04/23/2024
In recognition of Autism Awareness Month, the Reserve Corps hosted a very important visitor, Jaden, during our pre-deployment roll call in the Fifth District. We’ll let Jaden’s mom, Carlet, tell the story.
Jaden is one of my five children. When he was three months old, I brought him and his twin brother home because their biological mother passed away a month after they were born. Both Jaden and his twin brother are on the Autism spectrum, but they are quite different in personality.
Jaden is often considered nonverbal, although he can communicate effectively. Over the years, he has become increasingly vocal. Despite the misconception that nonverbal means non-understanding, he understands things remarkably. Jaden has a passion for puzzles and an incredibly vivid imagination. For the past two years, he has dressed as a police officer every single day.
Whenever Jaden sees a police officer, he insists on stopping to speak with them. One day, while working at the hospital, I met Reserve Officer Julian Bethune-Brown. I asked him if he knew of any police departments that would be open to welcoming us, as we wanted to promote Autism Awareness Month. Reserve Officer Bethune-Brown suggested we visit the 5th District on April 19th for the Reserve Corps high-priority detail.
That visit was the highlight of Jaden's life so far. Since then, he has asked daily if we can return to the police station. During our time at the police station, Jaden wore a smile that never faded. The joy I felt for my child during that visit is indescribable, and I cannot thank everyone enough for making it such a memorable experience.
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