‘Providing the best service we can’

In this article commissioned by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, NPAA Chair John Nelson looks at how police officers can recognise autistic and neurodivergent traits and respond effectively to incidents involving autistic people

The train has arrived, but there’s a problem – the doors stay locked. An announcement says there’s a signalling fault. Passengers pace up and down the platform, checking watches and phones – another day, another delay. All except for one man, who keeps trying to open the doors and banging on the glass. A member of staff notices and asks him to step back on to the platform; the man ignores him, becoming increasingly flustered and repeating that he must get on the train.

More staff arrive – someone takes the man’s arm, and he pushes back – all he can think about is keeping to his routine and getting to his destination on time. Staff radio the control room, and a 999 call is made: “Aggressive male, staff assaulted – police needed.” A response unit is soon dispatched, and officers are already mentally preparing for a likely arrest. But they are missing one vital piece of information, which could make all the difference to how the incident plays out: the passenger is autistic.

Understanding of autism, as a form of neurodiversity (ND) – the concept of the human population thinking and seeing the world in different ways – has increased enormously in the last few years. Autism broadly affects how a person communicates socially, their sensitivity to sensory stimuli such as noise and touch, and their range of interests and behaviour, which can be highly focused. Along with other ND conditions such as ADHD and dyslexia, autism is found in all walks of life and affects everyone differently.

The scenario above – the subject of a short film* commissioned by the National Autistic Society – is a typical incident that police officers may be asked to attend. As an autistic police sergeant, diagnosed with the condition after eight years’ service, I understand the day-to-day difficulties that autistic people face, and the situations that can lead them to come into contact with the police service and occasionally fall foul of the law. In 2015, I founded the National Police Autism Association, a staff support network for autistic and ND police colleagues. As well as providing support to our members, our Association champions good practice for colleagues working with the autistic community, and raises awareness via our website and social medial channels.

Dealing with an incident involving an autistic person in distress can be uniquely challenging for police officers. It’s commonly known that autistic people may avoid eye contact – traditionally (and wrongly) assumed to indicate a lack of honesty or criminal intent. However, an autistic individual may react to a police presence in other ways:

  • Ignoring officers, refusing to answer questions or becoming mute
  • Anxiety
  • Running from or attempting to avoid officers
  • Becoming verbally aggressive or abusive
  • Experiencing a ‘meltdown’ – a condition caused by over-exposure to sensory stimuli which can present as a person involuntarily losing control – shouting, screaming, lashing out and self-harming

Officers may find it additionally challenging to engage with an autistic person if the individual has had a bad experience with the police in the past.

In order to respond appropriately, officers need to know that autism is, or may be, a factor. This information is not always volunteered, so we encourage colleagues to maintain awareness of a person’s behaviour being unusual or out of proportion to the situation. Officers should not be afraid to ask a person if they are autistic, or have any other conditions that police should be aware of.

Some basic do’s and don’t’s include:

  • Don’t crowd the person – give them space and guide them to a quiet place if possible
  • Speak calmly and slowly, one person at a time
  • Give simple unambiguous instructions
  • Only use physical restraint (including handcuffs) and the power of arrest as a last resort – consider dealing with offences out of custody wherever possible
  • If an arrest is necessary, ensure the Custody Sergeant is aware of the detainee’s autism and that provision of an Appropriate Adult is considered

An autistic person may choose to carry an autism alert card or ‘passport’. This is a card or foldable document that states that the holder is autistic and contains other vital information for first responders, such as a particular sensitivity to touch. Most police forces have developed their own card schemes, or support schemes run by local autism groups – click on the link above for details. Additionally nationally-recognised cards and lanyards can be obtained from the National Autistic Society and other providers.

The National Autistic Society has produced a comprehensive guide for police officers and staff coming into contact with autistic people. This guide features the advice listed above and further resources for dealing with autistic detainees in police custody. The NAS has also produced several educational videos available on YouTube, including the film featured in this article.

Other examples of good practice include:

All police forces provide autism awareness training to officers, although this varies in format and depth. An example of best practice we’d like to highlight is Devon & Cornwall Police, which includes scenarios involving autism and ND as part of officers’ regular personal safety training.

For more information, we encourage colleagues to join our network – it’s free and open to everyone in the police service. (We also offer associate membership – click on the link for details.) ∎

*The film was released in 2009 and uses person-first phrasing in the captions – it is since recognised that many autistic people prefer identity-first language

An edited version of this article is featured in Issue 47 (May 2026) of the IOPC Learning The Lessons magazine