‘Love on the Spectrum’ star presses lawmakers for Georgia autism license plate

The legislation would allow Georgia residents with autism, or the spouse, parent or legal guardian of someone with autism to get the specialty plate.

Senate Bill 433, sponsored by state Sen. Brian Strickland, R-McDonough, would also require first responders to learn the safest ways to interact with a person with autism during basic training. For example, some people with autism can be overwhelmed by things like sirens or lights and get agitated.

Georgia already has a specialty plate for autism awareness, but this plate would communicate to law enforcement and emergency responders that a person in the vehicle may need special care.

Strickland, whose 8-year-old son has autism, said the colleagues and first responders he’s spoken with about his bill have been supportive.

“I’m getting a great response from law enforcement and those who have law enforcement background,” he said. “And then anybody that has dealt with autism in any way, they definitely understand the need for approaching individuals with autism differently.”

If passed, Georgia would become the second state with a license plate identifying someone inside the vehicle as having autism or a developmental disability. South Carolina passed a similar law in 2024.

Layla Luna, a South Carolina resident, was inspired to push for the legislation after a 2019 incident when she was pulled over while driving with her son Rio, now 17, who has profound autism. The lights and sirens caused Rio to become aggressive.

“In a second, it becomes fight or flight, and he wanted to jump out of the car on a busy street, and so I just let him bite me,” Luna said. “That’s when I was like, ‘There has to be something protecting these kids when getting pulled over.’ Because … there’s no look to autism. Rio looks absolutely typical.” Luna is the founder of the autism awareness nonprofit Just Bee.

Credit: Maya Prabhu

Credit: Maya Prabhu

Tomlinson, 26, said he thinks first responders would benefit from specialized training to understand dealing with people who have autism. For example, he said he gets fidgety when he’s nervous and worries about being mischaracterized by police.

“I avoid eye contact. I can stutter and struggle to find words,” he said. “I’m afraid police officers might think I’m under the influence or up to something nefarious. (The law) could protect me, as well as my neurodivergent friends, and it could be helpful to law enforcement, too.”

Col. Billy Hitchens, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety, said as much during a recent budget hearing.

“Anytime we have more information going up (to a vehicle) it would help us understand why a person may be acting the way they are,” Hitchens said. “In our situation more information is usually better.”

According to a 2019 York University found that 53% of adults with autism will have four or more incidents with police and 75% reported having at least one.

Though he doesn’t drive, Tomlinson said he had an interaction with law enforcement when he was 19.

When Tomlinson was visiting an aunt, he found some old pool furniture that had been thrown in the trash. Wrapped in a blanket because he was cold, he found an umbrella pole in the trash and pretended it was a sword. Tomlinson is fascinated with knights.

Some women called the police about a homeless man digging through the trash, which led to Tomlinson being stunned and speechless when realizing he was surrounded by police. He said he’s thankful his aunt saw what was happening and could communicate on his behalf to mitigate the situation.

Now, Tomlinson said he’s excited to get involved in advocacy.

“I want to make a difference,” Tomlinson said. “I want to help first responders be more understanding and I want people like me to be themselves without fear of persecution or misunderstanding.”

Freelancer Keri Janton contributed to this report.