HODGENVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Just like a jigsaw, some say autism can be complex and puzzling. But also like a puzzle, those on the spectrum are important pieces of a bigger, beautiful picture: they’re beloved people in their families and communities.
Eight-year-old Madison is the perfect example. She’s become a fixture in her small town of Hodgenville.
Thursday afternoon, when asked what she wanted for dinner, Madison quickly scrolled through an app on the tablet that helps her communicate.
"Taco," the computerized voice announced.
Her parents, Stephanie and Mark Koenig, chuckled and smiled.
“She’s taught us a lot about autism and what it’s like to live in kind of a different world," said Mark Koenig.
But both parents say it’s been a process helping her fit in, at times. More exhausting, sometimes, is helping the community fit back.
Madison, 8, and her parents of Hodgenville. (WDRB Photo)
One potential problem that has spurred them to act: interactions between autistic people and the police.
"They have a lot of mannerisms and things that are different. You know, sometimes she does things with her hands — clapping her hands," said Stephanie Koenig.
"The flashing lights on the car might be overwhelming to her because of the sensory aspect and intake of light spectrums," added her husband. "The noise of the siren could be extra for her.”
For Hodgenville’s Police Chief James Richardson, a traffic stop from just a couple months ago quickly comes to mind.
“The parent that I pulled over, of course, he said, 'Hey, (my son's) autistic. If you could, turn your lights off. That’s what triggered him.' So, I go back, turn the front lights off, go back up (to their car) and talk to them," the chief recalled. "I got him calm down, and noticed, then, that we have a disconnect — like there was some sort of training disconnect between the officers and autistic kids.“
Coincidentally, the Koenig family had reached out to Richardson expressing similar worries before the pandemic struck in 2020. So Richardson — inspired by Madison, her sister, and parents — borrowed an idea from a Florida department.
With the help of a local print shop, Richardson designed and printed decals that autistic people or their parents can stick to their doors or bumpers to give police on the streets a friendly heads-up. The stickers feature the likeness of President Abraham Lincoln, who was born in Hodgenville, and a background a colorful puzzle pieces, which have been used to symbolize autism.
The new sticker created by Hodgenville Police Department. (WDRB Photo)
“You just gotta think outside the box," quipped Richardson, when asked about the inexpensive solution.
As the Hodgenville Police Department starts printing more of them, the department is planning better training for its officers too.
To the Koenig family, the unexpected empathy, understanding and acceptance brings happy tears.
“We’ve had family cries over it, because you know, you do want change, and you expect people to work with you, but not everybody has to," said Stephanie.
The new sticker created by Hodgenville Police Department. (WDRB Photo)
And they hope the little idea — with Madison at its heart — will grow across Kentucky and beyond.
Richardson says anyone would needs a sticker can pick one up at police headquarters, while supplies last. The chief is also accepting donations to help the department print more.
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