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Autism and I/DD Safety Training for First Responders

Year 2: 10/1/25 - 9/30/26

System Gap Addressed

Goal 2 of the new Five Year Plan: Increase community living for individuals with I/DD.

  • 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 Carolina’s 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 Carolina’s 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 NCCDD’s 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 Sheriff’s Office. Trained 34 law enforcement officers and cadets. Two people with I/DD assisted in delivering the training.
  • Conducted the first training of Year 2 in Jamestown on October 27th, 2025 in partnership with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office. Trained 22 attendees representing 16 different agencies. One person with I/DD and one family member assisted in delivering the training.
  • Conducted the second round of trainings of Year 2 in New Hanover County on December 16th and 17th, 2025 in partnership with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. Trained 19 attendees. One person with I/DD and one caregiver assisted in delivering the trainings. Also offered a community safety training attended by one person with I/DD and 12 caregivers.
  • Planning to conduct the third and fourth rounds of trainings in Raleigh in January 2026 and April 2026 in partnership with the Raleigh Police Department with a goal to train the entire department and offer at least one community safety training.

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: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

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 County Community Safety Training Flyer (December 16, 2025)

New Hanover County First Responder Training Flyer (December 16-17, 2025)

Updated January 2026