Providing effective education in autism identification, safety and communication tactics
We help our clients minimize risk through effective strategies
for communication and de-escalation
We offer individual and group trainings to first responders, corporations and government agencies.
With the rates of autism increasing every year, the number of high-profile incidents involving this population is on the rise.
Our mission is to provide effective education in autism identification, safety and communication tactics.
Our strategies help clients assess and reduce their liability risk by giving them the tools to foster positive interactions with the special needs population.
We tailor our trainings to each client’s unique needs and environment. Specialized training is crucial to maximizing the chances of a positive outcome in all encounters..
“This training is a first of its kind for the L.A. Sheriff’s Department in terms of local station one-day training opportunities for patrol deputies, particularly with regard to the in-depth presentations, which include the integration of affected families. In 28 years on the Department, I felt it was one of the more memorable training experiences that will have a lasting impact for me and for the deputies, going forward.”
“Having the autistic children present was amazing. As a 21-year police officer, I would not have been able to differentiate the symptoms of autism from disobedience or being under the influence of drugs. I think this experience and knowledge will promote empathy from patrol officers in the future when dealing with families and, hopefully, bridge the gap that existed before the training. The interactive exercises really hit home for being able to understand the autistic thought process.”
Kate Movius
Kate Movius began training first responders in 2011. She has worked with several Los Angeles-area agencies, including the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, the Glendale PD, the Los Angeles Fire Department, Parks and Recreation and the Head Start and Early Learning Division the LA County Office of Education. Kate also conducts regional trainings for out-of-state agencies. She currently serves on the LA Found Taskforce, a groundbreaking initiative to help locate individuals with Alzheimer’s, dementia, autism and other developmental disabilities who wander.
Kate is a frequent media spokesperson about special needs issues and has written for Los Angeles Magazine, Pasadena Magazine, and L.A Parent, among other publications.
The mother of two sons, one of whom has autism, Kate is dedicated to helping communities and first responders interact successfully with at-risk populations.
“Kate Movius was my first choice when our community needed “special needs & safety” training. She collaborated with me to develop a program that brought together first responders, family members, self advocates and school staff to create a dialogue and advance our community awareness on this subject. My expectations were soon exceeded! What Kate did, in fact, was deliver a program that was engaging, fun (!), informative, and action-oriented. We all left with tools and skills we greatly needed. What also occurred thanks to her was the creation of an ongoing community effort for continuous progress to benefit the safety of our special needs loved ones.
This is a topic one does not typically associate with fun. It’s a scary topic! But Kate managed to create an environment of interactive, hands-on experience - and lo and behold, it was a very enjoyable event. We left smarter, more connected as a community and relieved to have information we can use.”
Staff Trainings, Seminars and Presentations
Based on your organization’s needs, we can assist large numbers of staff at one time or provide trainings for smaller groups.
We offer a customized presentation, which includes take-home materials, in addition to engaging interactive exercises.
We are joined by people with varying special needs who help clients learn to identify and understand their unique needs and challenges.
“Immediately following the first training day we began to see results. Not only did officers continue to dialog about the training, they requested more training. Almost immediately we began hearing about officers encountering individuals and remembering their training. Instead of being more aggressive in their contacts, they began to identify certain characteristics about these individuals and started slowing down their encounters. This allowed for situations to de-escalate on their own without resorting to force. Instead officers stepped back and allowed the individual to calm down by giving them space and protecting them while they did so.”
Contact
Feel free to contact me with any questions.
Email
katemovius@autisminteractionsolutions.com
Phone
(323) 252-0036
“Immediately following the first training day we began to see results. Not only did officers continue to dialog about the training, they requested more training. Almost immediately we began hearing about officers encountering individuals and remembering their training. Instead of being more aggressive in their contacts, they began to identify certain characteristics about these individuals and started slowing down their encounters. This allowed for situations to de-escalate on their own without resorting to force. Instead officers stepped back and allowed the individual to calm down by giving them space and protecting them while they did so.”
