Perspectives from the ASD community on police interactions: Challenges & recommendations.
Autistic adults say police misread stimming—invite them to build the training.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team sent a short survey to autistic adults. They asked about real police stops and what went wrong.
Seventy-six people wrote back. They shared stories and gave ideas for better officer training.
What they found
Stimming and slow speech were top triggers. Officers often saw these as signs of guilt or drug use.
People urged, "Let us help write the training." They want to teach cops what autism looks like.
How this fits with other research
Bitsika et al. (2020) asked the same questions in Australia. Their answers match: adults hate the encounters, carers are less upset.
Ethridge et al. (2020) and Van Gaasbeek et al. (2026) ran short classes for officers. Cops felt smarter, yet Granillo et al. (2022) show they still use lots of force. The gap shows feeling ready is not the same as acting better.
Muller et al. (2022) prove the target paper’s point: when autistic people co-write a class, learners gain more. Put together, the work says, "Train officers, but let autistic voices design it."
Cooper et al. (2024) add a world view: half of autistic adults meet police in five years, mostly for welfare checks, not crime. So the training is urgent.
Why it matters
If you consult for police or teach safety skills, loop autistic clients into the lesson plan. Ask what stimming looks like, what words calm them, and role-play those steps. One hour of their input can save a life during a midnight traffic stop.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Research shows that a substantial proportion of people with Autism come into contact with the police in their lifetime, and some research suggests that they are largely unsatisfied with their police interactions. METHOD: Thirty-five adults with ASD completed an online questionnaire regarding the challenges police may face when interacting with Autistic people, as well as provided recommendations as to how those interactions could be improved. RESULTS: Respondents reported a variety of different potential challenges that could present in an interaction between the police and people with ASD. For example, respondents felt that typical Autistic behaviours, such as stimming or communication difficulties, could be misinterpreted by police officers and lead to adverse outcomes. Respondents discussed several recommendations aimed at improving police interactions with Autistic people, including involving Autisitc people in the training of police officers. CONCLUSIONS: The information collected in this study provides insights into how interactions between the police and people with ASD can be improved. These findings can be used in the development of police training programs or integrated into pre-existing training programs on Autism, contributing the invaluable perspective of the Autism community.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2020 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103732