We were lucky to catch up with Kate Movius recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kate , appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I created my business out of total desperation: by the time my son was 3 years old, he had started to engage in a behavior very common for children with autism: he would wander (or in his case, sprint) away from the safety of his parents and home, at all hours. Like many people with developmental disabilities, he was at serious risk of injury and/or misunderstanding with both law enforcement and the public during these incidents. I had try to do something to make his world a safer place. 13 years ago, I began offering free autism awareness trainings to police departments. I wanted to offer a dynamic, attention-grabbing experience that would fully engage the officers. So I developed interactive sensory and communication exercises that would mimic what it might feel like to have a sensory or communication “meltdown.” The trainings were a success because the officers were invested in the subject matter.
But the best part of the training? My co-trainers. This group of amazing young autistic people and their families have been working with me for several years. They offer the most vivid, diverse representations of how autistic people interact with the world, which makes a powerful impression on the attendees.
Beginning in 2016, my trainings have been offered on a monthly basis to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Since then, I’ve expanded my trainings to other agencies, including transit personnel, parks and recreation, and other service organizations that are seeking better tools for successfully interacting with the autism community.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My number one teacher is my son, Aidan. He is a 23 year-old autistic young man with both beautiful gifts and profound challenges. In the early days of raising him, I knew very little about the complexities of autism – how it is expressed so differently in each person. In my safety trainings, my goal has always been to offer a dynamic and diverse experience, combined with as much concrete guidance as possible for a variety of scenarios. My goal is that by the end of each session, my students will have acquired lasting, valuable tools for communication and de-escalation, as well as the deeper, more personal connection to autism that my co-trainers bring. I offer trainings to a wide range of clients, including first responders, non-profits, government agencies and companies that want their employees to learn how to better connect with their communities and mitigate any risks that might arise.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When I began developing my program, I was averaging about 2 – 3 hours of sleep per night. Like many children with autism, my son had a severe sleep disorder and usually began each day at 1am. He required (and still does) 24/7 care in order to keep him safe. There were times it seemed impossible just to get done the bare minimum of what was required each day. But instead of throwing in the towel, I began to write about Aidan and what it was like to live with and love someone with autism. Writing became a survival technique for me, which helped me process and share our story with a wider world. One of my pieces was quoted by the celebrated author, Andrew Solomon in his book, Far From The Tree. We were invited to be interviewed by Katie Couric on a panel of extraordinary families to discuss our experiences.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

If you had told me 20 years ago that I’d have a career in autism safety and advocacy, I wouldn’t have believed it! My son’s intense and unexpected needs forced me to learn a lot of painful truths about expectations and patience. I developed more skill sets than I ever thought possible. I’m still learning every day. Autism came into my life on the day my wonderful son was diagnosed. At the time, it felt like bad news. And now? My life is so much richer and more profound because of it. And I love the unique career that autism has gifted me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.autisminteractionsolutions.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-movius-b3645/

Image Credits
Tim Sullens, training photos Prem Dhanjal, portrait