- Welcome Message and select excerpts of our first year blog
- Our New Blog
- Contact us
- Travel Advice
- Guidelines for travel agents
- Flying-all you need to know before you book your next plane ticket>
- Cruising-planning the perfect cruise>
- Car Travel
- Traveling by bus...in style
- Hotels-Creating the ideal autistic friendly hotel room>
- Packing -101>
- Ask away -Autistic Globetrotting Free advice service>
- Tid bits-travel advice from our readers in 100 words or less
- Autistic Travels' Golden Rules
- Guidelines for travel agents
- Autisticals-a personal view of autistic travel
- US 10 best in
- The 10 best of Boston
- The best 10 of Hilton Head,South Carolina
- The 10 best of New York
- The 10 best of Alaska
- The 10 best of Texas-San Antonio and Galveston
- The 10 best of Santa Fe and the surroundings
- The 10 best of Arizone-Grand Canyon
- The 10 best of Colonial Williamsburg,Jamestown and surroundinds
- The 10 best of Washington D.C.
- The 10 best of Las Vegas
- The 10 best of Boston
- International 10 best
- Mini autisticals- the darnest travel stories you'll hear
- The Sleeps-our biased and un biased hotel reviews
- The Eats-Tasty challenges from around the globe
- The Shops-what you can buy next
- Collector's Corner-How did these travel trinkets become a collection
- Recommended products
- Giveaways
- Monthly news roundup
- Interviews
- Q&A with Jackie Longino founder of Aspietravel
- Q&A with Tal managing director of ALUTEVA-autistic hotel in Israel
- Eva Bronstein-Greenwald-special needs travel agent and founder of We Belong
- Q&A with Trip it's
- Q&A with David Intercontinental Tel Aviv
- Keri Bowers- film producer of 'Normal people scare me'
- Jamie Grover-Autism on the seas
- Peter Shears
- Clive-guide dog extraordinaire
- John Brown of 'Devyn and Dad' -an inspirational adventure across the United States
- Rose Niehaus Olsen Morris inventor of the safety sleeper bed
- Annette White,counselor for Camp Autism
- Colin Brennan-Canada's new singing sensation
- Dennis Debbaudt-autism safety expert
- Gisela Sedlmayer- author of 'Talon'
- Q&A with Jackie Longino founder of Aspietravel
- Inspirational travel stories by our guest writers
- Danette Schott's-Revisiting family vacations
- Brian R. King-Meltdown at the airport
- Joy's visit to the Aquarium
- Denise Klipsic-An incredible encounter with Princess Tiana
- Tanya Savko- Hope on a river
- Tiffany Robison-Great Wolf Lodge
- Fiona Westner Ramsay -Making-room-for-autism-in-your-canoe
- Laura Shumacher-Traveling with autism: a true story
- Phyllis Fanzo Lombardi-s -Vacation Time with Joey
- Kristina Chew-18 Miles On the Bikes At the Beach
- Jeff Katz-Chicago
- Margaret Ann Franklin's visit to the Great Northern Carousel in Helena Montana
- Claire Sarcone-Chessington the aspie way
- Elaine Hall-Tips for summer vacation
- Steve LHeureux -Autism "Outings" need to be planned and appropriate
- Kelly Green-The Gardens of Gilroy
- Wolfie Blue-Tips I learnt by traveling with my family
- Gluten free Disney cruise experience
- Danette Schott's-Revisiting family vacations
- North,Central and South America-pictures,videos and AG's tips
- Arizona,The Grand Canyon
- Alaska Cruise-USA and Canada
- Florida,Orlando-Universal Studios-looking for Harry Potter
- Florida,Orlando-Macy's mini parade in Universal Studios
- Florida-Everglades Park ,Miami,Key West
- Hawaii's big island with a glimpse of Pearl Harbor
- Louisiana,New Orleans-French Quarter,Christmas Parade,Nanchez Steamboat
- Louisiana,New Orleans-in the footsteps of Katrina,Garden district
- Massachussetts-Boston ,New England Coastal towns of NH and Maine
- New York-NYC
- New Mexico-Santa Fe and Bandoliers National Park
- Pennsylvania-Philadelphia
- Texas-San Antonio and Galveston
- Canada-Niagara Falls,Montreal,Quebec,Toronto
- Caribbean-Bahamas- the Atlantis resort
- Caribbean-Castaway Cay-Disney's bahamian paradise
- Caribbean-Roatan,Honduras>
- Caribbean-Grand Caymans-Hell,Turtles,Wild Hens and Stingrays>
- Mexico-Cabo San Lucas(Mex Riviera)
- Mexico-Puerta Vallarta (Mex Riviera)
- Mexico-Acapulco and Manzanillo
- Mexico-Mazatlan(Mex Riviera)
- Mexico-Playa del Carmen's Xcaret eco park>
- Mexico-Tulum and XelHa Eco Park
- Yucatan,Mexico- Chichen Itza,Cozumel's Paradise Beach
- Arizona,The Grand Canyon
- Europe,Asia,Australia and New Zealand,Cruise ships-pictures,videos and AG's tips
- Australia-Sydney and Melbourne
- Austria-Salzburg
- Belgium-Antwerp ,Brussels
- Canary Islands-Lazarote
- Croatia-the walled town of Dubrovnik
- Denmark-Copenhagen
- France-Normandy's D day beaches>
- France- Cannes,Nice,Eze
- France-Paris
- Finland,Helsinki
- Germany-Munich,Dachau
- Germany-Romantic Road
- Ireland-Dublin
- Ireland -Cork,Blarney,Kinsale>
- N. Ireland-Belfast>
- N. Ireland's Giant Causeway
- N.Ireland-Carrick -a -Rede-rope bridge>
- Italy-Venice,Pompeii,Rome
- Italy-Florence,Messina and Taoramina
- Israel-Jerusalem>
- Israel-Masada and the Dead Sea>
- Israel-Tel Aviv>
- Morocco-Casablanca
- New Zealand-Rotarua
- New Zealand-Fjord Park,Dunedin,Christchurch
- New Zealand - Auckland and sheep farm
- The Netherlands-Amsterdam,Delft,The Hague,Rotterdam,Madurodam
- Sweden-Stockholm and the Archipelago
- Russia-St Petersburg's Palaces
- Scotland-Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh
- Scotland-Edinburgh>
- Scotland-Inverness>
- Scotland-Loch Lommond,Luss,Sottish sheep show>
- Spain-Barcelona
- Spain-Cadiz and Seville
- Spain-The Alhambra Palace,view of Malaga
- Tasmania-Hobart
- UK-Liverpool and the Beatles>
- UK-London>
- UK-Stonehenge,Bath,Warwick Castle,Stratford on Avon,Oxford
- UK-Guernsey>
- Carnival -Legend
- Aboard the Carnival Legend
- Carnival -Ecstasy
- Carnival- Fascination
- Carnival Spirit
- Celebrity-Century
- Crown Princess>
- Sapphire Princess
- Royal Caribbean-Brilliance of the Seas
- Royal Caribbean-Mariner of the Seas (parades)
- Royal Caribbean- Mariner of the Seas
- Australia-Sydney and Melbourne
- Monthly guest's -Travel videos and pictures
- Web sites and blogs we follow
- Face Book discussions
- Guest Book
Dennis Debbaudt-autism safety expert
![Picture](/uploads/4/4/4/8/4448415/9760865.jpg)
Dennis Debbaudt was first to address the interactions between law enforcement and people with autism in his 1994 report Avoiding Unfortunate Situations. He has since authored a full length book, over 30 reports, book chapters and produced innovative and acclaimed training videos for law enforcement and first responders such as paramedics, fire rescue, police, and hospital staff who may respond to an autism emergency. Dennis has written for the FBI's Law Enforcement Bulletin and is a cited resource for the Department of Homeland Security. He has developed training and consulted to the NYPD and Chicago Police Department. Since 1995, he has presented his multi-media training at the invitation of the Illinois Attorney General, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's Team ADAM, Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police conference, Fire Safety Educators of the Rockies Conference, Project Lifesaver International, Houston, Cincinnati, Toledo and New Hampshire training academies and Iceland 112 among many other conferences, for universities and school districts and in training rooms throughout North America and the United Kingdom. Dennis has been interviewed for reports in USA Today, New York Times, People Magazine, Chicago Tribune and CBC Radio and for many other print and broadcast media.
AG :Describe your line of work ,and what got you started.
DD: It’s a job that I never expected to do!
My original background is in journalism. I started by writing for my hometown newspaper in Detroit, free-lanced as a newspaper and television reporter and went on to opening my own investigation agency. When my special needs son who is currently twenty-seven started having unanticipated issues/contacts with law enforcement agencies, it seemed like a natural step for me to start raising safety awareness for the autism community .When this started back over twenty years ago when I provided care to my upset child in public, it looked like I was trying to abduct or abuse my own son to those unaware of his diagnosis and many times I had quite a bit of explaining to do .
These situations lead me to look for articles about autism and oppositional behaviors and to my surprise I discovered that not much had been written. Back in the eighties, there was no real information out there detailing the frequency of interactions between law enforcement and autistic individuals which made me decide to step in and begin my own research. My focus was two-fold: finding out whether these interactions occur at a higher rate than in the regular population, and developing techniques to aid parents, law enforcement and first responders when these interactions happen. I started reporting about my findings in the early 90’s and that lead me to what I do nowadays which is training law enforcement on how to best respond and help when encountering an autistic person in trouble.
AG: So you have pioneered a system/plan that no one had even thought was needed before?
DD: No one had reported or written on such cases back then. Over the years I have written over thirty reports, papers, and book chapters-not to mention the hundreds of training classes I have taught. I have even developed three training videos to guide law enforcement staff unsung different scenarios on ways to deal with autistic behaviors without resorting to violence. My program has a two-fold purpose as we not only train law officials how to act when faced with autistic individuals, but the whole autistic community on how to avoid getting into these situations to begin with.
AG::Do you think there is more autism awareness among law enforcement in the US than in other countries, and if so is more prevalent in urban or rural areas?
DD: There seems to be more autism awareness in North America, specifically in the US and Canada. However I do think that many countries like Australia, the UK, and France are quickly catching up. One of our videos was just translated into French and will be released in France. Over the years I have lectured in the UK and Canada. My book that was published over nine years ago, in 2001, is used by local law enforcement agencies in all regions of Canada and Iceland. I am hopeful more countries will eventually join.
Awareness among its law enforcement officers is directly linked to how active the autism community is, so there are noticeable differences even within the US. Some states with more active autism communities have raised better awareness and trained their law enforcement officers to the various arising situations, while other places have yet to pick up the glove and do the same. In many cases the cost of training is actually covered by the local autism community, as they understand how important it can be.
I’ve been invited by local autism city groups as well as rural less densely populated areas in Wyoming or the Yukon. Over the years, some of the states have provided the funding needed to cover the awareness training costs. In Blue Sky, Montana, a law enforcement officer in my audience who has a son on the spectrum helped procure state funding to teach the autism awareness courses statewide. That has happened in other states too-so it has become the case of one thing leading to another in many regions. My main goal is to make my training sustainable, meaning that it has to continue working and be successful after I leave and that the main reason I have developed our printed material and video.
AG: In your opinion, how should autistic families prepare for travel?
DD: If you think of it, you basically travel every time you leave your home, so the question that arises is how prepared can you be for what comes next. I would say that preparedness is the name of the game!
As a family member or caregiver, you have the most influence on your own safety, so you should allocate time and adequately prepare for your travel; never leave things to the last minute. As a community, we can raise awareness among law enforcement officers, airline, or hotel staff on how to respond to certain situations that may arise while traveling with an autistic persons but it is ultimately up to the family members or care providers to come up with the plan complete with the adequate safety precautions they might need during that travel. My motto remains: Plan for the worst and be prepared!
Families with higher cognitive capabilities autistic persons should make teaching safety a priority. In fact, it should be taught early and often both at home and in school incorporated in the kid's IEP. Remember one can be an academic prodigy and still be quite clueless when it comes to negotiating the world and its dangers.
Reiterate to your autistic globetrotter the basics: don’t wonder off the beaten path, travel in crowds, let someone know of your whereabouts at all times and even small details like not staring at anyone in public restrooms. Just remember that those skills that regular kids learn from experience and adopt naturally have to be broken down to small segments/lessons for the autistic mind and delivered in a specialized way through a longer period of time.
AG: Any travel advice for those traveling abroad?
DD: Carry a handout disclosing the autism and use it before trouble starts as it’s hard to do that in the heat of the moment when other security measures might trump that!
If your child has a meltdown or repeats stuff that’s written on the walls about bombs, disclosing his/her medical diagnosis in the heat of the moment might seem adequate to you but the authorities need time to verify the disclosure. Theoretically anyone can claim a disability at short notice, so that’s why it is crucial to let the pertinent personnel know ahead of time of any medical issues!
By letting the authorities/personnel know of your issues ahead of time, you are giving them the opportunity to respond effectively. If you are not willing to disclose your issues then the quality of the response will be limited to the quantity of information the responder has at that given moment. I am aware that some people are unconfortable with Big Brother watching and knowing too much, but I'm comfortable with that. My philosophy is that Big Brother should watch, understand, and actually help individuals if they actually need help. You have to weigh both sides and yes, you might have to give up some privacy to gain some safety and security.
AG: Some families are squeamish about disclosing information, especially after 9/11 as they’re afraid of being targeted and put on a no fly list; what is your take on the matter?
DD: You can’t be put on a no-fly list for asking for additional accommodations in the US as it is protected under the Americans with disabilities act; however, I am painfully aware in other parts of the world there are no laws like that to protect travelers. Frankly, I would love to see UN get involved to protect travelers rights.
AG: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
DD: I plan on continuing to provide high quality and information to public safety personnel. I would like to see want a certain level of professionalism is maintained. My initial goal has stayed the same throught this journey: providing fair and objective information for all involved-people on the spectrum, law enforcement officers, and different security staff produce reproducible material!
AG: Your program calls and requires continuous contact-how is that accomplished?
DD: Our main focus and contact remains the autism community.
I believe it is the responsibility of the autism community to put the subject of safety and security on the front burner and to remain active and vocal about the ongoing matter.
The people it affects is the individuals and the families, so it is these persons that are affected that have to raise awareness and fight to institute rules and regulations for the safety of their loved ones.