The Washington County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) has started a new Autism Decal initiative aimed at enhancing the safety and well-being of residents with autism within our community. By offering FREE decals to be placed on homes and vehicles, this program underscores WCSO's commitment to ensuring that all residents receive the attention they deserve during emergency situations.  We chose bright colors for the decals so they could be more easily noticed by emergency responders.

When these decals are displayed near the front door of a home or in the rear window of a vehicle (in a location that doesn't obstruct driver's view), it will serve a vital function by alerting deputies and other emergency responders to the presence of a person with autism, enabling them to adjust their approach based on training, which prepares deputies to understand and effectively handle situations where an individual might not communicate in typical ways. The presence of the decal thus facilitates a safer and more effective interaction between first responders and individuals with autism, reducing the potential for misunderstandings or stressful situations for those involved.

The more information emergency personnel have when they're responding to calls for service, the better they can meet our residents' needs. Below are a few options with this program.

1. If you would just like to request a FREE Decal – email: kcantrell@washingtoncountyar.gov and include your mailing address and # of decals (1-4) needed.
   
   
2. If you live OUTSIDE Fayetteville or Springdale city limits, you can request a FREE Decal AND (if you live in Washington County) request pertinent information be entered into the WCSO Communication Center's Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system so responding deputies will be aware that a person with autism lives in the home. Just complete the following form and email it to: kcantrell@washingtoncountyar.gov.
   
   
3. If you live OUTSIDE Fayetteville or Springdale city limits (but live in Washington County) and DO NOT want the Decals, but would like the information to be entered into WCSO's CAD system, then complete the following form, mark ZERO (0) Decals, and e-mail it to kcantrell@washingtoncountyar.gov.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023):

1 in 36 children in the U.S. have Autism
1 in 45 adults in the U.S. have Autism