Dallas police hold traffic stop simulation for students with learning disabilities

DALLAS - A Dallas private school that serves students with learning disabilities is giving them a different learning experience this weekend.

What we know:

The Dallas Academy, along with the Dallas Police Department, will hold a traffic stop simulation at the school on Saturday.

Student drivers, including those who are on the autism spectrum, will experience what’s it like to be pulled over and learn tips for how to communicate with police officers. They’ll learn what questions the officers might ask and what documentation they need to provide.

What they're saying:

"We’re going to have student drivers who already have their license, and we’re going to have student drivers who have their permits. And the police officers are going to actually walk through what it’s like to be pulled over and how to communicate correctly with the police officer," said Elizabeth Murski, Dallas Academy’s head of school.

Murski said the goal is to prepare students in case they ever find themselves in that situation again.

"All in an effort to educate the kids and just give them some practice so it will lower that anxiety," she said. We know how stressful it can be if we're ever in that situation and for new drivers who've never been in that situation, this is going to lower that level of anxiety and really be a benefit to both the police officer and the student."

What's next:

Dallas Academy hopes to have a second simulation that will include other schools working with a neurodiverse population.

DallasEducationDallas Police DepartmentCrime and Public Safety