's a child or children in the household. There's a husband and a wife. But then that child's friend or cousin stays over and they are there under the spectrum. Well, maybe they don't have those sensory items that help soothe them. So wouldn't it be helpful for an officer to have that?
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Or again, it's a traffic stop and having something so that autistic individual, that their anxiety doesn't escalate and that they have something, that fidget toy or whatever it is that's going to that comfort toy, something soft, something, whatever it is, something that could be helpful to them. And again, the agencies that are using these, be it law enforcement, that they are finding them,
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
helpful. So let's look into this. It can't hurt. And again, if this is going to be something that is going to deescalate a situation a lot quicker, why not? Why not?
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Definitely. You know, I'm a big believer. And again, you know, nothing is 100 percent. But again, if we can bring these numbers down and we can have more positive interactions, better off for all parties concerned, because, again, law enforcement, these officers do. They want to go home. They have friends. They have family that they want to get home to.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Then again, so does the autistic individual. They want to get home. They want to be with their loved ones as well. So let's try to work it out so that all porters can, you know, just go back to their residences at the end of the day and had a positive outcome.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
And then you go and you have those individuals that are getting their PhDs, they are becoming attorneys, they are becoming accountants, CPAs, whatever, and everything in between. So just because somebody presents as being well-educated, well-spoken, does not automatically exclude them from being under the spectrum. And this has happened to individuals that I have met.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
One of the things that I did, even before I started getting into the training, was that I brought my son around to all of the local law enforcement agencies in my area. And I introduced him to the chief. I introduced him to the captain and to some of the officers. I made them aware that my son is under the spectrum.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Again, just to have an informal meet and greet to find out what would be helpful for them to know. Should a 911 call come in that involves my vehicle, you go and maybe you have my license plate number, you have my address, that both of those are flagged so that you know that there could be an autistic individual in the vehicle or on the premises.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
The more information that you can go and you can pass on, the better. Let them know. Again, I mentioned about these QR codes that my son, my daughter, that they go and they have these QR code little badges on their footwear, that they have it on their backpack, they have it on their jacket, they have it on a lanyard around their neck. Scan that.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
All information in regards to my son or daughter is there. Everything that will be helpful to you, you will find in this. forming that relationship, letting them know that my son was now driving. What information can you pass on to be helpful to him? What can we tell you? Should he have an autism card? I know here in Maryland that it needed to be disclosed. So it's on my son's license.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
I don't know how it is in every state in the United States. So it's right there on his license. And he needed to get medical documentation from his doctor that they felt that it was okay for him to drive. What information does the state require? And again, I can't say it enough, is forming those relationships, making law enforcement aware. They go and they have, oh gosh, what do they call it?
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
You know, like night out with law enforcement. It might be a good idea to attend those. It would be probably a good idea to be involved with the autism groups in the area, having it set up so that once a year you go in with your loved ones. This is my loved one. Here's law enforcement again, reminding them of the uniforms, the badges. When the police say such and such, this is what you do.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Kind of like have it as role-playing. Being creative. How does your loved one learn? Do we shoot a video with them? Do we do cards? Do we do the role play? What is going to be the best way for your loved one, my loved one, to learn this information? and work with law enforcement in regards to this.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Now, I understand that law enforcement, they're not just there to be learning about the autism community. I'm very well aware of that. But let's see, let's find out how can we work together. And again, being creative, being creative. And it's about finding that way that is going to be helpful to all parties involved. But again, starting with communication, I can't emphasize that enough.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Why, thank you. I appreciate you having me.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
They're not believed just because they are, again, like I said, well-spoken, educated, so on. You know, that somebody like that can't be under the spectrum. Well, that's why it has the term the spectrum term. And again, making them aware of that.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Like when my son was diagnosed, because my son is 27 years old, that when he was diagnosed, one of the big things was is that if they made eye contact, they could have had any of those other telltale signs as far as being autistic. But if they made eye contact, they didn't fall under the spectrum. We have now come to find out that that's incorrect.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
And again, the understanding that somebody can travel, that somebody can go out, that they can get jobs, they can be well-educated, you know, that they can do everything and anything that anybody else does. And then, of course, that leads them into getting into the same problems that everybody else can possibly get into.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
And again, that's something that's for some in law enforcement is a little difficult, you know, for them to understand that word of spectrum has been used for a reason and Because we do, we have, you know, there's such a broad range and you meet one person with autism, you meet one person with autism.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Yes, absolutely. Yes. What I try to do, I do like a three, I try to do a three prong approach. So what I'll do is I go and I will have parents, caregivers from the area meet with law enforcement. It's usually the chief or the captain and then a couple of the officers, deputies, you know, depending on what branch of law enforcement you're talking about. We go and we have a meeting.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
And it's a great exchange of information. So, you know, my son will toe walk. My son will talk to himself. These are the things that are going to help soothe him. My son will talk about his cat. And again, these are things that are going to help soothe him. They tell us what to keep on us, what to keep in our vehicles, what to keep in our house.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
We'll let them know about some of the things that we might have that Should I be involved in an accident? The individual that is in the car seat that has the Velcro piece strapped around it with information in regards to that individual, that's the autistic individual or the stickers that we may have on our vehicles, the stickers that we may have on our house, how they might have.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
items on them with a QR code that can be scanned. And that takes you to a site and tells you about everything in regards to that individual. They don't just have to be autistic. It could be, you know, any other thing that would help, you know, law enforcement first responders should they be called to a scene. Great exchange of information. Okay.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
And then it gets for law enforcement to meet the parents, caregivers. And again, it gives the parents, caregivers time to have one-on-one time with, again, these members from law enforcement. Okay. Second step is that the individual themselves with the diagnoses with the parent and or caregiver go to the department. They get to see the cars.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
They get to see the different sounds, lights, everything, see the uniforms up close, see their badges and get to interact with them and see the individual in a more controlled state, but still be able to see, again, maybe some of their tics, some of the things that they're going to do to help self-soothe And again, it's an introduction and they get to meet, they get to have some time one-on-one.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Third is then I actually go ahead and I do my training for the department. And again, you know, I let the departments know because one of the things that I'm finding is, is that some of the departments are having trainings once a year. And some of them are in person.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Some of them are online classes that you're, that they're doing, but some departments are doing a 10 minute roll call where somebody will come in and in 10 minutes, you know, give information in regards to autism and that's it. That's all that they're getting. So I'm seeing again, a spectrum of what some of these departments are getting and,
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
And some of them are, you know, they have a very good system in place. They have a very good rapport with an autism or autism groups in the area. So, you know, they really are. It's a great collaboration. And then again, you know, all the way down to something during a 10 minute roll call. So trying to bridge that, forming these relationships.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Again, I am not looking to be reaching out to the departments once a day, once a week, once a month. But should we be speaking probably a few times a year? I think so. Just checking in. How's everything going? Any concerns? Any questions? Hey, did you hear about something new that they might have found out?
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
in regards to, you know, in regards to autism or, hey, you know, there's this new product out there. You know, this might be something that might be helpful. Maybe you should reach out to the autism groups in your area and see if they know about it. But it's about formulating these relationships. It is about keeping them intact.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
But the other big thing that I'm finding is that federal law enforcement is not getting the training. or again, getting it at the same level that the state is, that the counties are, that the city is, whatever, again, law enforcement agency you're talking about and what area of the United States you're talking about.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
So, you know, you're going to a house where you think you're going to be finding a fugitive that you're looking for, but that fugitive isn't living there and it's my son that's answering the door. And how are you going to approach him and how are you going to interact with him? Again, you are you're going in. There is a fugitive that you're looking for. He is in the house.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
And lo and behold, you know, his son's cousin is over and the cousin is under the spectrum. And you're coming in, you know, guns drawn and everything. And you have this autistic individual in the household. I use a scenario with my own son. My own son before the age of 18 was subpoenaed twice. And one case, my son was a victim. The other case, my son was a witness.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
The case where my son was a witness, he witnessed his friend being beat up. By an adult, you know, both were 17 and under. So the adult, you know, was like 19 and over. Thank God there was a U.S. marshal. I don't know if he lived there. He was just driving through the area. I don't know.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
But he was there and he was able to help defuse the situation, contact me and have me sort of come pick up my son. So you just you don't know. Now, law enforcement, even though they're not on the clock, they are working all the time. And again, aware of that. So you don't know when you're going to encounter. It could be on the job. It could be on your own personal time.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
So, you know, you should be prepared. That's all because you don't know. And you hear about these situations where they go and they do a complete 180 and, you know, what I refer to as a nanosecond. Right. I'm realistic. I know that I'm not going to totally eliminate, but would I like to see those numbers come down? Yes, I would. Education is a powerful tool.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
And the more tools that I can give somebody to interact and work in a positive manner with these individuals, the better off we're all going to be in the long run.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
I work with county. I work with state. I work with the sheriff's department. And, you know, I have gone in and spoken to the U.S. Marshals. I've met with them. I continue to get into more and more agencies. Here in Maryland, we go and we have the chief of police for the department. Then you go and you have a chief that oversees the whole county.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
And then there's yet another chief that oversees the whole state. And then there's an organization that... You know, it's like all the chiefs, you know, belong to that, you know, oversee like, you know, the whole country. So getting into those, getting into these federal agencies, it's not an easy task. But, you know, it's definitely not something that I shy away from.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Finding out who is the best person to speak to in an agency and being able to make contact with them and get back.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
I have had some say that, you know, and it literally has been a handful, so it hasn't really been many, that this is not something that, you know, they see in their area. I have had, like I said, literally, you know, a handful that have said that.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
No, it doesn't. It definitely doesn't. And it truly is. I mean, it's about forming relationships. I'm a very big proponent of that. I also tell law enforcement that I'm not one of those that comes in and says, you need to do and give them a whole laundry list of what you need to do. Well, you know, I also know that we do. We need to work with our loved ones as well.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Well, thank you for having me.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
And again, you know, having them see a canine dog, having them see the vehicles, having them see what the uniforms look like. This is important, especially as they get older, what to carry on them.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
You get pulled over, what you should do, making sure that your hands are at 10 and 2, making sure that you're advising the officer that they want to see license and registration, making sure that, officer, I am going to go into my pocket and pull out my wallet. You know, don't just do things. And again, you know, these are all things that we can work on. Now, is everything going to go perfectly?
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
No, it's not. But the more that hopefully we do it, the more we are going to be reinforcing it, you know, with with our loved ones, you know, and them understanding the importance of it.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
I am an autism awareness trainer. I specifically work with law enforcement and I give them the tools to recognize when somebody is under the spectrum. I give them suggestions on how to deescalate a situation, how to handle a situation, and
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Yes. And believe it or not, that's something that I do discuss. People say, yeah, you know, and that is something that has come up in the trainings that all kids have meltdowns. No, no. All right. When we're talking about a meltdown versus a tantrum, when a child is throwing a tantrum, they are looking for an outcome. They're looking for something. thing. They want another cookie.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
They want another half an hour on the computer, another half an hour of being outside playing, whatever. They're looking for a result. Whereas with the meltdown, they are looking for something to stop. They're looking for that aggravating noise, that annoying smell. Whatever it is, they're looking for something to stop. And that's like one of the big differences.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
And another misconception that, and I can't believe that this is still circulating, is that autism is a mental health disorder. Again, you know, I go over that, that yes, you very well, you're going to have an autistic individual, ADHD, that does have anxiety, depression, and in some cases, you know, schizophrenia. But when we're talking about autism and we're talking about mental health,
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
Mental health issues can be, what's the word I'm looking for? I don't want to say controlled, but they can be maybe tampered because of therapy, because of medication. You're not going to do that with somebody that is autistic. You're not going to be able to stop their stimming. You're not going to be able to have them stop the sounds bothering them and whatever sensory issues.
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Trish Ieraci:Understanding Autism Saves Lives: One Trainer's Mission to Transform Police Interactions
You're not going to stop that with therapy. You're not going to stop that with medication.