Changing the Narrative

Lynn Clark, Psy.D,
Secretary of the Board
Unity Partnership​utho

Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.

I recently read a Tribune article written by Mary Schmich, in which she detailed the experience of a 33 year old autistic man, Walter Hughes, who was brought to the Emergency Department of Loyola Hospital because of a paradoxical reaction to a medication. A man with autism, behaving violently, winds up in the ER.  When Walter entered the hospital; he became violent and bit his mother. The officers moved in.  The story played out in a way no one would have expected, least of all Ellen Hughes, Walter’s mother. “Picture it,” she says, “here’s this fragile little mom, the aged parents. Walker’s huge and he’s violently attacking me and suddenly there’s all these cops on him. I’m thinking, ‘My God, they’re gonna kill him.’ ”

The article goes on to say, “They weren’t technically cops. They were the hospital’s public safety officers, but Hughes knew how wrong things could go between a big, violent man with autism and a bunch of uniformed men wearing badges, bulletproof vests and stun guns.” The officers, led by Sgt. Keith Miller, who himself has an autistic son, remained with Walter for the next several hours. Utilizing their training and demonstrating an incredible ability to match his needs, they interacted playfully, sang, imitated Sesame Street voices, and exchanged High Fives. Their collective response calmed Walter, reassured his frightened parents, and allowed the medical staff to provide the necessary care.  The exact incidence of police encounters with those with autism and mental illness may be debated, but the fact that these encounters are increasingly more prevalent is not.  It speaks to the importance of equipping officers with the training and skills to deal with these challenges

In our work with Unity Partnership, we often hear police partners complain about the extensive media coverage of violent incidents between the police and particularly people of color. They argue that these incidents are statistical rarities in policing and yet seem to have an outsize impact on the public’s opinion.  Fair enough, but numbers don’t tell the whole story. They overlook the importance of personal narrative and how each person’s history informs their experience and expectations. If a previous police encounter was negative, as they often had been for Walter and his parents, they approach the next encounter fearful and expecting the worst. Conversely, if the encounter was positive, it has the power to change that narrative often dramatically and quickly. That personal narrative can be a result of direct experiences or can even be developed second hand. Our youth director at Unity Partnership had a very negative view of police largely based on reports from his peers.  He was involved in a car accident and the police officer, who was the first responder, was so solicitous that it completely changed his view and actually served as the impetus for his decision to begin working with the police.

These encounters remind us never to underestimate the power of a single interaction. Ellen Hughes shared her story in a blog post on the Age of Autism site, and in her words summed it up best. “It’s amazing what a team of highly-trained, combat-ready, loving policemen can do.”

Amazing indeed…..