New London — Even serious trainings can have comical moments.

That was true Friday morning as, during the middle of a session on how to identify developmental disabilities, city firefighters found themselves laughing at one of their colleagues. He was spinning like a ballerina in the middle of four tables, finally having figured out the task they chose for him.

It was an activity assigned by employees of Bloom Behavior and Consulting Services, a New London-based organization that uses science-based techniques to help those who are affected by autism. The firefighters picked the task — spin like a ballerina — but weren’t allowed to communicate it to their peer in any way. All they could do was clap when he got closer to accomplishing it, or stop when he didn’t.

At the conclusion of the exercise, Allison Disch reminded participants that comprehension can be an issue for those who are on the autistic spectrum.

“If someone is not able to understand directions,” she said, “it’s like they’re wandering around, doing things based on other people’s reactions. They don’t understand what it is you’re trying to get them to do.”

Friday's talk highlighted ways to identify someone who may have a developmental disability, which could be anything from autism or cerebral palsy to Down syndrome or spina bifida.

Those who are affected may continually repeat the last word or phrase you said to them, but that doesn't mean they're mocking you. If you ask them “who,” you might get an answer that better corresponds with “where.” A slight change in routine, such as taking a different route to school, can throw a wrench in their whole day. They may engage in “stimming,” or self-stimulatory behavior such as hand flapping, that sometimes makes people think they’re high or drunk. And they could be agitated by something you hardly notice, such as a bright light or a barking dog.

For all of the above, the Bloom employees said, communication is key. They advised firefighters to be nonthreatening in their posture and patient in their approach. When possible, firefighters should ask parents or the affected person if there’s an alternative method of communication that's better, such as writing or using an iPad application. They should identify and remove triggers such as bright lights or loud dogs. And any questions or directives should be concise.

For example, instead of saying, “You need to calm down. I want you to stop pacing,” a person could simply say, “Sit down.”

Monday’s was the fourth and final session hosted by Bloom, meaning all city firefighters now have been trained.

Chief Henry Kydd said he ordered the training in part because the department is responding to more calls involving those with developmental disabilities. It’s also personal for Kydd, whose grandson has nonverbal autism.

On Monday, Battalion Chief Tom Curcio said much of the information was new to the firefighters.

"Oh, definitely," Curcio said when asked whether firefighters were learning from the course. "I am, too, just from listening — and I've been here for 34 years."

He said EMT basic certification doesn't include in-depth information about the disabilities and the ways they present.

“And it needs to," he added.

Just a couple months ago, Curcio said, firefighters went to a home where an autistic child, devastated by a scratch on his new iPad, wouldn’t move from the radiator he was clutching. Despite everyone’s best efforts, Curcio said, that situation ended with police forcibly removing the child.

If they had it to do over again, firefighters might encourage the child to loosen his grip and show positive reinforcement if he did. They then might offer, in simple terms, a series of tasks designed to slowly get the child out of the house and into an ambulance.

And though firefighters often aren’t the first to arrive at such calls, they’re now going to reel back how many members they send in to each situation — they know their presence alone can be alarming.

"We're trying to give them more tools," Kydd said, "so if they come across something like this, they'll have the tools to make the situation better rather than worse."

l.boyle@theday.com