Resources
Coronavirus guidance for police officers
This guidance has been created to help support police officers during interactions with autistic people in public in light of the new Coronavirus regulations introduced by the Government. It outlines the potential impact of the regulations on autistic people and offers advice on how to help autistic people during this time.
Download the guidance for free
Coronavirus guidance for autistic people
This guidance has been created to help autistic people interpret the new Coronavirus regulations and guidance introduced by the Government. It outlines the distinction between the regulations and guidance and offers advice about when you can go outside.
Download the guidance for free
Travelling
Many autistic people told us that they felt concerned about explaining to the staff on public transport or the police that they could not wear a mask because they have autism. The NAS have provided a leaflet explaining the regulations and has a downloadable 'I am autistic' card which you can show to people.
Download the guidance for free
Autism Training Toolkit
The autism training toolkit and video are designed for custody staff to help them support autistic individuals in police custody. They may also benefit other detainees and other professionals working in police custody.
Toolkit
Custody Toolkit
The autism toolkit is a collection of visual communication aids and accessible information.
Some resources are designed to help support communication with autistic individuals and other detainees and provide information about the custody process. Other resources are designed to help support custody staff in their roles and provide more information about how to support autistic individuals during the custody process.
A 'How to' guide is also available to help illustrate examples of how the toolkit should be used in police custody.
Resources for detainees
Custody Booklet
A booklet providing detailed information about important things to know about being detained in police custody.
Flowchart
A flowchart of what happens during the custody process and the different decisions police officers can make at the end of detention.
Legal rights sheet
A summary of the main legal rights and entitlements of detainees in police custody.
Body Diagram
A diagram which can be used to visually communicate what happens during a search.
Resources for custody staff
Training Booklet
A booklet summarising key issues relating to the support of autistic individuals during the custody process.
Prompt Sheet
A summary of the key adjustments that custody staff can make to help support autistic individuals during the custody process.
Quick Cards
A summary of the key issues and adjustments for the main parts of the custody process.
Poster
An outline of the AUTISM training acronym for display purposes.
The toolkit is free to access. It has been designed to be used as intended by police forces and distributed by police staff to detainees. If you would like a digital copy of the toolkit, please send a request to Dr Chloe Holloway (chloe.holloway1@nottingham.ac.uk).
Policy Brief: Autism and Policing
The policy brief is a short summary of the key issues relating to autism and policing. It highlights three priority areas which need to be addressed in order to improve the support of autistic individuals in police custody:
- autism training
- identifying communication and sensory needs
- changes to the custody environment
The policy brief also outlines a series of recommendations for policy makers which would help to standardise best practice for supporting autistic individuals across the UK.
Download the policy brief (PDF)