Autism Town Hall To Be Held In Norristown

NORRISTOWN, PA — A special town hall event aimed to provide autism-related resources to the Norristown area community will be organized by the municipality later this month.

The event will be held at the Norristown Recreation Center on Jan. 28. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Center for Autism Research, the Norristown Police Department, and the Norristown School District, are among the many participants.

Police noted that it's important to hammer home that every emergency is different, and the individuals involved are different, too.

“Police officers are trained to respond to a crisis situation with a certain protocol, but this protocol may not always be the best approach when helping people with autism," Norristown's Acting Police Chief Michael Bishop said in a statement. "

The event will feature a question and answer session and a resource fair, as well as "breakout session" rooms for individual discussions on specific topics.

Topics will include transition to adulthood, employment, mental health, fire safety, I.E.P. (individualized education program), elopement, ASD diagnosis, and autism and police interactions, organizers said.

THe event will take place from noon to 5 p.m. The Norristown Recreation Center is located on 1101 Harding Blvd. Register online here.