Testimonials

As a law enforcement officer and the parent of a child with autism, I can’t overstate the value of this training for our profession. What Responding 2 Autism and Margi’s family provide is something many programs miss…genuine, personal exposure.

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Too often, officers have little direct interaction with individuals on the spectrum and default to viewing autism strictly as a disability. This training reframes that perspective. It presents autism with a more accurate and human lens, emphasizing strengths, individuality, and communication rather than limitations.
 

The practical impact is clear. With even a baseline level of understanding, officers can improve outcomes in the field, reduce the risk of complaints or litigation, and strengthen public trust. Most importantly, it reinforces the importance of patience, recognition, and professionalism in every interaction.

The dedication and commitment of Margi Hedelund, Martin Hedelund, and their twin sons, Martin Jr. and Dalton, to educating and training public safety professionals about Autism is truly inspiring.

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Their efforts help law enforcement officers, first responders, and other public safety personnel better understand Autism and learn how to communicate, interact, and respond appropriately when encountering individuals on the Autism spectrum. This type of education is invaluable and can make a tremendous difference in creating safer and more positive outcomes for individuals with Autism, their families, and public safety professionals.

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It is clear that this family has made it their mission to turn their personal experiences and knowledge into meaningful education that benefits others. Their passion, professionalism, and willingness to share their expertise are making a real difference.

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Thank you, Margi, Martin, Martin Jr., and Dalton, for the incredible work you are doing and for your commitment to helping public safety better serve the Autism community. Your efforts are making a difference, one training session and one person at a time!

Thank you for coming to our city, we learned so much from you and your family, your boys area true inspiration and we hope you come back again.

Being able to learn from a family that has ties to both Autism and law enforcement was special.  Hearing from Martin Sr. as one of us and a father gave us all a perspective we could not have received in another training. 

Respondenting 2 Autism is doing truly meaningful work in bringing awareness, understanding, and practical training about autism to the public safety community. Margi Hedelund, Martin Hedelund, and their twin sons, Martin Jr. and Dalton, have demonstrated an incredible commitment to helping first responders better understand and interact with individuals on the autism spectrum.
 

Their dedication to education and public safety is making a real difference. The knowledge and training they provide can help law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, and other first responders respond with greater awareness, patience, and understanding when encountering individuals with autism.

I am a member of law enforcement that was very fortunate to attend a training conducted by Responding 2 Autism. This training provided myself and my colleagues with the tools to successfully engage with and assist members of our community who are autistic. I highly recommend this training for anyone especially our law enforcement community.

I enjoyed the entire presentation, I realized I was not properly educated so I want to thank you and your family for doing this for us.  Your personal stories and getting to meet your sons was my favorite part of the training. 

This is my second time attending your training, I thought maybe it would be the same but I was wrong.  I learned even more today and want to thank you and yous sons for coming back to Bradenton.  Being able to see yours sons and learn directly from them is such a unique part of your training and it really helped me understand someone with Autism.  Thank you. 

First, I wish I had your energy.  Your entire family was amazing, your first hand experiences made this one of most engaging and fun classes I have ever attended and the best part .. I learned so much about Autism, thank you. 

The training was amazing, what I liked most was learning alternative ways of communication such as the TouchChat and apps I already have on my phone. I know I will use this skills one day and want to thank you and your family for what you do for the community.

My favorite part of your training was seeing Dalton and Martin first hand, they are both amazing.  I think this course with your family should be in every district, definitely something we need to learn in our profession. 

I had never heard of Stimming and now I know.  Watching the video with the interaction of another officer and someone stimming was an eye opener for me for sure. Like you said "the more we know, the better we do" I will always remember what stimming is and I am grateful to you and your family for coming to talk to us today.

The instructor was very energetic and she really is passionate, I think that fact that her sons have Autism makes he unequally qualified to train and share her stories.  It was great attending a training with so much passion, never a dull moment she keep my attention the entire time and I learned some great tools should we encounter someone with Autism.  

Telling people in law enforcement what they can do when in contact with people with Autism is important.  I like that Martin and Dalton were a part of the training.  This training was not boring and really informative, better than most I have attended. 

Everything was perfect. You performed everything prestigiously on how to treat every situation with dealing with autism   

Training was awesome! I really enjoyed meeting your sons and hearing from them about their Autism.  You can tell you have a passion for this, I left knowing more than when I came to this training.  Thank you so much and keep up the good work. 

Loved your children! You are doing an amazing service for each of us. Thank you