Abstract
This study aimed to describe the impact that autistic characteristics (core features of autism and co-occurring conditions) have on interactions with police. Twelve autistic adults and 19 parent/carers were interviewed about interactions with police in the past 5 years. Using content analysis, it was found that in most (92.3%) interactions, autistic characteristics were described as having a role in the police interaction, either as a causal factor or more commonly by affecting the conduct of the interaction. In the latter case, the impact was associated with negative perceptions of the interaction. By sampling a more representative group across age, gender, functional abilities and context, this study provides insight into factors that underlie many autistic individual’s reported dissatisfaction with police interactions.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the contribution of Ainslie Robinson and Emma Gallagher, Research Assistants, Autism Spectrum Australia, for their contribution to language use and terminology.
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KH and VG contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by VG and KH. The first draft of the manuscript up to the Discussion section was written by KH. VG reviewed the manuscript and wrote the first draft of the Discussion section. VG and KH approved the final manuscript.
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Haas, K., Gibbs, V. Does a Person’s Autism Play a Role in Their Interactions with Police: The Perceptions of Autistic Adults and Parent/Carers. J Autism Dev Disord 51, 1628–1640 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04663-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04663-5
Keywords
- Autism
- Police
- Autistic characteristics
- Social skills
- Communication
- Repetitive behaviours
- Emotion regulation
- Mental health