A Dad, A Deputy, A Difference

Sgt. Dan McDonald leads a workshop for Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputies. ANDREA STETSON/ FLORIDA WEEKLY

Deputies rush to the scene where a teenage boy is out of control. They try negotiating, but the boy won’t speak to them. They try approaching, but the youth turns violent, throwing things and taking a swing at the officers. The typical response might be for officers to tackle the teen, perhaps use a taser or, if they felt threatened enough, shoot their gun.

It’s a nightmare that plays in the heads of families that have children with autism and other special needs. They fear calling 911 might be deadly. They don’t know if officers can handle a person on the spectrum. And that’s just the beginning. In a car accident, the child or adult with special needs might not be able to communicate, doesn’t have social awareness and could become highly agitated. It could happen during a fire, where someone hides instead of heading away from the flames.

Sergeant Dan McDonald of the Collier County Sheriff ’s Office set out to change that. In October 2021, he founded the Autism Support Project and is now expanding and sharing his knowledge with first responders and parents all over Florida and even the nation.

The rainbow infinity symbol represents neurodiversity and the endless variations within the autism spectrum. COURTESY PHOTO

McDonald got his first dose of expertise when his son was diagnosed with autism in 2005. As he started learning how to handle a child with special needs, he realized how important it was to share that information.

“It was just something that started by word of mouth and people would reach out to me,” McDonald began. “It just kind of picked up momentum. I had some hospitals and colleges reach out and ask me to teach, and it grew from there.”

Now, he trains officers, EMS, firefighters, parents, doctors and even business owners about the best ways to interact with people with autism and other special needs.

“I would offer it from a first responder’s standpoint, and that is how the training grew,” McDonald said.

Stephanie Nordin calls McDonald her savior. She has twin 14-year-olds with autism, and until she met McDonald, she was terrified to call 911 in an emergency.

“I couldn’t sleep at night until I met Dan McDonald,” Nordin began. “He gave me assurance that if there was ever an emergency, I would not have to worry about another emergency. What helps me sleep at night is knowing if I needed police help, they would really be helping.”

Nordin had valid reasons to worry. Some stories make headlines every year of children and adults with autism being shot by police. In March, police in California shot and killed an autistic teen who charged deputies with a gardening tool. In February, a 25-year-old autistic man was shot by police in Knoxville, Tenn. In Salt Lake City in 2020, a 13-year-old boy with autism was shot by police after his mother called 911 asking for help for her son, who was having a mental health crisis. In North Miami, in 2019, an officer shot an autistic man who was holding a silver toy truck.

“I used to have images of my kids getting shot or Baker acted,” Nordin said. “Then I met Dan McDonald. I have the assurance they will know how to respond based on the profile I filled out.”

McDonald gives parents stickers to place on their car windows, front door and child’s bedroom door. The stickers read, “Attention: person inside with autism may not respond to verbal commands.” McDonald says 40 percent of people with autism don’t develop speech. Parents can register their children with photos and information on how to best deal with them in an emergency. That information is immediately available to all first responders.

McDonald personally understands how vital this information is.

“I didn’t know anything about autism,” McDonald began. “Then my son was diagnosed. It was just me doing research and getting feedback. I am self-taught.”

Yet, being a first responder for 34 years helped. McDonald was able to combine that knowledge with his understanding of autism, and that is what makes the program so effective.

The Training

During recent training in Naples, McDonald gave officers ideas on how to prevent emergencies from escalating. He told them to visit the schools in their beat coverage area and meet with the behavioral specialists and the children with special needs.

“Get in there and recognize some of the students in your community because that might be the call you go on in the summer or holiday,” McDonald told a group of officers. “Learn about the kids. Find out if they live in your zone and what helps them calm down. Networking puts a tool in your toolbox.”

He used a true story to illustrate how this can help save lives. Last Thanksgiving, a young man with autism in East Naples wandered away from home. During the search, teachers and behavior specialists joined deputies, firefighters and EMS. A motorist found the man by water covered in mud.

“We had EMS and reps from the school that have a background with him to help be as effective as they could,” McDonald explained. “They were helpful in his transport to the hospital.”

McDonald tells EMS workers that bright lights and strangers in an ambulance can escalate anxiety and trigger aggressive behavior.

“We talk about communicating,” McDonald explained. “Even if they have limited speech, their ability might decline. The biggest thing that we talk about is if the situation affords you, time is on your side. Give them time to interact.”

Alex Hernandez, a Collier County sheriff ’s deputy, recently took one of the workshops.

“My nephew has autism,” Hernandez began. “I learned the levels of autism and just about having patience. Things take a little longer.”

McDonald informs firefighters to be aware that the stimulus of noise and sirens can make a person with autism hide under beds or in the closet. He advises all first responders to gather information from parents and siblings, who usually have the best ideas for dealing with a situation.

“We understand social norms. People with autism do not,” McDonald stressed. “The biggest thing we want agencies to do is think outside the box. We want them to think of all the situations that they have.”

He works with 911 operators and says terminology can cause chaos. When a frantic parent calls saying their child eloped, that doesn’t mean a marriage. Eloping means running off. McDonald told the story of a 911 operator not too concerned about a 19-year-old eloping, thinking it was an adult getting married, but soon found out it was an autistic man who was missing.

To emphasize the importance of patience and calm, McDonald conducts an experiment during his workshops. When they break for lunch, he tells participants that they can’t talk, write or text for the first 30 minutes of the break. So, they need to figure out a way to communicate where they want to go for lunch, what to order and how to respond to questions.

“Now you are seeing it from the perspective of the parent and the person with the disability,” McDonald stressed. “It really seems to give the first responders a new perspective from all sides. Once you see it from the other person’s perspective, you are understanding it better because you see what the other person is going through.”

McDonald also works with local businesses. He advises business owners to talk about autism with their employees. Once that is done, the business will get a sticker so people with autism feel comfortable coming inside.

“There is no physical indicator,” McDonald said about people with autism. “They can look for repetitive behaviors. When they have the sticker people know that business has a fundamental idea of what is going on.”

He also works closely with parents advising them on adjusting their schedules, making sure someone is always aware of where their child is, securing their residence, keeping their child safe in a vehicle, how to communicate with people in the neighborhood about their child and more.

By the Numbers

• One in 36 children in the United States has autism, according to the CDC. Four in every 100 boys and one in every 100 girls is diagnosed with the disorder.

• Collier County Public Schools has 48,670 students this year — 1,100 have been diagnosed with autism.

• Lee County has 97,234 students, with 1,718 being diagnosed with autism

• Forty percent of people with autism don’t develop speech.

• The average person only calls 911 once in their lifetime, while a person with a disability is seven times more likely to have that encounter.

• People with autism are 30 percent more likely to need EMS or visit the ER.

• They are 19 percent more likely to need restraints or use of force.

• 53 percent of people with autism have four or more encounters with first responders.

• They are 34 percent more likely to have a negative experience. The negative experience is usually because of a lack of understanding about autism or the failure to apply appropriate strategies, McDonald said.

Spreading the Message

McDonald’s workshops are so practical that he is now being asked to help other first responders, parents and businesses around the state and country. He has worked with Lee County and Cape Coral. He spread his knowledge to the east coast of Florida, helping police, fire, EMS and hospitals in locations from Manatee County north to Daytona. He’s given his advice in Tallahassee and Pensacola too. He spoke at Project Lifesaver in Orlando about security measures needed to keep a person with autism safely in their home.

He also lectures at medical centers such as Johns Hopkins and heads to universities to spread his words of wisdom. Recently, he has given workshops and advice in California, Hawaii, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Ohio and Virginia.

“We have other states that are reaching out. They are interested in starting a similar program, or they have a program in its infancy stages,” McDonald described. “We are always happy to help other agencies.” ¦

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