1. What do police officers know about Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Dr Joanne Richards & Professor Becky Milne
University of Portsmouth

2. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
1. Social communication and social interaction
2. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour.
(American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
To ensure that people with ASD, who have difficulties with communication and interaction skills have access to the criminal justice system, police officers conducting interviews may need to consider their behaviour and interviewing techniques. Investigative officers may need to develop specific skills and strategies to accommodate for the needs of people with ASD during criminal justice procedures.

3. The criminal justice system and people with ASD.
The Revised Autism Strategy (2014) stipulates that at ‘the very least’ police officers and criminal justice professionals
“..need to be aware of the communication challenges experienced by people with autism..” (Think Autism, 2014, p 38).
The Home Office working with the College of Policing will update training for new police officers to include autism awareness. (Think Autism, 2014, p38).
The topic autism and the criminal justice system has been the subject of a short debate in the House of Lords (Jan, 2015).
Recent negative attention by the media promoted the headline
“ Police Ignorance About Autism Must End” (Clark, 2012).
In light of this attention it is timely to consider what do police officers know about ASD?

4. The study
Questionnaires to collect both qualitative and quantitative data.
Questionnaire focused upon two themes
i) What police officers know about ASD
Ii) How officers would plan to meet the needs of an interviewee with ASD.
14 police forces
196 completed questionnaires
Two questionnaires; witness & suspect
Explain why two questionnaires

5. Frontline officers and specialist officers
Role of police officers at two levels; i) frontline officer ii) specialist officer
Frontline officers were identified in accordance with Demanding times. The Frontline and Police Visibility (HMIC, 2011). Criteria includes, their visibility that is they may wear a uniform and are in daily contact with the public through general and continuous patrol (HMIC, 2011).
Specialist officers have accredited skills, their work tends to be pre planned, they work in smaller units and many of these have a specific focus according to the type of victim (children, vulnerable adults) or the type of crime (murder, rape, fraud) (HMIC, 2011).
For the purpose of this study the small number of participants who indicated they worked in custody were classified as fl officers, this is because they deal with a heterogenic group of criminals (that is they do not specialise)

6. The respondents
Pretty evenly distributed

7. Reported information on; interviewing people with ASD, training and confidence.
Frontline Officers
Specialist Officers
Believed they had interviewed a person with ASD
11.5% (n = 12)
42.9% (n = 39)
Reported receiving training specific to ASD
29.5% (n = 31)
1.1% (n = 1)
Believed training / further training in ASD would be useful
47.5% (n = 47)
77.6% (n = 66)
Felt confident interviewing a person with ASD
35% (n = 36)
52.8% (n = 47)
Information to set the scene. Some officers reported receiving training about ASD part of other courses (mainly ABE interviewing) but looked for participants who had received training specific to ASD, ie ASD main topic.

8. What do police officers know about ASD?
Using Likert scale questions participants were asked to gauge how strongly they agreed or disagreed to a statement being indicative of a characteristic of ASD.
Statements were chosen to reflect the key areas of ASD;
i)Impaired communication, ii) impaired social interaction skills and iii) rigid and repetitive behaviours.
Statements were adapted from descriptive information cited in Autism: A guide for criminal justice professionals (National Autistic Society, 2008), and the Adult Autism Quotient (AQ) (Baron-Cohen et al 2001).
Responses were analysed according to correct and incorrect responses

9. Recognising characteristics of ASD
Recognising characteristics of ASD. Mean scores calculated from responses to Likert scale questions.
Frontline officers (trained)
Untrained frontline officers
Specialist Officers
 Statement
 Mean (SD)
Have difficulties maintaining eye contact
2.19 (0.87)**
2.81 (0.83)
2.86 (1.14)
Do not understand social rules
2.77 (0.81)
2.82 (1.01)
2.57 (0.97)
Interpret information literally
1.52 (0.63)**
2.37 (0.93)
1.99 (0.77)
Are Wary of new situations
2.03 (1.02)
2.17 (0.88)
2.03 (0.83)
Become preoccupied with a special interest
1.71 (0.74)*
2.18 (0.87)
2.01 (0.82)
Good at understanding the minds of others
3.26 (0.93)
3.60 (0.82)
3.76 (0.91)***
Do not like rigid routines
4.26 (0.86)**
3.68 (1.09)
3.76 (1.08)
Are good at showing empathy
3.45 (0.81)
3.39 (0.86)
3.70 (0.95)
Good at interpreting gesture / tone of voice
3.94 (1.18)*
3.30 (0.98)
3.74 (1.00)
Data was analysed on three levels; trained frontline, untrained frontline and specialist officers.
** Trained frontline officers more significantly more likely to respond correctly compared with both UFL and SP
Significantly more likely to respond correctly compared to untrained FL
* Trained frontline performed significantly better than untrained frontline officers
** Trained frontline officers performed significantly better than both untrained frontline officers and specialist officers
*** Specialist officers performed significantly better than trained frontline officers

10. Planning for an interview with a person who has ASD.
Participants were asked to respond to an open ended question which asked how they would plan for an interview with an interviewee who has ASD. In total 184 participants responded to this exercise.
Data was analysed and three main themes will be discussed;
1. Support for the interviewee.
3. Interview skills reflecting good practice.
4. Taking into account the characteristics of ASD.

11. Number of officers who planned / did not plan for support (N = 184)
Frontline officers
(N = 94)
Specialist officers
(N = 90)
Planned support
Witness
(n = 56)
Suspect
(n = 38)
(n = 41)
(n = 49)
Yes
70 % (n =39)
65.8% (n = 25)
51.2% (n = 21)
63.3% (n = 31) No
30% (n =17)
34.2% (n = 13)
48.8% (n = 20)
36.7% (n = 18)

12. Type of support officers chose to assist an interviewee with ASD (N = 116)
Frontline Officers (n = 64)
Specialist Officers (n = 52)
Type of Support
Witness
(n = 39)
Suspect
(n = 25)
(n = 21)
(n = 31)
Appropriate Adult
94.9% (n=37)
80% (n =20)
9.5% (n =2)
61.3% (n =19)
Intermediary
4% (n =1)
76.2% (n =16)
12.9% (n =4)
General
5.1% (n=2)
16% (n =4)
14.3% (n =3)
25.8% (n =8)
General = response “would organise support”
Overall, 69% plan support for witness interview and 62% plan support for a suspect interview
FL over reliant upon AAs for witness interview

13. Skills officers would consider when planning for an interview with an interviewee with ASD. Percentage of and number of responses according to interview type and role of officer (N = 151)(multiple responses).
Frontline Officer
N = 73
Specialist Officer
N = 78
Witness
(n = 44)
Suspect
(n = 29)
(n = 39)
Total number of responses 70 54
113 89
Structure of Interview
18.6% (13)
18.6% (10)
14% (16)
27% (24)
Facilitating the interview
35.7% (25)
37% (20)
39% (44)
29.2% (26)
Interacting with the interviewee.
45.7% (32)
44.4% (24)
47% (53)
43.8% (39)
Fl officers, 44 answering the witness questionnaire provided 70 pieces of information, of this total 18.6% considered structure of interview….
Interview skills; type of interview, style of questions, special measures
Facilitating the interview: Check their own behaviour, best location, length of interview, best time to interview, organise breaks
Interacting with interviewee, check understand question, check personal needs, develop rapport, explain process, meet prior to interview only 5 fl check fit for interview, and 2 specialist officers.

14. Topics raised during the planning exercise which are pertinent to people with ASD. (N = 49)
Frontline Officers
(n = 27)
Specialist Officers
(n = 22)
Witness
(n = 15)
Suspect
(n = 12)
(n = 7)
Find out level of ASD.
93.3%
(n =14)
50%
(n = 6)
57.1%
(n = 4)
46.7%
Communication
(n =6)
28.6%
(n =2)
53.3%
(n =8)
Social Interaction
6.7%
(n = 1)
16.7%
(n = 2)
42.9%
(n = 3)
20%
Rigid / repetitive behaviours
14.3%
33.3%
(n = 5)
Sensory problems
Communication, avoid language which could be interpreted literally. Concern about understanding the caution
Social interaction. May not give eye contact, does not mean they are being rude, may not instinctively understand rules or purpose of interview
Rigid rep. concern about being out of their routine, may become fixated on a topic and officers ned to be aware of this
Sensory give consideration to lighting, no bright lights, intrusive noises.

15. Discussion points
Those officers who had received training were more aware of the characteristics of ASD.
Nearly 1/3rd of those completing a witness questionnaire and 1/3rd of those completing a suspect questionnaire failed to consider any support for their interviewee with ASD.
Frontline officers were over reliant upon the use of AAs in a witness interview. This requires further investigation.
In total 82% of all officers (78% of Fl, 87% of Sp) who responded to the planning exercise included elements which demonstrated good practice.
Only 27% of all participants (29% of Fl, 24% of Sp) who responded to the planning exercise included elements in their planning which reflected the specific needs of people with ASD.
Training had no impact upon the likelihood of planning for the specific needs of people with ASD.
Officers had an understanding and an awareness of ASD, but this was not reflected in their planning.
Future training must focus upon developing practical skills to help officers work and interact with people who have ASD.
Further research is required to determine best practice for interviewing people with ASD.
Additional research is required to explore the role of the AA and intermediary and how adeptly they support people with ASD.

16. Thank you for listening
Any Questions?