Alamo Police Department launches autism awareness initiative

ALAMO, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Alamo Police Department is launching a new initiative that aims to better serve people with autism.

Authorities are now offering autism cards, a card that will allow responding officers to correctly approach a person with special needs who may not respond to verbal demands.

The autism awareness initiative aims to prepare police to correctly handle and communicate when responding to a call.

Anyone in the Alamo area who takes care of a person with autism is encouraged to pick up a card from the Alamo Police Department.

The card will ask for the person's name, address, and phone numbers of a parent or guardian.

Once the card is filled out, residents are asked to turn the card in to the Alamo Police Department.

Information that is submitted on the card will later be tagged to the home address of the person with autism to let police personnel know there is a person with autism that resides at the responding address.

"This will be a great help so that police personnel will be prepared to correctly handle and communicate when dealing with an autistic loved one," the Alamo Police Department said.

Once the card has processed, a sticker will be given to residents to place on the front door of their home or vehicle.

The sticker is an additional reminder to first responders that someone in the house may have autism or special needs.