VirTra Releases New Autism Awareness Training Curriculum for Law Enforcement
April 28 2020 - 8:30AM
VirTra, Inc. (NASDAQ: VTSI)
(“VirTra”), a global provider of training simulators for
the law enforcement, military, educational and commercial markets,
has released new V-VICTA (VirTra Virtual Interactive Coursework
Training Academy) training curriculum designed to help law
enforcement professionals bridge the communication gap and interact
more effectively, and positively, with individuals with autism. To
develop the Autism Awareness simulation training program, VirTra
partnered with the renowned experts at SARRC (Southwest Autism
Research and Resource Center).
This first-of-its-kind curriculum and virtual
reality scenarios, include actors diagnosed with autism as well as
modules covering a variety of topics, including recognition,
communication strategies and best practices for law enforcement
officers.
According to the most recent data from the CDC, 1
in 54 children are diagnosed with autism in the United States, and
estimates suggests that 50,000 teens with autism transition into
adulthood each year. The growing number of diagnoses and increasing
population indicate that it is highly likely that a law enforcement
officer will come into contact with someone on the autism
spectrum.
“I think helping police officers understand the
social differences with people with autism that they might interact
with is what’s really critical,” says Dr. Daniel Openden, president
and CEO of SARRC. “Usually training stops at talking to people, not
practice with feedback, and so I go back to what I said earlier:
Knowledge-based didactic training for police officers is good if we
want to increase knowledge, but if we really want to change
behavior and interactions out on the street, then we have to do
behavior-based training. That’s what they built into the
technology, and that’s what’s really going to make a
difference.”
The V-VICTA curriculum was designed by VirTra’s
in-house subject matter experts and SARRC professionals, and has
been previewed and beta tested by some of VirTra’s current law
enforcement customers. Both the written lesson plan and simulator
scenarios were reviewed extensively by various members of law
enforcement around the country.
Chief Allen Muma of Jerome Police Department,
Arizona, who tested the curriculum, commented: “I just fell in love
with it. VirTra is forward-looking. It’s not just shoot/don’t
shoot. Now, they’re offering scenarios and more training, so you
get this auditory or visual learning from watching it, but then you
get that kinesthetic learning from actually practicing what you
just learned, which actually is proven to hold in your mind
longer.”
Lon Bartel, Director of Training and Curriculum at
VirTra, added: “We hope that by offering this new curriculum,
officers will be better equipped to handle an encounter with
autistic persons. If we can educate officers so that they know what
signs and behaviors to look for, and how to respond appropriately,
then we will reach better outcomes.”
The Autism Awareness curriculum has been added to
VirTra’s ever-expanding library and is available to customers with
VOS® 4.6 or later and will be delivered during their Annual Service
Visit if they are on a current plan that provides one. For more
information about this cutting-edge curriculum, visit VirTra’s
autism training information page here.
About SARRCEstablished in 1997,
the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC) is an
internationally recognized nonprofit that conducts innovative
research, provides evidence-based practices, disseminates effective
training and builds inclusive communities for individuals with
autism and their families. SARRC is dedicated to autism research,
education, evidence-based treatment, and community outreach.
Additionally, SARRC is one of the only autism organizations in the
world that provides a lifetime of services for individuals and
their families while also conducting cutting edge
research.
About VirTra VirTra (NASDAQ: VTSI)
is a global provider of judgmental use of force training
simulators, firearms training simulators and driving simulators for
the law enforcement, military, educational and commercial markets.
The company’s patented technologies, software, and scenarios
provide intense training for de-escalation, judgmental
use-of-force, marksmanship and related training that mimics
real-world situations. VirTra’s mission is to save and improve
lives worldwide through practical and highly-effective virtual
reality and simulator technology. Learn more about the company
at www.VirTra.com.
Investor Relations Contact:Matt
Glover or Charlie Schumacher VTSI@gatewayir.com949-574-3860
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