Intro for parents and caregivers
The authors of the parent resource guide and social story recognize that this project focuses on Black and Brown parents and youth . This was purposeful . We fully acknowledge that Black , Indigenous , Latinx and other people of color have different histories and experiences with the police . Our hope is that this resource can be useful for many different people with acknowledgement that there is also a need for more specific resources for Brown , Indigenous , Latinx and other communities of color .
Think about your own experiences , values , and opinions about the police .
What message do you want your child to hear ? How may your experiences impact how you talk with your child about the police ?
Look over the materials before sharing them with your child .
This guide has many resources for parents and caregivers of children with ASD who may need support about police safety . Some resources may be appropriate for your child while others may not . You can also preview many books through YouTube or libraries before buying or reading them to your child .
Think about your child ’ s skills right now as well as what skills your child still needs to learn .
It can be useful to help think about where your child ’ s strengths and challenges are when choosing resources and starting this conversation . For instance , does your child know their diagnosis ? Are they able to use coping strategies , such as deep breathing , when faced with a stressful situation ? It can be important to practice using these skills and having a plan if a stressful situation comes up .
Talking about police by skill level and age .
Find more information on talking to children about racism and social justice in the following two articles on Children ’ s Hospital Colorado ’ s website :
• “ Talking About Racism with Kids ”
• “ Talking About Racism with your Children : Starting the Conversation ”
People who are less verbal .
• Use visuals to support conversations , such as social stories and comic strip conversations . These visuals describe what to expect in a situation using pictures and words . See below for an example of a social story .
• Use real examples and simpler language to describe abstract concepts .
• Repeating conversations and skills or doing “ role plays ” is helpful . Have shorter conversations and repeat every so often .
Picking the right time to talk to your child .
This conversation will likely happen over time as your child grows up . Ideally , conversations around police safety start early , before an unexpected encounter happens . It is often helpful to think about what information your child needs in the moment given their own unique needs .
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