Md. county trains first-responders on helping people with autism

The 1,200 firefighters and paramedics serving Howard County, Md., are undergoing training on how to handle emergency situations involving people with autism. "There's a need for this because we do have a high population of people with special needs, and this does allow us to do our job better," Howard County Fire and Rescue Services Capt. Tony Concha said. First-responders will learn behavioral clues for identifying a person who may have autism, along with ideas for handling situations more sensitively, such as not immediately touching an injury. The Baltimore Sun (12/3)  http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/ellicott-city/ph-ho-cf-autism-awareness-1206-20121130,0,5293939.story