For the first time, police officers in Lake County are going through autism training.

  • Leesburg police received training related to autism spectrum disorder
  • Officers will also spend time interactig with students with autism
  • Part of a state law requiring law enforcement to receive training

Starting Tuesday evening, all 60 sworn Leesburg Police officers are receiving training related to autism spectrum disorder.

Leesburg Police say House Bill 39 goes into effect Oct. 1, meaning all law enforcement officers in Florida must receive autism training. 

Leesburg Police partnered with Better Life Behavioral Services of Central Florida for the training.

"Having knowledge of autism and and how it presents can help the officers relate to the individuals," said Dr. Cheryl Ecott, a partner at Better Life Behavioral Services of Central Florida. 

Along with Ecott's private practice, they also have a private school, Better Life Academy, that works with children with special needs, primarily kids with autism.  

"If you don't have a child with autism, you really don't know what to expect, and they don't always communicate like normalized children would," said Melissa Martinez, who works at the school and has an 8-year-old daughter who has been diagnosed with autism. 

In the next few weeks, officers will also get a chance to interact with several students with autism spectrum disorder. 

Martinez says it's important for the officers to know how those with autism, like her daughter, would respond to them.  

"You need to know how to handle the situation and how to react to it and how they would react," she said.

The classroom training lasts about 2 hours and wraps up Wednesday evening. ​