Be Safe—Teaching Edition: Movie & Companion Curriculum

Aimed at teens and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), this helpful primer carefully explains protocols for police-and-civilian interactions and communication. The phrase “to be safe” is a mantra in this multi-part program, which offers a general explanation for why we have laws and why we need to know how to conduct ourselves in simple situations with law enforcement (getting stopped for a traffic violation, for instance). Created by ASD expert Emily Iland, the program also explores more complicated scenarios (such as being detained and handcuffed because one resembles a suspect), while also covering the finer points of cooperating with police—e.g., letting an officer know about a disability, or knowing not to pet a K9 police dog—as various scenarios are acted out using real police officers and actors. The major advice for staying safe is to do what one is told and not try to run from the police. Also featuring a curriculum on a bonus CD-ROM with games, activities, visual tools, and self-disclosure and emergency forms, this is recommended. Aud: J, H, P. (T. Keogh)