Breakout Session 3: Understand & Connect Building Relationships Between First Responders & the Disability Community
Sat, Oct 03
|New Canaan Library Children's Program Rm
Learn how to make meaningful connections & communicate with first responders and help create an emergency plan for your family.
Time & Location
Oct 03, 2026, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
New Canaan Library Children's Program Rm, 151 Main St, New Canaan, CT 06840, USA
Guests
About the event
Understand & Connect
Building Relationships Between First Responders & the Disability Community
Presented by Sgt. Kelly Coughlin, New Canaan Police Department, and Ashley McClain, Founder & President of Linked-Autism Safety Project
The best time to build a relationship with first responders is before an emergency happens.
For individuals with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals, communication, sensory needs, behavior, or responses to stress may look different—particularly during an unfamiliar or high-pressure situation. Building familiarity and understanding ahead of time can help families and first responders communicate and connect more effectively.
This interactive session brings families and first responders together to build trust, increase understanding, and strengthen communication. Sgt. Kelly Coughlin will share how the New Canaan Police Department is working to build relationships with members of the disability and neurodivergent community, while Ashley McClain will bring her expertise training first responders through the Linked-Autism Safety Project.