ERIC Number: EJ1470906
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jun
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0162-3257
EISSN: EISSN-1573-3432
Available Date: 2024-07-11
Facilitating Interaction with Police during Routine Traffic Stops for Persons with ASD
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, v55 n6 p2115-2123 2025
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.
Descriptors: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Police, Police Community Relationship, Communication Skills, Intervention, Traffic Safety, Law Enforcement, Anxiety, Knowledge Level, Training
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Connecticut
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Yale University, Department of Psychology, New Haven, USA; 2Southern Connecticut State University, Interim Dean, College of Education, New Haven, USA; 3Southern Connecticut State University, Police Department, Chief of Police (Retired), New Haven, USA; 4Southern Connecticut State University, Center of Excellence on Autism Spectrum Disorder, New Haven, USA; 5Yale University, Southern Connecticut State University, Child Study Center, Department, Special Education, New Haven, New Haven, USA