Category Archives: News

Autistic meltdowns: a guide for first responders

Autism advocate Viv Dawes has developed a new guide for police officers and other professionals who may come into contact with an autistic person experiencing meltdown.

Viv writes:

“This guidebook is designed for any first responders, primarily police officers, or anyone in the emergency services, who may come into contact with an autistic person experiencing a meltdown, a shutdown and autistic burnout. The book can also be used by social workers, mental health professionals and other professionals working with autistic people.

“This book gives you some basic information about what autism is and will give you an understanding of what autistic meltdowns and shutdowns are and how to respond appropriately. The book also explains what autistic burnout is, its causes, symptoms and what will and what will not help the autistic individual.

“Why is it so important to understand autistic meltdowns, shutdowns and burnout? It is common for many autistic people to reach crisis point – they need very particular help and support, which differs from people who are in crisis but not autistic. The suicide rate amongst autistic people is also very high, with autistic adults 10 times more likely to take their own lives, and autistic women 13 times more likely.”

Click on the image to download a free PDF copy of the Guide. More resources can be found on Viv’s website. ∎

NPAA police recruitment video released

New film shows autistic officers at work and talking about their policing careers

The National Police Autism Association and other police support networks were recently invited to work with the Police Uplift Programme to produce a series of videos for the joiningthepolice.co.uk recruitment website. We are delighted to announce that our film, showing two autistic officers at work and at home, has been released.

NPAA police recruitment video

The video marks the first time that autism and neurodiversity have been featured prominently in a national police recruitment campaign.

We would like to extend our thanks to the Police Uplift communications team for their work in producing the film, and to our colleagues PC Marcus Zost and Sergeant Suzanne Burke for kindly sharing their stories.

More information on police careers can be found on our recruitment page and on the NPAA page on the Joining The Police website. ∎

Met Police releases autism stop & search guide

The Metropolitan Police Service has released a guide for police officers exercising stop and search powers on autistic people, and for autistic members of public who may be subject to a stop and search.

The guide, which was developed with Anna Kennedy Online and in consultation with members of the autistic community, aims to educate officers and to explain the stop and search process in simple terms. It was written by DCI Dion Brown and barrister Sean Kennedy, who is autistic himself.

The NPAA would like to thank the authors for including our members’ views in putting the guide together.

Click on the image to download the guide as a PDF. A large-print version is also available. ∎