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Program helps drivers with communication issues

Austin American-Statesman - 11/29/2019

GEORGETOWN -- Sal Silinonte, an Austin driver with autism, said he has had trouble communicating with police when they pulled him over for speeding.

They often thought he was angry when he was not, said Silinonte, a pediatric therapist who works with children with autism: "Almost every time I got pulled over, it probably sounded like I was mouthing off."

The Samuel Allen Law, which went into effect in September, allows drivers with communication issues to register with the Texas Department of Public Safety. If they get pulled over, officers receive an alert when checking their license plate numbers so they know they might need to alter their approach.

Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody said he thinks the law is a great idea, but said officers often walk up to cars during traffic stops before they find out from dispatch anything about license plate numbers.

"I know in the real world of law enforcement," he said, "that dispatch doesn't always give that information right away,"

He said his department is giving drivers another option: a special sticker they can put on their car or a card they can carry with them that notes communication impediments and an emergency contact.

Drivers with any kind of communication problem -- such as those with Asperger's syndrome, Parkinson's disease, autism or hearing issues -- can go the sheriff's office to register for the program or fill out a form on the sheriff's office website and take it to the Williamson County sheriff's office, 508 S. Rock St. in Georgetown.

The Samuel Allen Law is named for a Texas A&M-San Antonio graduate with Asperger's whose mother, Jennifer Allen, pushed for its passage in the 2019 Legislature.

Williamson County deputies haven't had problems with drivers with communication issues, but Chody said he wants to be "proactive about it." The Bexar County sheriff's office also offers stickers to drivers with communication issues.

Bluebonnet Trails Community Services, a mental health authority in Williamson County that serves those with autism, plans to let families know about the stickers and cards the sheriff is offering to drivers, said Andrea Richardson, the executive director.

"Now we know we have another resource should families want it," Richardson said.

There are an estimated 493,000 people with autism in Texas, said Jacquie Benestante, the deputy director of the Autism Society of Texas.

She said all the programs to help people with autism are good, including the stickers for autistic drivers in Williamson County, because they help increase awareness about autism.

She said some people might not like the design of the sheriff's stickers and cards because they feature puzzle pieces in the background. Autistic adults "don't want to be thought of as a puzzle or missing pieces," Benestante said.

Chody said he realizes there is an issue associated with the puzzle piece design but has also heard from people who like it, including parents who have family members with autism.

Before he knew he had autism, Silinonte said he spoke with a tone that made officers think he was angry if they pulled him over. He once was almost pulled out of his car, he said.

"I worked with a therapist and it took me 2' years to get my tone of voice right," he said.

When officers pull him over now, he tells them he is autistic and "if you have to explain some things twice, please understand: I freeze up when I get nervous."

Benestante said drivers with autism can experience panic, anxiety and sometimes not be able to talk when being pulled over by law enforcement.

"They may misread or misunderstand what the officer is asking," she said.

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