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[tpsbmam]

91. How incredibly awesome! Good for you for taking on that responsibility!

Yeah, you'll need help along the way -- take it from someone whose father was a mayor for a while. Doesn't matter what the size of the town/city is, there are issues and problems you'll encounter that call for backup! As for disability issues, I have a fair amount of experience dealing with it on an individual basis and coming up against the powers that be and having to fight for disability rights. I'm personally disabled and, in my current community, have had to fight some battles having to do with physical access (which I've won....so far) and have more upcoming.

It's been my experience professionally (I worked with people with a wide variety of disabilities, often by enabling people to step up and fight necessary battles for their rights, sometimes with my assistance in the background) and personally that we encounter issues, such as the "suspicion" one you mentioned, just through living and enter into those pushes for disability rights as they arise in the course of our day-to-day lives.

Sometimes, it's simply a matter of awareness. I can't tell you the number of times I've approached it as a matter of educating people. Most people probably don't know and wouldn't think of the similarities between many persons with autism & "suspicious" behavior as you've described it. I'm aware of those qualities in autism but frankly, it wouldn't have occurred to me so it took you making the link to "educate" me. See? In some cases it'll be as simple as that. In others, you'll have to do more work and enlist help. There are many psychologists and other professionals who specialize in autism spectrum disorders -- it might help you to enlist the help of one or more of those experts to educate the local police and, should you feel incredibly ambitious (it would seem that challenges don't intimidate you).....homeland security! You'd be doing an amazing service.

Please PM me if you think I might be able to help in any way. And congratulations, Mr. Mayor!