Testimonials
Richard Thomas, Chief of Police, Port Washington, WI, sent a letter saying: “On behalf of the Port Washington, Wisconsin Police Department and the community I would like to thank you for your presentation to 1st responders and caregivers on Autism, February 6, 2010. You presentation was very educational and enlightening. The training you provided will go along way in helping our Police Officers, and EMT personnel in Ozaukee County respond to calls for service involving children and adults with autism in a more informed and competent manner. Chris, I can’t thank you enough for the work you are doing in this area. I will be recommending your training for our in-service [training] for the 2010-2011 year. In my opinion this training should be taught in all Wisconsin Law Enforcement Academy’s. Thank you again.”
Mike Wilson, Police Officer, Sun Prairie Police Department emailed: “I wanted to thank you for your training today—I thought you did an exceptional job on the topic. Your training was probably the most valuable I have had in our in-service series. I have never sent a trainer an email about how good their training was, but I felt yours was *exceptional.* You have my sincere thanks and please know that you are making a difference for first responders—I feel much more confident in my own ability to do my job thanks to your training.”
Jim Baldauf, EMS Director of the Cambridge Area, said: "Chris presented this information in just the right manner for us; it was informative and educational. This is must-have training for all departments." He also says, "YES I'd love to be a reference for you, I think the information you have to offer is just what many services need."
Lisa Antoniewicz, Deer-Grove EMS Deputy Chief and Fire/EMS Training Director at Oregon, said of the training: “Thank you SO much for a very informative session! You really did an amazing job developing a program that is very applicable for all of us involved in human protective services. Our department very much enjoyed your presentation. If you are interested in extending this program to other services, I would love to recommend you.”
Sergeant Lorie Wiessinger, Facility Administrator for the Dane County Law Enforcement Training Center, said: “I was very impressed with the presentation. As a parent myself, I really give you credit for all the time and effort you have put into this. Now I know why you were so adamant to train emergency personnel. I think you need to get your presentation out to the media. Thanks again for inviting me.”
Jay Salvo, Asst. Fire Chief of Blooming Grove Fire Department, said: “I found that after attending Chris Lacey’s training, we were better equipped to handle and consider autism when assessing behavior during personal encounters. I would recommend it to any and all first responders.”
Shannon Sullivan, Fire and EMS Training Director of the DeForest Area, said: “Your presentation was AWESOME! I have heard nothing but positive feedback from all of our members. You gave us information to use in our practice and provided us with ideas from which we can build on as far as policies go for dealing with autistic patients and their families.”
Joel Dhein, a Crime Prevention Officer with the Glendale Police Department, said: “I was very enlightened by the training; it was well organized and presented in an interesting and educational manner. I’d highly encourage all first responders and caregivers to attend one of Chris’s trainings.”
Susan Ehrlich, M.D., a Pediatrician for UW Health, said: “The training session was thorough, informative, and presented in a very accessible form. It should be required for all medical personnel, teachers, emergency responders—in short, ANYONE who works with autistic children or adults. I only hope more people in our community can have the opportunity to learn from Chris Lacey.”
Angela Young, a Special Educator for 31 years through the Sauk City School District, said: “Chris Lacey offers an important and underdeveloped facet of community building to help provide a safe and collaborative structure for kids with a range of disabilities. I would recommend her training for all staff and families within the school system working with a child with special needs.”
Kate McGinnity, Autism Consultant and Trainer for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, said: “Chris is a dynamic and engaging speaker. Her perspective as a mother gives her a speaking style that is straight from the heart. Her ingenuity provides her presentations a common sense, useful application for any who are lucky enough to hear her speak. I recommend her highly.”
Nancy Meister, Parent and Caregiver, said: “As the mother of a child with special needs, I don’t often have time to think about what might happen if I need to call 911 and how first responders might perceive my child or my family. Thanks to Chris’s presentation, I have thought through a variety of scenarios—including medical emergencies and if my child should wander away from home or school—and am now much more prepared to deal with any situation that might arise.”
Lisa Mahoney, Parent and Caregiver, said: “Before Chris’s training, it hadn’t occurred to me to contact my first responders and let them know ahead of time about my son’s condition. After having met with them, I feel much more confident that they could handle my son appropriately if the need arose.”