LPH74: Sara Grezlik and Curt Lawson Team Up for Autism Safety

By Wendy Ernzen | October 12, 2026

What could help someone with autism feel safer during a police encounter?

On Let’s Plant Houses, we talk with Sara Grezlik, a parent of a son with autism, and Curt Lawson, the City of Franklin’s Chief of Police, about improving communication with first responders. Sara shares how her family’s experience and her work with the Autism Alliance of Michigan inspired her to reach out to her local police department.

Together, we explore Franklin’s Autism Emergency Response Support Program and the Safety Support Information Form. These tools help people share sensory needs, communication preferences, and emergency contacts so officers can better understand and respond. We also discuss how parents, self-advocates, and police can work together to bring similar programs to their communities. A safer, more understanding community can start with one conversation.

More about the show…

Learn more about City of Franklin’s Autism Emergency Response Support Program: https://www.franklin.mi.us/departments/police_department/safety_support.php

Find more information about LPH host, Wendy Ernzen https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyernzen.

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