News and Knowledge

We all teach our kids certain life lessons as they grow. They are usually prioritized by parents or caretakers and taught slowly and repetitively. For those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it can take years to finally grasp and make lessons a habit. When fear is involved, however, all of us, including people with autism, tend to remember the lessons learned longer.

Two years ago, the police were called to our house by concerned neighbors who heard Jake, my son, who was then 12, screaming outdoors.

As we spoke to the two officers just inside our front door, Jake was terrified and the rest of the family was a little shaken. The officers were upset that Jake was just being silly and they were called out to begin with. Without raising their voices, they made a lasting impression on Jake.

After they left, we discussed how his behaviors have consequences and police can make life-changing decisions if they perceive the situation differently than what is actually happening.

We started thinking about how autism behavior is often different from what people expect and how it could be misinterpreted. Little did we know that realization would soon be a major turning point in all of our lives.

Following the interaction, we called for another officer to come out and “smooth things over” with Jake. It would do none of us any good if he was afraid of the police and they were afraid of him. In conversations with us, the officer who came over quickly realized someone with autism could help the police better understand autism and the behaviors that result. Someone, in fact, like Jake.

Jake soon became the autism ambassador for the Montgomery County (Md.) Police Department. Working with Montgomery County Police and Pathfinders for Autism, he has spoken to a number of audiences in Maryland and other states an effort to help police learn about autism and see the unexpected (sometimes unusual) behaviors firsthand. To date, Jake has taught roughly 1,500 officers! Here is an example of one of his training speeches:

Jake’s Training for Officers

Hi, my name is Jake Edwards. I am excited to teach you about autism. Please be patient if I need to laugh or do jumping jacks to calm down.

I’m the chief autism ambassador for Montgomery County Police and was named a White House Champion of Change in September 2015. I was also awarded a Governor’s Citation Award from Governor Hogan and Lieutenant Governor Rutherford.

For me, having autism means that my brain works really fast, and sometimes I can’t slow down and I get easily distracted. Sometimes it is hard to control my body because knowing the consequences of my actions is hard.

My autism superpowers allow me to have very strong senses and very deep emotions. I want people to be happy and I can feel it if they are not happy.

That means if people are angry or tense, I feel their emotions too.

When the Montgomery County police came to my house recently, I felt very scared–my legs were shaking and my heart was beating very fast. It was hard to talk to them because one face was happy and one face was mad.

The police were nice, but they were not happy that they had to race with their lights and sirens on to only find out I was acting silly. I wanted to run and hide in my bedroom, but my parents helped me keep calm and listen.

Another challenge I struggle with is misplaced emotions. Sometimes I may start laughing when I am scared or anxious. I’m working very hard on that at school and with my team of doctors.

Some of my friends are calmed by keeping their favorite objects in their pockets all the time. Police might get worried or scared when they see us put our hands into our pockets. We don’t ever want to hurt anyone.

Some friends may repeat what you say or the last words that they hear. That’s called echolalia. They cannot help it. Sometimes it gets worse when they are nervous.

If you come to a house where someone is upset, you might not know what to do. The most important thing is let the person calm down first. If we don’t hear you or if we don’t respond to your directions right away, just sit with us until we feel calm again, then we will be ready to talk.

If you try to touch someone who is upset and if they are being dangerous, that could make things much worse.

Recently I got a consequence [getting in trouble and being grounded or other restrictions as a consequence] and I lost control. I wanted to hurt myself and hide in my bedroom. Besides that, I have friends who lose control too and that can be scary for anyone.

I also know that people with autism are smart and have a good brain. We need respect like everybody does because we all have a different journey in life.

I think the biggest lesson here for all of us is that there’s always a way to turn a negative situation into a positive one.

If you’re interested in the free law enforcement trainings, visit TheWorldAccordingtoJake.com or Pathfindersforautism.org

Jenn Lynn is Jake’s mom. She is also the executive director of Upcounty Community Resources, a nonprofit group in Maryland that serves the fitness, social, and therapeutic needs of adults with special needs. She strives to educate, enrich, and empower parents and community members by sharing what she’s learned from years of firsthand behavior training at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, her work in special education, two years as an ABA technician, and experience with Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports training.

Jake Edwards has trained more than 1,000 law enforcement officers as of March 2017. He has been honored at the White House and participated in a panel discussion on Bridging Law Enforcement and the Community and was awarded the Governor’s Citation from Maryland governor Larry Hogan. He has spoken to college classes and at autism events, churches, police trainings, and live television shows about his “super powers.” He has advocated on behalf of people with autism at the Capitol and the Maryland state house.