Case Of Buckeye Teen Shows Need For Autism Education For Police: Report

The story of a Buckeye teenager with autism who was confronted by police officers unaware of his condition is being used as an example of why law enforcement officers need more education on the subject. In an opinion piece for The New York Times, writer Steve Silberman, the author of a book on autism, uses the example of Conor Leibel as one of several to make that point.

Silberman recounts how in July, Leibel - who is 14-years-old - was confronted by a police officer as he sat alone in the park. The officer, unaware that Leibel was an autistic teen who had been momentarily left alone by his caretaker, confronts him.

In his article, Siberman writes how images from the officer's "body camera show how the encounter turned into a situation that rapidly escalated beyond Connor’s ability to make sense of what was happening to him."

Silberman - who quotes the Centers for Disease Control as saying one in 68 American schoolchildren place somewhere on the autism spectrum - reports that the police conducted an internal probe after Leibel's mom filed a complaint and cleared the officer writing "it would be very difficult to teach officers to recognize" the large spectrum of autism variations. (For more local news, subscribe to the Phoenix Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts).

"Now that we know that autism is common, and comes in all the hues and shades of a broad human spectrum, we need to give law enforcement officers the knowledge that they need to avoid turning a routine call into a life-altering calamity," Silberman writes.

READ THE FULL STORY IN THE NEW YORK TIMES