Evaluating Trainings for First Responders

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between police and autistic people. When cops encounter autistic people, they may not respond in the same way as NT people, and things can get out of hand. Among other things, they may misinterpret autistic behavior as aggressive or defiant. Training could help.

Kiernan, B., Mazurek, M.O. & Nevill, R.E. An Examination of First Responder Gains Following an Autism Training Based on Personal and Professional Characteristics. J Autism Dev Disord (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-026-07520-z

Abstract

Purpose

Autistic people are likely to encounter first responders, which frequently results in ineffective or even harmful experiences for autistic people. Trainings have been developed to improve first responders’ efficacy with responding to situations involving autistic people and their families. The present study examines the impact of professional and personal characteristics on participants’ confidence, self-efficacy, and knowledge in providing first response to autistic people following an autism training.

Methods

This study examined pre- and post- training measures completed by participants compared baseline, outcome, and change scores across participant groups, identifying the influence of professional role, personal relationships, and other demographic characteristics on training gains.

Results

Findings show that, regardless of professional role and personal relationship status, participants improved across outcomes following the training. Law enforcement officers entered training with higher self-efficacy and saw less improvement overall. Those with a close and a distal personal relationship showed higher baseline confidence and self-efficacy, and participants with a close personal relationship had higher outcome confidence scores as well. Participants without a personal relationship saw more change in confidence than those with a close or a distal relationship to autism.
Conclusion

Overall, the autism training improved participant confidence, self-efficacy, and knowledge in responding to situations involving autistic people, regardless of their professional role or relationship to autism. Ensuring that all providers are trained or re-trained, regardless of their personal relationship, goal, or other demographic, is an important step towards improving efficacy of first response for autistic people.

From the article:

The present study explored how autism training may be differentially effective with first responders based on their professional and personal characteristics, including their profession, personal relationship with autism, and demographic characteristics. The results of this study indicated that participants, regardless of professional role or personal relationship, showed improvements across outcomes after completing a brief, three-hour training. However, in the models examining how participant role influenced training outcomes, an interesting pattern emerged:The present study explored how autism training may be differentially effective with first responders based on their professional and personal characteristics, including their profession, personal relationship with autism, and demographic characteristics. The results of this study indicated that participants, regardless of professional role or personal relationship, showed improvements across outcomes after completing a brief, three-hour training. However, in the models examining how participant role influenced training outcomes, an interesting pattern emerged: there were significant improvements in outcomes that were subjectively rated (i.e., confidence and self-efficacy) whereas the objectively rated outcome (knowledge) did not significantly improve.

Alex Mann and Police Training

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between police and autistic people. When cops encounter autistic people, they may not respond in the same way as NT people, and things can get out of hand. Among other things, they may misinterpret autistic behavior as aggressive or defiant. Training could help.

Matt DeLucia at WCAU_TV Philadelphia:

A Chester County autism advocate is on a mission to visit as many police departments as he can to spread awareness on autism spectrum disorder.

Alex Mann, 26, from Malvern, Pennsylvania, has spent the last seven and a half years traveling the country, teaching police officials how to interact with people on the autism spectrum. As of August 2026, Mann has been to 539 police departments across five states.

Mann, who is diagnosed with autism, said he understands how people on the autism spectrum may respond during encounters with law enforcement.

He said some people may become overwhelmed by police presence, may not respond to commands like "stop," or avoid making eye contact with an officer.

"Autistic behavior can be, is, misinterpreted by law enforcement. Where really, law enforcement just needs to sort of take a step back and realize that there may be something else going on," Mann said.

Recently, NBC10's Matt DeLucia joined Mann on one of his visits, this time to the Bridgeton Police Department in New Jersey, where he offered his expertise to the department's chief and other officers.

"Hearing his message, it kind of hit home for me and I just I connected with it. The impact, I'm hoping, is if an officer comes upon an autistic individual, to have a very smooth and hopefully non-harmful or violent interaction with them," Bridgeton Police patrolman Nicholas Grusemeyer said.

Police Stops and Stress

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between police and autistic people. When cops encounter autistic people, they may not respond in the same way as NT people, and things can get out of hand. Among other things, they may misinterpret autistic behavior as aggressive or defiant. Training could help.

 Webb, L., Chatterjee, A., Holingue, C. et al. Police Stops Among Adolescents With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Implications for Traumatic Stress. J Autism Dev Disord (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-026-07361-w

Abstract

Purpose

The present study examines differences in police stops, features of those stops, and stress outcomes between youth with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Methods

Data from Wave 6 (age 15) of the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), a national sample of urban-born youth in the U.S., was analyzed in 2025 (n = 3,444). Logistic regression models first examined associations between IDD diagnosis and direct police stops. Negative binomial regressions and linear regressions were then conducted among the subsample of youth who reported a direct police stop (n = 918) to examine the associations between IDD diagnosis and officer intrusiveness, perceptions of procedural justice, emotional distress during the direct stop, and police-initiated post-traumatic stress (PI-PTSS).
Results

Youth with IDD diagnoses did not have significantly greater odds of experiencing a direct police stop than youth without IDD. However, among youth with a direct police stop, youth with IDD diagnoses reported higher emotional distress during direct police stops and higher PI-PTSS than youth without IDD.
Conclusion

These findings indicate that direct police stops may have more detrimental effects on stress and mental health of youth with IDD compared to youth without IDD. Policy reform, officer training, and additional research are needed to safeguard the mental health and wellbeing of youth with IDD.

Governor Kemp Signs Rio's Law

In The Politics of Autism, I write:

[M]any police departments have trained officers and other first responders how to spot signs of autism and respond accordingly.  Some organizations have also published identification cards that ASD adults can carry in order to defuse potential conflicts. Virginia provides for an autism designation on driver licenses and other state-issued identification cards. Once again, however, the dilemma of difference comes into play. One autistic Virginian worries: “Great, so if I get into an accident, who’s the cop going to believe, the guy with the autistic label or the guy without it?” Clinical psychologist Michael Oberschneider is concerned about the understanding level of first responders: “I think many people still think of Rain Man or, more recently, the Sandy Hook Shooter, when they think of autism even though very few people on the autistic spectrum are savants or are homicidal and dangerous.”

A May 5 release from Georgia State Senator Brian Strickland:

This week, Sen. Brian Strickland (R–McDonough) celebrated Governor Brian Kemp’s signing of Senate Bill 433, also known as “Rio’s Law.” This landmark legislation aims to improve interactions between law enforcement officers and individuals with autism spectrum disorder or developmental disabilities.

Authored by Sen. Strickland, the bill creates a voluntary specialized license plate designation for individuals with autism spectrum disorder or developmental disabilities and their families, and requires specialized training for Georgia peace officers beginning January 1, 2027.

“Today is a major step forward for families across Georgia who simply want safer, more informed interactions with law enforcement,” said Sen. Strickland. “Rio’s Law is about compassion, understanding and ensuring officers have the tools and training necessary to recognize and appropriately respond to individuals with developmental disabilities. This legislation has been one of my top priorities because these families deserve to feel seen, protected and supported.”

Under SB 433, the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council will work alongside the Department of Community Health, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and nonprofit organizations to develop training on effective communication, behavioral recognition, de-escalation techniques and emergency response protocols involving individuals with autism spectrum disorder or developmental disabilities.

“Rio’s Law represents the kind of thoughtful, people-centered policy that can make a real difference in everyday lives,” Sen. Strickland added. “I’m grateful to my colleagues in both the Senate and House for unanimously supporting this effort, and I thank Governor Kemp for signing it into law.”

Senate Bill 433 takes effect on January 1, 2027. You can find more information about the measure here.

Georgia Legislature Passes Rio's Law

In The Politics of Autism, I write:

[M]any police departments have trained officers and other first responders how to spot signs of autism and respond accordingly.  Some organizations have also published identification cards that ASD adults can carry in order to defuse potential conflicts. Virginia provides for an autism designation on driver licenses and other state-issued identification cards. Once again, however, the dilemma of difference comes into play. One autistic Virginian worries: “Great, so if I get into an accident, who’s the cop going to believe, the guy with the autistic label or the guy without it?” Clinical psychologist Michael Oberschneider is concerned about the understanding level of first responders: “I think many people still think of Rain Man or, more recently, the Sandy Hook Shooter, when they think of autism even though very few people on the autistic spectrum are savants or are homicidal and dangerous.”

Nark Niesse at Capitol Beat:

When police pull over someone with autism, those stops can quickly escalate into confrontations because of miscommunications and stress.

The General Assembly gave final approval Wednesday to a bill designed to alert police so they handle those situations better.

The legislation, which is now heading to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk, would create a specialty license plate for people with autism or developmental disabilities. It also calls for police to receive training in effective communication and using alternatives to handcuffs.
...

The bill is called “Rio’s Law,” named after a boy with autism whose mother, Layla Luna, advocated for a similar law that passed in South Carolina after a difficult traffic stop.

“This is a tool for law enforcement. It allows responders to approach a vehicle with situational awareness before escalation into a sensory overload with an individual with autism,” said Rep. Eddie Lumsden, R-Armuchee.

Under Senate Bill 433, the autism license plate would include a symbol to represent autism. It would be issued only to Georgians whom medical practitioners swear have autism or a developmental disability.

Police Training in California

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between police and autistic people.  When cops encounter autistic people, they may not respond in the same way as NT people, and things can get out of hand. Among other things, they may misinterpret autistic behavior as aggressive or defiant. Training could help.

Corinne Purtill at LAT:

[Kate] Movius, founder of the consultancy Autism Interaction Solutions, is one of a growing number of people around the U.S. working to teach law enforcement agencies to recognize autistic behaviors and ensure that encounters between neurodevelopmentally disabled people and law enforcement end safely.

She and City of Industry Mayor Cory Moss later passed out bags filled with tools donated by the city to aid interactions: a pair of noise-damping headphones to decrease auditory input, a whiteboard, a set of communication cards with words and images to point to, fidget toys to calm and distract.

...

As early as 2001, the FBI published a bulletin on police officers’ need to adjust their approach when interacting with autistic people.

“Officers should not interpret an autistic individual’s failure to respond to orders or questions as a lack of cooperation or as a reason for increased force,” the bulletin stated. “They also need to recognize that individuals with autism often confess to crimes that they did not commit or may respond to the last choice in a sequence presented in a question.”

But a review of multiple studies last year by Chapman University researchers found that while up to 60% of officers have been on a call involving an autistic person, only 5% to 40% had received any training on autism.

In response, universities, nonprofits and private consultants across the U.S. have developed curricula for law enforcement on how to recognize autistic behaviors and adapt accordingly.

The primary goal, Movius told deputies at November’s training session, is to slow interactions down to the greatest extent possible. Many autistic people require additional time to process auditory input and verbal responses, particularly in unfamiliar circumstances.

Examples of Police Shootings

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between police and autistic people.  When cops encounter autistic people, they may not respond in the same way as NT people, and things can get out of hand. Among other things, they may misinterpret autistic behavior as aggressive or defiant. Training could help.

The killing of Victor Perez is just one example.

Deon J. Hampton at NBC:

For many advocates, Perez’s killing called to mind other examples of young people with autism who have been killed by police. Ryan Gainer, 15, was killed in March 2024 after charging toward a San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy while holding a 5-foot-long garden tool.

Deputies were responding to a 911 call from the home that the teen had been “actively assaulting family members” and damaging property.

After the shooting, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said in a statement, “Our social safety net for those experiencing mental illness needs to be strengthened.”

In February, Chase de Balinhard, a 15-year-old with autism, was killed by police in Vancouver, Canada, when they responded to an emergency call about an armed person in distress. Police saw the child holding a gun; it was later determined that he was carrying a pellet gun.

Eric Parsa, 16, was killed when sheriff’s deputies in Louisiana, responding to the teen’s mental crisis at a shopping center, pinned him down for nine minutes in 2020.

An officer sat on the teen’s rear end for about seven minutes, after which another deputy took his place. Eventually, seven deputies were “sitting on, handcuffing, shackling, holding down, or standing by E.P. as he was restrained and held face down on his stomach against the hard surface of the parking lot,” the station reported citing a lawsuit filed by the family.

Autistic Kid Dies After Police Shooting

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between police and autistic people.  When cops encounter autistic people, they may not respond in the same way as NT people, and things can get out of hand. Among other things, they may misinterpret autistic behavior as aggressive or defiant. Training could help.

MARTHA BELLISLE and REBECCA BOONE at AP:

An autistic, nonverbal teenage boy who was shot repeatedly by Idaho police from the other side of a chain-link fence while he was holding a knife died Saturday after being removed from life support, his family said.

Victor Perez, 17, who also had cerebral palsy, had been in a coma since the April 5 shooting, and tests Friday showed that he had no brain activity, his aunt, Ana Vazquez, told The Associated Press. He had undergone several surgeries, with doctors removing nine bullets and amputating his leg.

Police in the southeast Idaho city of Pocatello responded to a 911 call reporting that an apparently intoxicated man with a knife was chasing someone in a yard. It turned out to be Perez, who was not intoxicated but walked with a staggered gait due to his disabilities, Vazquez said. His family members had been trying to get the large kitchen knife away from him.

Pocatello Police Shoot Autistic Teen

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between police and autistic people.  When cops encounter autistic people, they may not respond in the same way as NT people, and things can get out of hand. Among other things, they may misinterpret autistic behavior as aggressive or defiant. Training could help.

Christopher Cann at USA Today:

A community in southeastern Idaho is demanding answers after police officers shot a disabled teenager from behind a chain-link fence seconds after they responded to his house and he approached them with a knife.

The teen, 17-year-old Victor Perez, who is autistic and has cerebral palsy, was shot nine times, his family told local news outlets. As of Tuesday, he remained in the hospital in critical condition and one of his legs was amputated.

The incident occurred Saturday evening in the city of Pocatello, where police responded to a 911 call reporting a physical disturbance involving a person with a knife and three other people. Within 20 seconds of officers' arrival, police shot Perez in the backyard of his home.

Video of the incident quickly circulated online and sparked outrage, with family members and neighbors questioning why police did not do more to de-escalate the situation or use non-lethal weapons. Perez's family members said he was in the midst of a behavioral episode, but that they can always get him under control when he's agitated.

 

Report on the Need for Police Training

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between police and autistic people.  When cops encounter autistic people, they may not respond in the same way as NT people, and things can get out of hand. Among other things, they may misinterpret autistic behavior as aggressive or defiant. Training could help.

At the PBS NewsHour, Judy Woodruff reports on why police still lack training to effectively respond to people with disabilities.  The report starts with the story of Eric Parsa, an autistic youth died in 2020 at the hands of sheriff’s deputies in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.

 

Full transcript here.

California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training has a publication titled A FIRST RESPONDER’S GUIDEvFOR PERSONS WITH MENTAL ILLNESSvOR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY

Autistic People and First Responders, School Employees, and Healthcare Professionals

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between first responders and autistic people.  Some jurisdictions allow autistic drivers to ask for a blue envelope to disclose the driver's diagnosis in case of an accident or traffic stop.  Others have ID cards.

Lauren Jones at The Henrico [VA] Citizen:

A bill aimed at enhancing professional development opportunities for school employees and healthcare professionals working with students with autism spectrum disorder passed the Senate and House unanimously.

SB1293 , proposed by Sen. William Stanley, R-Franklin County, directs the Board of Education to provide guidance and optional yearly training for staff who regularly interact with students, helping them communicate with and support those with autism.

Stanley emphasized the need for the bill, noting a lack of training among educators and healthcare professionals when working with autistic students.

Christine Sloan at CBS New York:

New Jersey residents on the autism spectrum can soon apply for a designation on their driver's license or ID to help them with interactions with police.

The notation will appear as the number 5 in the "Restrictions" section of an ID.

They'll also be issued a Motor Vehicle Commission "pink card" describing their diagnosis, which must be carried with the license or ID card.

"So law enforcement, when they interact with them, they know how to treat them with respect and make sure that everyone can be treated safely," New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said.

The card includes a designation section, with boxes to check such as "autism spectrum," "communication disorder" and "disorder hearing aid." It also has a restriction section, with boxes such as "hearing impaired," "mechanical aid," "prosthetic aid" and more.

 KNXV-TV

On Saturday, cops went to the Greater Phoenix Autism Society to bridge the gap between individuals with autism and local law enforcement.

Emily Iland is an autism advocate who leads similar educational initiatives across the country and helped make the "Be Safe" movie which shows different types of interactions people can have with law enforcement.

"It’s hard for people with autism to relate with the police because of the communication and social difficulties that are part of autism,” Iland said.

Grant Kirwan was a participant in the “Be Safe” program, getting paired up with a cop from Gilbert.

“My journey with autism has been a rollercoaster. I, for example, have struggled with loud noises,” Kirwan said.

Training Police in Illinois

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between police and autistic people.  When cops encounter autistic people, they may not respond in the same way as NT people, and things can get out of hand. Among other things, they may misinterpret autistic behavior as aggressive or defiant. Training could help.

Maddie Franz at WQAD-TV:

Illinois law enforcement will soon be trained on how to interact with people with autism. That's thanks to a law that went into effect on Jan. 1.

According to the Autism Society, between 30% and 50% of all people killed by police have autism or other disabilities. It also estimates 20% of autistic kids have been stopped and questioned by age 21 — almost 5% have been arrested.

Eric Sommers, president of the Autism Society of the Quad Cities, said that's something the law could help.

"If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism," Sommers said.

Every person on the autism spectrum is different. Some struggle to communicate with others, some panic in intense situations and others can't speak.

"All those situations could impact an interaction with law enforcement or first responders," Sommers said.

 He said those difficulties can result in violent outcomes during police interactions.

"Large amounts of force have been used against autistic individuals when they were not able to comply because they either didn’t understand the directions given to them or couldn’t react in what would be an appropriate manner," Sommers said. "There’s a lot that falls on the individual in those situations to react in the appropriate way, but when certain things are preventing those communications from taking place, it’s hard in that moment to capture that."

But with the new Illinois law, Sommers hopes those outcomes will be less common.
He said the training can build trust in the autism community and give police the tools they need.

Roberson Still Faces Execution

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between the justice system and autistic people.

An autistic man is on death row for a crime he didn't commit.

Kim Bellware and Tobi Raji at WP:

The path to stopping the country’s first execution based on the widely refuted theory known as “shaken baby syndrome” narrowed Tuesday after a district judge in Texas declined to vacate the death warrant for Robert Roberson, a 57-year-old man with autism who is scheduled to die by lethal injection this week.

Roberson’s case has galvanized a bipartisan coalition of 86 Texas lawmakers, scientists and even the former lead detective from his 2002 case to fight for a reprieve. Supporters cite Roberson’s case as a prime example of a conviction wrongfully secured by a decades-old theory many scientists and legal experts say is unreliable “junk science” in the vein of discredited forensics such as bite-mark and bloodstain-pattern analysis.

Lawyers for Roberson argue he faces execution over a nonexistent crime: His 2-year-old daughter Nikki Curtis died in 2002 from an undiagnosed case of double pneumonia, lawyers said; doctors incorrectly presumed symptoms such as brain swelling and bleeding were from abuse and did not investigate other possibilities. Suspicion of Roberson’s guilt was fueled by his seemingly unemotional response to Nikki’s dire condition — the result, lawyers say, of autism spectrum disorder, which he was not formally diagnosed with until 2018.

The Autism Society of America and @AutismTx are urgently appealing to Texas Governor Abbott to grant clemency to Robert Roberson, an Autistic individual facing execution in less than a week. See how you can take Action in our Press Release. https://t.co/7cQRGsSz8F

— autismsociety (@AutismSociety) October 15, 2024

Texas Justice and an Autistic Child

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between the justice system and autistic people.

Talia Richman at The Dallas Morning News:

The classroom was loud that day, and Hasan doesn’t like loud.

So the 10-year-old boy decided to go on a walk through Frisco’s Bledsoe Elementary. His specialized education plan — required because of his autism — allowed for sensory breaks.

On his way out the door, he said something. His fifth-grade teacher quickly reported what she heard on the morning of March 29, 2022: “Maybe I should bring a gun to school, then maybe they will listen to me.”

These words — which his parents say were grossly misunderstood — would derail Hasan’s childhood and education for the next two years. They would plunge his family into a haze of anxiety, costing tens of thousands of dollars to navigate the juvenile justice system. Ultimately, they would force them to question what it means to raise a child in America.

...

Hasan was arrested and charged with a Class A misdemeanor for the threat of exhibiting a firearm at school. The charge doesn’t require the person to display a gun or to have access to one.

He became one of roughly 1,110 Texas children referred to the justice system for this misdemeanor charge in the last six fiscal years, according to state juvenile justice data. More children were referred for this charge in 2023 — after the Uvalde massacre — than in any other recent year.

About half of the such cases involved kids between 10 and 13 years old.

...'

On that March day, a school resource officer questioned Hasan before Tahmina learned her son was in trouble. When school officials contacted her, she rushed to the campus.

Tahmina watched as Hasan was loaded into a police cruiser in the Bledsoe Elementary parking lot. Handcuffs clanked around his skinny wrists.

Police fingerprinted the boy and took his mugshot. He stood just over 4 feet tall. Hasan wasn’t sure whether he should smile, like he normally would for a picture, or make a mean face. He said he thought mugshots were only for burglars or serial killers.

After two years, prosecutors dropped charges.

Still, the family doesn’t feel whole. Hasan’s confidence is shattered, his parents say. He stopped believing in his Stanford dream. The 10-year-old boy who said he wanted to be the greatest scientist of all time is now a 13-year-old doing science classes from his bedroom.

Tahmina and Mohammed are afraid of sending their son back to school in Frisco — or any in-person school. They’ve considered moving.

They still question, months after the dismissal, why it happened. They think often about the way their country’s love — and fear — of guns shaped their son’s world.

“We call this a first-world country? Where we treat our children like this and criminalize them?” Tahmina asked.

 

Autism and a Capital Case

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between the justice system and autistic people.

Maurice Chammah at the Marshall Project:

Robert Roberson, who faces execution in Texas on Oct. 17, is the latest death row prisoner to see a glossy campaign to save his life. He was convicted of killing his 2-year-old daughter Nikki Curtis in 2002 on a theory of “shaken baby syndrome.” A growing chorus, from the lead detective in his case to novelist John Grisham, is arguing that he is innocent and Curtis’ death, while a tragedy, was not a crime. He’d be the first person ever executed based on shaken baby syndrome, even as the diagnosis faces growing scrutiny in the courts.

But another fact about Roberson deserves more attention to make sense of his story — his diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.

From the moment he showed up at the hospital with his daughter turning blue, his case reveals the ways the criminal justice system can fail people with diagnoses like autism. Roberson’s execution has been scheduled amid a wave of attention to this subject from researchers, journalists and support organizations, who offer guides for autistic people and their parents on how to interact with police.

My colleagues have reported on how people with autism experience prison, for example, as well as encounters with police, which can turn deadly when officers misinterpret their behavior as suspicious. Some lawmakers are trying to reduce the risk of escalation and tragedy. For example, when looking up a license plate, Texas police may now see an alert indicating that a driver may have difficulty communicating.

But Roberson’s case shows what can happen even before the police get involved. When he took his unconscious daughter to an emergency room in the small east Texas city of Palestine, in 2002, a nurse found it strange that he’d gotten her dressed before leaving their house, according to court records. Later, as he showed detectives around his kitchen, he paused to make a sandwich. Former homicide Detective Brian Wharton recalled finding Roberson’s affect disconcerting, saying, “He’s not getting mad, he’s not getting sad, he’s just not right.”

At Roberson’s 2003 trial, prosecutors used those details to portray him as callous and remorseless. But at a 2018 appeal hearing, psychologist Diane Mosnik said autism helped explain his deviations from social norms (like the sandwich), the misalignment of his feelings and expressions (the flat affect), and his reliance on scripted behavior (dressing his daughter). She found his social problem-solving skills were equivalent to those of an 11-year-old, noting his struggles to understand sarcasm and sincerity.

All of this, Roberson’s lawyers now say, led nurses, doctors, police, prosecutors and jurors to distrust Roberson’s story — that his daughter fell out of bed — possibly making them more likely to see evidence of abuse in complicated medical findings.

Student Arrest Rates

  In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between first responders and autistic people.

Government Accountability Office, "Differences in Student Arrest Rates Widen When Race, Gender, and Disability Status Overlap," July 2024, GAO-24-106294

GAO’s analysis of the Department of Education’s data collected from nearly every U.S. school district found that students’ race and ethnicity, gender, and disability status were all prominent with respect to rates of arrest and referrals to police, especially when the characteristics intersected. Specifically, in school year 2017–2018, the most recent year of data prior to the pandemic, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian/Alaska Native students were arrested at rates that were two to three times higher than White students. For boys who had a disability, the differences in arrest rates widened further.

Education’s guidance explains that when race, gender, and disability status intersect, students might experience discrimination due to the combination of protected characteristics. Yet, Education does not collect arrest and referral data by race for students receiving services only under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Section 504 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by recipients of federal funding. Education officials said to date, they believe the burden on districts outweighs the benefit; however, they also said they always reevaluate what data they collect and will reconsider collecting such data for the 2025-2026 data collection. Having this data is important; as GAO’s analysis shows, the intersection of particular characteristics affects student arrest rates. Also, Education modified the arrest definition for school year 2021–2022, but did not tell districts about the new definition before they collected the data. This raises the risk that districts used the old definition, which could affect data quality. Disclosing data limitations also aids those that use the data. Arrest rates more than doubled in schools with police present compared to similar schools without police, according to GAO’s analysis. Among the 51 percent of schools with police present at least once a week, GAO found that arrests were more common when the police were involved in student discipline.

Simulated Traffic Stops and Blue Envelopes

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between first responders and autistic people.  Some jurisdictions allow autistic drivers to ask for a blue envelope to disclose the driver's diagnosis in case of an accident or traffic stop.  Others have ID cards.

Grindle, H., Sassu, K.A., Dooley, J.M. et al. Facilitating Interaction with Police During Routine Traffic Stops for Persons with ASD. J Autism Dev Disord (2024). https://doi-org.ccl.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06459-3  Abstract:

A product of ASD socio-communicative-deficits and insufficient police training related to autism, ASD-police interactions have the potential to become problematic, with negative outcomes for ASD individuals and police alike. Thus, the combination of police acclimation, simulatory experience for drivers with ASD and the introduction of Connecticut’s recent Blue Envelope could improve overall experiences for drivers. A simulated routine traffic stop practice event, utilising pre- and post- measures was conducted in an effort to quantify drivers’ feelings about current and future interactions with police. Our prediction that participants would experience a statistically significant improvement in anxiety, comfort and self-perceived knowledge levels about future ASD-police interactions immediately following the intervention was confirmed. Our prediction that initially significant disparities between participants with and without police experience – those with previous police encounters versus those that don’t - would become not significant immediately following the intervention was disconfirmed. While the longitudinal data suggested that improved post-intervention ASD psychological measures remained statistically significant in the long-term, the sample responses to our long-term questionnaire were too few in number to make any definitive conclusions. It is suggested that practice traffic stops such as these could benefit both drivers with ASD and law enforcement nationwide. It is further suggested that police officer curriculums should include additional training regarding special populations.

Progressing the Blue Envelope Protocol

In recent years, the Blue Envelope program has continued to grow, partially helped by the running of these traffic stop practice interventions. Widespread progress has been made throughout the United States when it comes to the protection of ASD drivers and implementing appropriate, thorough police training. However, such efforts have not been united, but implemented on a seemingly state-by-state basis. The Blue Envelope provides a tool that can be standardized and universally used across the nation. With pre-existing state motor vehicle departments, the critical infrastructure required for the mass distribution of the blue envelopes is already in place. A crucial step towards bettering the safety of ASD individuals on the road, a national availability would ensure consistent support to this special group, regardless of place of residence. The national expansion of the program would voice the importance of inclusivity and accessibility to ASD individuals around the United States, emphasising that their ability to participate and enjoy in life’s activities is just as important as anyone else’s, reducing stigmatisation towards ASD persons.
Expanding Police Training

Fundamentally, the maximal efficacy of the Blue Envelope will only be achieved if police are properly trained to understand its utility for ASD drivers and what socio-communicative-cognitive deficits have the potential to complicate ASD driver-police interactions. The voluminous number of horrific ASD-police incidents illuminate the inadequate training law enforcement has previously received (Soares et al., 2019; Hepworth, 2017).

For better ASD-police outcomes, police officers need to undergo training that increases their understandings of the ASD population and provides them with strategies that are likely to result in successful interactions with this population. When police arrive on the scene, their presence can sometimes escalate an already tense environment. It is imperative that the time allocations of police training program are proportionally reallocated to address the disproportionate problems vulnerable populations face, as the present “exposure of trainees to the particular needs of persons with ASD is limited” (Osborn, 2008, p.372). While over half of law enforcement officers had responded to a call involving an individual with ASD within the last year, over 70% of officers reported they had received “no formal training in ASD” (Gardner et al., 2019, p.1278). Ultimately, the creation of a national ASD-related police curriculum, one that is constantly reviewed and updated, would be incredibly beneficial to state governed police training protocols. Police officers have shown a willingness to learn about this issue (Swan & Perepa, 2019), it is time we put in place the appropriate framework for that to be made possible.
Simulation Opportunities

With high rates of ASD-police issues, it is important drivers are doing what they can to limit the likelihood of an unpleasant police engagement. Subsequently, programs such as the practice traffic stop intervention that was facilitated and referenced herein should be universally accessible, with routine simulation experiences run across the country. The psychological improvements observed suggest that the event we ran would be immensely beneficial to the larger ASD driving community. If drivers across the country were able to participate in events such as this, it is highly probable that similar positive outcomes would be yielded on a larger scale, whereby improving positive outcomes for all those involved, drivers and law enforcement alike (Gammicchia & Johnson, n.d.). Effective implementation of these practices provides vast opportunities for all.

Autistic Teen Dies After Abuse by Jail Guards

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between the justice system and autistic people.

Erin Glynn and Laura A. Bischoff at the Columbus Dispatch:

Inside the Montgomery County Jail, guards taunted, belittled and threatened Isaiah Trammell, a 19-year-old who had autism spectrum disorder.

Deputies on the overnight shift told Trammell he was "ridiculous," "embarrassing" and "acting like an ass," surveillance video shows. Officers strapped Trammell into a restraint chair two separate times and threatened more time in the chair if he didn’t calm down.

Trammell couldn’t calm himself. He banged his head on the cell door, howled and repeatedly screamed “Let me out!”

Head-banging or other self-injury behaviors are more prevalent among people with autism. For Trammell, it was a dangerous coping mechanism that he continued during his brief time in jail.

“You remember how that restraint chair felt? Remember what the sergeant said? You're gonna go in for 10 hours next time you go in there. You want to do that?" one officer told Trammell, hours after he had been released from the chair the first time.

One officer said they couldn't use the restraint chair, prompting another to respond: “Just put the chair in front of his (expletive) cell so he stops. Give him a constant reminder.”

The restraint chair is supposed to be a last resort, only used in extreme circumstances and when the safety of the incarcerated person or others is in danger. Staff are supposed to use other interventions first, such as offering medication.

Trammell begged for his medications, a phone call and a blanket. No one heeded his pleas.

Less than 10 hours after entering jail, Dayton paramedics loaded Trammell into an ambulance.

He died three days later. The coroner ruled it a suicide − a ruling Trammell's mother wants changed.

Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck said Trammell shouldn’t have been in jail, given his mental health issues.

Trammell's case isn't an outlier. A USA TODAY Network Ohio investigation found that most of the 16,000 people in Ohio jails each day suffer from mental illness.

Police Training in South Carolina

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between police and autistic people.  When cops encounter autistic people, they may not respond in the same way as NT people, and things can get out of hand. Among other things, they may misinterpret autistic behavior as aggressive or defiant. Training could help.

Michaela Leggett at WHNS-TV reports on police training in Greenville County, South Carolina.

Autism Cards in Suffolk County, New York

In The Politics of Autism, I write:

[M]any police departments have trained officers and other first responders how to spot signs of autism and respond accordingly.  Some organizations have also published identification cards that ASD adults can carry in order to defuse potential conflicts. Virginia provides for an autism designation on driver licenses and other state-issued identification cards. Once again, however, the dilemma of difference comes into play. One autistic Virginian worries: “Great, so if I get into an accident, who’s the cop going to believe, the guy with the autistic label or the guy without it?” Clinical psychologist Michael Oberschneider is concerned about the understanding level of first responders: “I think many people still think of Rain Man or, more recently, the Sandy Hook Shooter, when they think of autism even though very few people on the autistic spectrum are savants or are homicidal and dangerous.”

Jennifer McLogan at WCBS-TV in New York:

Suffolk County law enforcement officers are now equipped with a tool to help people on the autism spectrum during potentially stressful encounters. It was designed by a young man from Long Island, who is on the spectrum himself.

Christopher Cortale, a receptionist at the Winters Center for Autism in West Babylon, helped design an emergency card to foster communication in stressful situations.

At the top, the card reads, "Please be patient. I have autism. Please point to the pictures to help me understand what you want." Underneath are photos of a driver's license, registration, insurance and weapons.

The card also includes photos and captions violations for officers to indicate if the individual with autism is being warned, ticketed or arrested, and reasons, such as license plate, tail light, speed limit, stop sign or several others.

The bottom of the card has a section titled "I need help" with photos indicating low fuel, flat tire, hospital, emergency contact, tow truck and lost.