Heroes Unite to celebrate autism awareness and acceptance in Elgin

The Heroes Unite autism awareness and acceptance celebration is back for its third year in Elgin Saturday.

As a parent of a child with autism, Elgin Police Officer Robby Soberano knows the importance of the event.

"It puts the police and the (autism) community together in a positive environment," he said. "A lot of times when they see us it's because we're responding to a call for a person in a mental health crisis, but here they're seeing that police are their friends. The more we reinforce that, the better."

The event will run from 1 to 4 p.m. in front of the Elgin Police Department, 151 Douglas Ave. It is held in partnership with The Autism Hero Project and coincides with Autism Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month.

More than 30 vendors will be on hand, including nonprofit resources and companies that provide therapy support for kids and adults with autism and other disabilities. The event also will feature raffles, games, face painters and visits with Chance the therapy dog and cosplayers from Star Wars and other superhero universes.

Soberano said there were more than 500 attendees last year from across the suburbs and Chicago, and some coming from as far away as Wisconsin.

"It's such a good event and it seems like each year it's getting bigger and bigger," he said.

One of the highlights each year is simulated traffic stop scenarios. The simulations give people with autism a chance to experience being "pulled over" by police while in a stationary vehicle. Police say the experience may help young people with autism feel more comfortable driving and put them at ease if they get pulled over in real life.

"For someone with autism, repetition and exposure is key in getting used to something or calming down as they experience an event," Soberano said.

Preregistration for the simulation is recommended by visiting: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0X0vTqaktuPI4DuhKcnmACH72MREAzrbVEsEsadE1WBmL1w/viewform.

Raising a child with autism changed the way Soberano dealt with people in crisis in his job. His son Benjamin is 11.

"We really need to change the way people think about disabilities and special needs and how we can support people," he said.

Soberano said the event is beneficial not only for children with autism but also for their families.

"It's a very isolating experience, being a special needs parent. I can tell you that firsthand," he said. "It's nice to be around people who think the same, who you don't have to explain anything to when your kid is yelling at the top of his voice."

A rain date has been set for April 29 in case of bad weather. A decision will be made Saturday morning.