Charlestown police receive combination boards to aid with nonverbal communication

Erik Hackman, The Evening News and the Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind.
·2 min read

Sep. 28—CHARLESTOWN — The City of Charlestown has introduced a new way for police officers to communicate with those who are nonverbal.

With a grant from the Autism Society of America and Today's Champions, the city has purchased combination boards for each law enforcement vehicle. These boards will provide a way to communicate with a person who might be nonverbal, speaks limited English, has autism or mental health issues.

City hall staff members will also be provided with the communication boards.

"We're grateful to the Autism Society of Indiana for providing these boards as an aid to help us communicate most effectively with people we encounter who might be nonverbal or who have limited English skills," Charlestown Mayor Treva Hodges said.

Communication cards are not only used for people who have trouble speaking, they can also be used to de-escalate a situation that has been caused from the lack of clear communication.

The Autism Society of Indiana wants to address the need for these boards and has set a goal of making sure every law enforcement officer and first responder in the state has a communication board.

"A lot of the symbols and words are universal and they can point to what they need to communicate," Charlestown Police Chief Timothy Wolff said. "They have a pain scale, they can tell us where they live, they can look at the card and we can better communicate what their needs are."

The cards were handed out to police officers and city hall staff on Monday so they could be used as quickly as possible.

"Charlestown is committed to fostering an inclusive community environment and these communication boards are a welcome addition to the steps we're taking as a whole to ensure that our residents and visitors, regardless of individual need, feel connected and can receive top quality service from city staff and first responders," Hodges said.

For more information on the communication boards, go to https://www.autismsocietyofindiana.org/ or contact Kristie Brown Lowland, the executive board president of Autism Society of Indiana at kbrownlofland@gmail.com.