The “All-Abilities Training Program” provides government workers, businesses, first responders and more with ways to create supportive environments for people with autism.
“People in the community really want to do the right thing,” said Kathleen Marshall of Anderson Center for Autism. “They don’t want to insult anyone, they just don’t have the language.” Rockland DSS Commissioner Joan Silvestri said she signed up her staff for training right away. “The department has to be welcoming and inclusive to everyone,” she said. Rockland County has launched an “All-Abilities Training Program” that equips everyone from government workers and first responders to businesses and healthcare professionals with ways to create supportive environments for people with autism.
Just days into the program’s launch, a local bank, the county sheriff and Rockland Department of Social Services had already signed up. “There’s been a large amount of interest,” said acting Commissioner of Mental Health Dr. Susan Hoerter. The training benefits the entire community, Hoerter said. “We’re excited to see these skills generalized,” the child and adolescent psychiatrist said. For example, a bank teller takes the program for work, but also uses the skills as a volunteer youth sports coach. The training is part of Rockland Thinks Differently, an initiative launched last year that aims at making the county a welcoming and inclusive place for people on the autism spectrum. The neurodivergent variation impacts as many as 1 in 36 children, with a broad range of needs and abilities among people who identify as autistic. The program is part of the county’s goal to help integrate “people who have different approaches to their environment and the world,” Hoerter said during an interview at the county’s Office for Mental Health in Pomona.
Why get training in autism support? What does it do?
Trainings, in partnership with the Anderson Center for Autism, offer tips for serving people on the autism spectrum and employing them too. “People in the community really want to do the right thing, but they are afraid they may say the wrong things,” said Kathleen Marshall, director of program services at Anderson. “They don’t want to insult anyone, they just don’t have the language.”
Marshall said the training, which takes around two hours, is fit to the needs of the business or group that has requested it. Kathleen Marshall, director of program services at Anderson Center for Autism talks about Rockland County’s new All-Abilities Training Program April 15, 2025.
There’s general discussions to help “demystify what autism is,” she said. She added the reminder that, autism “looks different for every human being.” Training advice can also be specific and hands-on.
For example, first responders who may deal with a child or adult who has “eloped” or wandered off. People with autism are often attracted to water, so any search should include nearby sources like ponds, rivers or pools. Marshall also said agencies like fire departments or police are provided “sensory kits” and advice for creating their own kit. Items of different textures, noise-cancelling headphones or other devices could help calm a person in a stressful situation, as well as communication tools.
A First Responder sensory kit, put together by Anderson Center for Autism, is given out as part of All-Abilities training now offered in Rockland County. The kit provides items of different textures, communication material and noise-cancellation headphones.
Creating a ‘safe space’ for clients, workers with autism Rockland DSS Commissioner Joan Silvestri said she signed up her staff for training right away. “The department has to be welcoming and inclusive to everyone,” she said. The growing prevalence and understanding of autism means “this becomes more of a population I need to continue to serve, and probably differently than we’ve been doing,” Silvestri said.
Among its duties, DSS aids families with housing, food and other assistance to meet basic needs. The department, she said, needs to be a “safe space.” Silvestri also sees an opportunity to build and better serve her workforce through the All-Abilities Training Program.
“Every employee is unique,” Silvestri said. She hopes to build knowledge about employee needs when it comes to individual workers with autism. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports for 2024, the employment rate for people with disabilities was just below 23%. People need employment, Silvestri said. “If we set that example, others may follow.”
Marshall at Anderson said she hears every day from autistic individuals, many of whom have college degrees, who are having a hard time securing a job. There are lessons in the training for employers who, like Silvestri, want to learn more about hiring people with autism. For example, Marshall said, an employer may be able to tweak interview and onboarding processes that help people with autism feel more comfortable or better show off their skills.
“If we just learn more about each other,” Marshall said, “we can form relationships.”
To find out about participating in All-Abilities Training Program, contact the Rockland County Department of Mental Health at 845-364-2391.