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22 - Autism Spectrum Disorder and Illegal Acts

from Part IV - Behavioral and Social-Emotional Interventions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2020

By
Elizabeth A. Pask  and
Tammy L. Hughes
Edited by
Frank C. Worrell ,
Tammy L. Hughes  and
Dante D. Dixson
Frank C. Worrell
Affiliation:
University of California, Berkeley
Tammy L. Hughes
Affiliation:
Duquesne University, Pittsburgh
Dante D. Dixson
Affiliation:
Michigan State University
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Summary

Individuals with autism have up to seven times more contact with law enforcement over the course of their lifetime than their peers. To untrained justice personnel, behaviors common to autism can appear, at a minimum, suspicious and evasive, and, more seriously, as callously unlawful. For those individuals with autism with justice or juvenile justice contact, it is critical that the interventions used to prevent or treat illegal acts are designed for their specific learning needs. School systems, already charged with the delivery of autism specific services, are well positioned to implement a range of prevention and intervention supports to address illegal acts when they occur.

Keywords

autismautism spectrum disorderdelinquencyillegal actsschool prevention and intervention
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Applied School Psychology , pp. 369 - 387
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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