Registering autistic children with the police: A strategic idea?

A new Canadian program is supposed to help officers defuse confrontations using sensitivity rather than force. But what about privacy?

Some experts argue that registering autistic children with local police can help officers more sensitively diffuse situations involving an autistic child.
(Image credit: Christopher Chung/ZUMA Press/Corbis)

Recently, the Canadian city of Ottawa formally and permanently adopted a voluntary autism registry, so parents can let police know of a child's diagnosis in case of trouble. Is this a logical way to help officers approach an autistic child most sensitively, or is it an invasion of privacy? Here, a brief guide:

What's the purpose of the registry?

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