Brief Report: Descriptive Analysis of Law Enforcement Officers' Experiences with and Knowledge of Autism.

Parsons et al. (2019) sent a short survey to police officers. They asked how much autism training each officer had. They also gave a quick quiz on autism facts.

The team wanted to see who had training and how that linked to quiz scores.

Most officers said they never had formal autism classes. Officers who did get training felt more ready, yet their quiz scores still ranged from high to low.

Wide score spread shows training hours and content differ a lot across departments.

Hutchins et al. (2020) extends these numbers. Their interviews show officers want hands-on role-plays, not just slide shows.

Wachob et al. (2017) ran a near-copy survey with EMTs. Trained EMTs also felt calmer on autism calls, matching the police pattern.

Morris et al. (2019) scooped the police survey into a bigger pot. Their review of 27 studies says doctors, nurses, and cops all report the same barrier: no good training.

McGonigle et al. (2014) built a short autism course for paramedics years earlier. The course exists, but few police departments use it, leaving the gap Lauren found.

You may coach clients who wander or melt down in public. When police arrive, untrained officers can misread stimming as defiance. Share the S et al. wish-list with your local PD: short videos, autistic speakers, and a visible autism ID card. Push them to add the J et al. module to academy week. Better officer knowledge keeps your clients safer and reduces escalation.