Autism Spectrum Disorder and Law Enforcement

4601 North Choctaw Road,Choctaw OK 73020

04 November, 2021

Description

This course is designed to help officers and first responders recognize that someone may be on the spectrum. INTRODUCTION: As a law enforcement officer, we expect many things. When we ask a question or give a command, we expect immediate responses. Individuals on the autism spectrum, very often, are incapable of immediate response. If a command is not immediately followed, we as law enforcement often take our next steps at a higher level. The problem with this is if an officer steps up his/her actions, the individual contacted often does as well. We end up on a Jacob’s Ladder type of situation where the end results are many times injuries, lawsuits, etc. OBJECTIVE: This course is designed to help officers and first responders recognize that someone may be on the spectrum. We give attendees ways they might recognize an individual may be on the spectrum. Once it is known/believed that an individual is on the spectrum, a different set of techniques may be required to communicate and interact with these individuals. The course also gives ideas on how to handle these types of contacts. It is important to understand, that usually when a police officer encounters an individual on the spectrum during a patrol call, the individual on the spectrum is more than likely having a crisis moment. Many individuals on the spectrum also suffer from one, or more, mental health issues. Moments of crisis can dramatically affect a person’s mental health and how they are able to comprehend what is happening to them and around them. • “Individuals with disabilities, including ASD, are five times more likely to be incarcerated” https://www.chop.edu/news/chop-researchers-present-new-findings-2019-international- society-autism-research-annual-meeting • “As many as 85% of children with autism also have some form of comorbid psychiatric diagnosis” https://www.chop.edu/news/autism-s-clinical-companions-frequent- comorbidities-asd • “72% of the children had at least one additional DSM-IV psychiatric diagnosis” https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/recognizing-and-treating-comorbid-psychiatric- disorders-people-autism • Association of Comorbid Mood and Anxiety Disorders with Autism Spectrum Disorder; https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2755414 COURSE OUTLINE: • What is autism spectrum disorder? • Recognizing autism spectrum disorder in everyday contacts • Issues faced by those on the spectrum and the people that care for them • Wandering and the dangers involved • Why/how law enforcement may contact individuals on the spectrum • Ways to handle contacts with individuals on the spectrum • De-escalation of behaviors • Communication difficulties; especially when in “crisis mode” • Differences between tantrums and meltdowns, and how to handle them • Interviewing individuals on the spectrum • Community Policing opportunities and resources • A panel of individuals whose lives have been directly affected by autism RECOMMENDATIONS: It is recommended that all law enforcement have some form of training on autism. The rates of diagnosis are continuously going higher, and therefore the chances of contact between law enforcement and those individuals grows. With this training we hope to provide officers and first responders with a general understanding of autism and how to handle these situations. In January of 2017, The U.S. Department of Justice encouraged law enforcement (and all criminal justice entities for that matter) to comply more with the Americans with Disabilities Act, specifically Title II, 42USC 12131-12134. Title II requires that individuals with disabilities are given equal treatment in the criminal justice system. https://www.ada.gov/cjta.htm