Preparing Law Enforcement Officers to Engage Successfully with Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Evaluation of a Performance-Based Approach

• Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders Vol. 53; no. 3; pp. 887 - 900
• Main Authors: Hinkle, Karlie A., Lerman, Dorothea C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.03.2023; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Autistic Disorder; Behavior; Behavior Problems; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Cadets; Child and School Psychology; Competency Based Education; Compliance; Compliance (Psychology); Criminal justice; Developmental disabilities; Didacticism; Efficacy; Experiential Learning; Forecasts and trends; Humans; Law enforcement; Law Enforcement - methods; Neurosciences; Original Paper; Peace officers; Pediatrics; Pervasive developmental disorders; Physical force; Physical restraints; Police; Police - education; Police - standards; Psychology; Public Health; Simulation; Skill development; Social aspects; Teaching; Training; United States; Violence; Youth organizations; United States; Behavioral skills training; Performance-based training; Police officers; Autism spectrum disorder; Law enforcement officers
• ISSN: 0162-3257; 1573-3432
• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05192-5

Law enforcement officers (LEOs) may use physical force unnecessarily or escalate problem behavior when attempting to gain the compliance of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Copenhaver & Tewksbury in American Journal of Criminal Justice 44:309–333, 2019). Although specialized training may remedy this problem, the relatively small literature on such training programs indicates the need for further research (Railey et al. in Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 2020). This study used simulations with actors to evaluate the outcomes of performance-based instruction on strategies to promote compliance when LEOs respond to calls involving individuals with ASD. Results for three LEOs and 24 police cadets demonstrated the efficacy of behavioral skills training (BST) for teaching LEOs how to interact more effectively with individuals with ASD. Results also suggested that hands-on training should supplement commonly used forms of didactic instruction.