April 20, 2025

Dear Ms. Bellisle and Ms. Boone, 

We deeply appreciate your coverage of the tragic death of Victor Perez, a teenager mistakenly reported to 911 as an intoxicated man with a knife who was shot by officers just twelve seconds after they arrived at the scene. We thank you for respectfully highlighting Perez’s background as an individual diagnosed with autism and cerebral palsy, facts that if the police had known and considered, might have led to a different outcome. It is, unfortunately, not the first time a member of the neurodivergent community was killed or otherwise harmed under similar circumstances. However, we hope that with greater coverage of stories like this one, we can better support first responders and educate the community at large so that in the future, no one will have to experience the pain and loss that Mr. Perez’s family is going through. 

After events like these, amidst the understandable grief and fear communities feel, there is a heightened sense of a call to action. The worst lesson a community can take away from this story is to lose their trust in first responders and believe that there is no one out there willing to help them in crisis situations. Instead, it is crucial to raise awareness about the ways first responders can recognize when their important work brings them in contact with a child or adult on the autism spectrum disorder and rely on practices to mitigate tense situations and help them manage emergencies effectively.

There are law enforcement departments across the country trying to increase autism awareness and their training practices, but it is only through the community reaching out and championing change that we can see true progress made (please note two prior letters highlighting programs in Massachusetts and Michigan). On a micro level, progressing autism awareness also involves having individual community members, particularly first responders, understand the wide range of communication abilities of individuals on the autism spectrum and how to access accurate information about autism. Finally, families can also play a role in raising awareness and familiarity with their loved ones and their unique challenges and needs. Please also see this recently published article regarding autism awareness and acceptance.

Below, you will find a short list of resources available to support the important work of law enforcement officers and other first responders, followed by a list of articles from ASAT’s website.

No family should have to go through what the Perez’s are experiencing, but it is only through increased education and awareness that we can further the march towards true autism acceptance and awareness, one step at a time. 

Sincerely, 

Charlie Hui, Extern

David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D, Executive Director

Association for Science in Autism Treatment

The following resources provide additional information related to first responders:

Here are some ASAT resources:

Finally, we would like to share some related Media Watch letters:

#Community #FirstResponders

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