In November 2023, a 32-year-old man with autism was visiting his brother in Delaware. During a visit to Lowes with his brother, the man had trouble leaving the lightbulb section of the store, which had captivated his interest. Recognizing the rising distress in his autistic brother, he called 911 for assistance and several state troopers responded. One of the officers-who had received training from Charles Sawchenko of the Delaware Network for Excellence in Autism-effectively used techniques to support autistic individuals during times of stress or crisis. After 30 minutes of empathetic support, the officers were able to help the brothers safely leave the store together.

University of Delaware's Delaware Network for Excellence in Autism (DNEA), funded by Delaware Health and Social Services and housed in the College of Education and Human Development's (CEHD) Center for Disabilities Studies (CDS), is Delaware's statewide training and technical assistance center for autistic individuals, their families and the professionals who support them. Since 2016, DNEA has supported thousands of Delaware families and professionals, often partnering with organizations like Autism Delaware and Nemours Children's Hospital. DNEA's first responder training program recently received the 2024 Compassionate Champion Award from the Delaware Family Services Cabinet Council, Trauma Matters Delaware and the Office of Governor Carney.

"The largest part of our work is working closely with professionals across all disciplines, which includes everyone from childcare providers to mental health professionals to doctors and first responders," said Sarah Mallory, CEHD assistant professor, director of the CDS Health and Wellness Unit and DNEA principal investigator. "We've even worked with museum staff, who wanted to make their spaces more inclusive for autistic individuals. We like to say that if you're likely to interact with a person with autism in your professional career, we will support you in using evidence-based and neurodiversity-affirming practices."