Bart Barta is the proud father of Daniel, an adult with autism. When Daniel was diagnosed at age three, Bart recognized a critical need for specialized autism training to help ensure safe and positive interactions between first responders and individuals on the autism spectrum. Motivated by both personal experience and professional insight, Bart began providing autism recognition and response training in 2007. His dual perspective—as a longtime law enforcement professional and as a parent—uniquely equips him to build understanding between first responders and the autism community.

Bart is a nationally recognized instructor and subject matter expert in autism and law enforcement contacts. A retired law enforcement commander with more than 31 years of experience, he is also a Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) certified instructor who has trained over 20,000 first responders nationwide on how to safely and effectively interact with people with autism. In 2017, he contributed to the development of autism curriculum for law enforcement officers in the state of Florida.

For more than a decade, Bart served as an instructor for the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training Program under the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court’s Mental Health Project in Miami-Dade County. He previously served as a SWAT Commander and Crisis Management Team (Hostage Negotiations) Commander, bringing exceptional expertise in high-risk and crisis-driven encounters. Bart concluded his law enforcement career as Commander of the Coral Gables Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division, where he oversaw investigations of all violent and non-violent crimes.

Bart also served for six years on the University of Miami – Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) Constituency Board, and he has authored several published articles on autism and law enforcement interactions.

Today, Bart and his wife, Caroline, lead Autism Safety 101, Inc. Their mission is to equip first responders with practical tools, communication strategies, and proven safety tactics that support best outcomes during encounters with autistic individuals — and to help citizens with autism live and work safely in their communities.