This episode: Beyond the Badge: How Stefan Bjes Is Changing the Way Police Understand Autism.

Here’s what you’ll learn about:

Introduction and Purpose of the Podcast (0:04)

• Host Drew Deraney and Guest Stefan Bjes discuss the purpose of the podcast, emphasizing the importance of facing adversity and becoming stronger.
• Drew introduces the concept of three types of men: those who ignore adversity, those who become victims, and those who see adversity as an opportunity for growth.
• Drew invites Stefan to share his defining moment that transformed him from a victim to a high performer.

Stefan's Defining Moments (2:12)

• Stefan Bjes recounts the diagnosis of his two youngest sons with autism in 2013, which was a significant turning point in his life.
• He describes the initial struggle and how his wife took the lead in advocating for their sons.
• In 2017, a viral video of a young man with autism interacting poorly with a police officer inspired Stefan to create training programs for law enforcement.
• Stefan explains how he combined his experience as a police officer and a trainer to develop classes on autism and disabilities for law enforcement officers.

Impact of Autism Diagnosis on Family (4:46)

• Drew shares his own experience of having a child diagnosed with autism at 14 and the challenges it brought.
• Stefan discusses the impact of the early diagnosis of his middle son and how his wife took the lead in advocating for their sons.
• Stefan emphasizes the importance of being a voice and advocate for his sons, especially in sports and school environments.
• Drew praises the strength of Stefan and his wife's marriage and how they supported each other through the challenges of raising children with autism.

Balancing Family and Professional Life (7:20)

• Drew asks about the impact of having children with autism on the neurotypical sibling.
• Stefan explains how he balanced supporting his sons with being present for his oldest son in sports and academics.
• He discusses his involvement in coaching adaptive sports for children with disabilities and how it helped his family.
• Drew and Stefan discuss the importance of forgiveness and partnership in their marriage, which has helped them persevere through challenges.

Professional Training and Impact (11:36)

• Drew shifts the conversation to Stefan's professional training and impact on law enforcement.
• Stefan describes his background in law enforcement training a...

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• (00:03:13) - Disabled Police Officers on The Challenge
• (00:09:47) - Autism and the journey of diagnosis
• (00:10:56) - One Dad's Reaction to His First Boy's Autism Diagnosis
• (00:17:28) - The Secret to A Married Marriage
• (00:19:53) - One cop's autism training
• (00:22:06) - Autism Trainings
• (00:27:47) - Autism and the Police
• (00:30:02) - Autistic Kids Need Safety
• (00:32:33) - Impactful Lessons for Men
• (00:34:42) - Eat, Sleep, Win
• (00:36:26) - What To Tell The Young Entrepreneur
• (00:38:22) - Stefan On The Ellen Interview
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