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Emergency responders learn to handle people's special needs

PORTAGE, Ind. (AP) - As the father of a daughter with Down syndrome, Tom Felter Jr. knows it can be a challenge to communicate with people with special needs.

As a paramedic supervisor for Porter Regional Hospital, he knows responding to emergencies can be a tense, stressful experience.

Felter combined his personal and professional lives for a recent workshop at Porter Regional, where he educated a few dozen of his fellow emergency responders on how they might better deal with residents with special needs. Emily Felter, 19, was his co-instructor.

One of his most prominent messages was: Talk slowly.

"I sometimes forget to use my space bar when I'm talking," Felter told The Times (http://bit.ly/1N8v4Gg ).

"If I start rambling, Emily's not going to pay attention to what I'm saying. If I slow down, make eye contact, she's not as likely to be alarmed. You're going to need to help her understand: This is a bad situation, but everything's going to be all right -- we're here to help you."

Felter also said normal rules of social interaction typically don't apply to people with special needs. He noted Emily can be friendly, almost to a fault.

"If a police officer comes over, she's going to want to shake his hand and give him a hug," he said. "She doesn't understand that you can't always do that."

He said Emily might not comply with an officer's command, though not because she's a criminal.

"It's not a sign of disrespect," he said. "She and others like her don't have the capacity to understand that it's in (their) best interest to do what he says."

Felter cited an extreme example of what could go wrong.

In 2013, a 26-year-old man with Down syndrome, Ethan Saylor, saw a movie at a Maryland theater. He liked it so much that when his aide went to get the car, he returned to his seat to watch it again. Security guards ordered him to buy another ticket. When he didn't comply, they tackled him and forcibly attempted to remove him from the building.

Saylor died from asphyxiation. His aide told police he panicked whenever anyone tried to touched him. Felter said this also illustrates why it's crucial for first-responders to involve caregivers when interacting with people with special needs.

But how are police supposed to react if a person with special needs refuses to comply with orders?

Felter recommends weighing the risks against the benefits.

"If Emily's not complying with orders and the building's on fire, you don't have the luxury of waiting. She has to go and go now," he said. "If it's a snuck-into-a-movie situation, are you going to drag her out?

"She's not trying to rip you off $12. She thinks: 'This is a good movie - I want to watch it again.'"

The workshop also espoused the benefits of Porter County's Smart 911 system. At www.Smart911.com, residents create an online profile of all the people and pets in their home, and outline specific instructions if any of them have special needs. This information will then pop up on the dispatcher's screen any time the household dials 911.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.thetimesonline.com

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