LOS ANGELES (AP) — The police officers placed the green and red oven mitts over their hands and tried clumsily to use paperclips. Then they tried with big binder clips — an “accommodation” that helped them successfully complete the task despite their compromised fine motor skills.

The exercise was part of a daylong training on autism Thursday in downtown Los Angeles for 100 police officers, school police and county Sheriff’s deputies. The training is part of a growing effort by law enforcement agencies to ensure their officers are equipped to handle the diversity of people they encounter and to avoid having an incident end in tragedy.