Commissioner Regalado and the Miami-Dade Police Department Launch Autism Decal Program

Launching during Autism Acceptance Month, the new program provides an easy way for residents with neurodivergent family members to communicate with first responders

MIAMI-DADE – On Tuesday, April 2, at 8:30 a.m. Commissioner Raquel Regalado, Miami-Dade Police Director Stephanie Daniels and other officials will launch the Occupant with Autism decal program in Miami-Dade, to kick off Autism Acceptance Month.

A parent of two neurodivergent young adults, Commissioner Regalado sponsored a resolution creating the program to improve how emergency situations involving persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are handled.

“I’ve been on a mission to make Miami-Dade a safer, more inclusive place for our residents of all abilities,” said Commissioner Raquel Regalado. “I couldn’t be prouder of this partnership with our top-notch police department. We’ve spent the past three years training our police officers to handle situations involving people on the spectrum and now we’re bringing the community into that conversation. It’s a huge leap forward for local law enforcement.”

The aim of the decal program is to alert police officers and fire fighters that someone living with autism may be inside a home or vehicle. It is the second part of a massive training effort of police and other County departments that kicked off in 2021 through a partnership with the University of Miami-Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (UM-NSU CARD).

As part of legislation sponsored by Commissioner Regalado, UM-NSU CARD has trained more than 2,100 police officers and 138 firefighters, including best practices for on-site scene crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques when interacting with persons with ASD. According to UM-NSU CARD, there are at least 50,000 persons with ASD in Miami-Dade alone.

The Occupant with Autism decal program will provide two free decals to families of persons with autism. These should be placed in a visible spot, either the front window or door of a residence, or a car window. Some local police departments, including the cities of Hialeah and North Miami Beach, have modeled the Miami-Dade County Occupant with Autism decal program, and are currently running it. Commissioner Regalado has asked other municipalities to join this countywide effort.

Miami-Dade County residents can pick up the free decals at their nearest county police station, as well as at the Pinecrest Farmer’s Market on Saturday, April 13, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and on Saturday, April 27, at Autism Family Fun Day at Devon Aire Park, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.