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COMMUNITY-ENGAGED FACULTYFELLOWS
During the 2022-2023 AY, the Office of the Provost – with the support of the TCLT and the Office of Engaged Learning –established the Community-Engaged Faculty Fellows grant. The purpose of this grant is to support faculty who are engaged in community-engaged teaching and scholarship at UM-Flint.
Onthenextpage,readaboutthework ofoneofthispastyear'sCEFacultyFellows, Dr.MelissaSreckovic.
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For the 2023-2024 AY, the TCLT is excited to make another call for the Community-Engaged Faculty Fellows grant. Be on the lookout during September for the call announcement!
Dr. Melissa Sreckovic was awarded a Community Engaged Faculty Fellow grant in December 2022 to investigate sensory bags utilized by law enforcement officers to support autistic individuals during safety interactions. The project aims to first identify what items should be included in a sensory bag law enforcement officers carry in their vehicles and second, to examine the impact of the sensory bags when utilized in the field to support the safety of autistic individuals.
Phase one of the study is complete. Dr. Sreckovic and her research team distributed a survey to autistic individuals, family members of autistic individuals, and service providers of autistic individuals to ascertain from their perspectives what items should be included in the sensory bag to help law enforcement officers communicate with autistic individuals, as well as calm and de-escalate autistic individuals. Ninety-two responses were collected.
Based on data from the survey, Dr. Sreckovic and her team built 75 sensory bags (Figure 1). Dr. Sreckovic and her team are working collaboratively with the Law Enforcement Officers Regional Training Commission, which serves over 50 law enforcement agencies in Michigan, to distribute the bags during autism training sessions.
Phase two of the study is underway and will be a longitudinal study examining how law enforcement officers utilize the bags in the field and if the bags make a difference in improving the safety of autistic individuals during public safety interactions.
