Preliminary Evidence for a Training Improving Police Knowledge and Confidence to Work with Persons with Autism

Background: An article from Phoenix, Arizona, on September 19, 2017, detailed an incident in which a police officer detained an individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) because he misinterpreted his behaviors and believed the individual’s rigid and unfamiliar movements were a sign of drug intoxication. The bodycam captured upsetting footage of the exchange between the officer and individual, and the family released photos of the boy’s injuries from the brief detainment (Helsel, 2017). Unfortunately, this incident is not an anomaly. Without appropriate training in how to identify and properly respond, first responders may misinterpret the behaviors of individuals with ASD. In order to address this need, investigators designed a training to improve first responders’ knowledge and confidence to work with individuals with ASD.

Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the initial effectiveness of PACT (Police Autism Community Training; see Table 1). This study will focus on three measures of preliminary effectiveness: first responders’ knowledge of ASD, their self-reported confidence for working with individuals with ASD, and their consumer ratings of the training.

Methods: First responders (N = 193) completed a survey to assess their (a) knowledge of autism, (b) confidence to work with individuals with autism, and (c) consumer ratings of the training they received (see Table 2).

Results: Pre-test to post-test knowledge. Participants’ self-rated knowledge about ASD significantly improved, t (21) = 7.26, p =.001, from pretest (M = 2.18, SD = 1.3) to posttest (M = 3.86, SD = 0.9).

Pre-test to post-test confidence. Participants’ self-rated confidence in responding to a call involving an individual with ASD significantly improved, t (21) = 3.74, p =.001, from pretest (M = 3.14, SD = 1.1) to posttest (M = 4.00, SD = 0.9).

Consumer satisfaction ratings. Participants also responded to three items regarding their impressions of the training using a 5-point scale with 1 reflecting the lowest rating and 5 reflecting the highest rating. Participants endorsed the training favorably, indicating that the training met their expectations (M = 4.58, SD = 0.6), was helpful (M = 4.66, SD = 0.6), and clearly presented (M = 4.67, SD = 0.6).

Conclusions: This study offers an intervention that will help to improve relationships between community first responders and individuals with ASD. This study will challenge the lack of training that first responders are receiving on unique populations like ASD, and provide proactive solutions before negative experiences continue. Details of the training and intervention will be provided in the larger study.

Our data collection is ongoing, and as we collect more data in preparation for this presentation, we will conduct statistical tests to determine effect sizes and to account for our nested data structure. The initial results are promising, but serve only as preliminary evidence for the successfulness of the training. Future studies will establish answers to research questions addressing the active ingredients of the training such as the delivery method (e.g., face-to-face versus online) and or instructor influence.