New York State Police Introduce New Autism Awareness Program
The New York State Police have just announced a new major program designed to aid citizens who deal with Autism. The new program is designed to assist both police officers and individual citizens in interactions with law enforcement in public.
Autism and Adults
The new program was just announced yesterday, September 18, 2025. In the last several decades, ASD or autism spectrum disorder has grown in both prominence and prevalence. According to the press release, it is estimated that Autism effects 1 out of every 45 adults across the United States.
For those potentially unaware about Autism, it can effect individuals diagnosed with it in a variety of different ways. According to the National Institute of Mental Health...
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave. Although autism can be diagnosed at any age, it is described as a “developmental disorder” because symptoms generally appear in the first two years of life.
The press release further elaborates by stating that Autism can create...
- Challenges with communication and social interaction, including difficulty engaging in conversation or making eye contact
- Repetitive behaviors, such as repeating a word, phrase, or gesture multiple times
- Heightened sensitivity to lights, sounds, or smells
Autism Awareness Visor Card Program
While the disorder that is Autism presents itself early on in an individuals life, it most definitely can have an impact on you when you are older. Of course their are also individuals who may not have autism themselves, but their family member does.
Because of the issues that Autism can cause, interactions with law enforcement can be highly stress inducing. That is where this new Visor Card Program comes into play. The Visor Card Program has been created to simplify and reduce as much stress and anxiety as possible for both police and citizens during encounters, and demonstrates clear communication.
According to the press release, the card functions as follows...
the card features simple visual icons that Troopers can use to assist with communication and reduce confusion or fear during interactions. Each patrol vehicle will be equipped with a card for use as needed. In addition, members of the public will be able to download and print the card directly from the New York State Police public website.
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It is expected that the cards will be effectively rolled out over the coming weeks for law enforcement, as well as the public. The NYSP have also provided a link for additional information, which can be found here.
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