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NAPD - Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Criminal Justice, Forensic Mental Health, and Legal Considerations


Time: January 14, 2025 - 2-3pm
Location: Zoom

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex, multifaceted, neurodevelopmental disorder impacting several domains of functioning. Core deficits associated with autism include social communication deficits and impairments in reciprocal social-emotional interactions across multiple settings and repetitive and restricted patterns of interests, activities, and behaviors. It is important to note that the expression of these core deficits can vary significantly in terms of presence and severity from person to person depending on a host of factors. Although most individuals on the autism spectrum are law abiding citizens, a small subset of individuals diagnosed with this disorder engage in problematic and criminal-related behaviors. This training will examine the potential causes and contributing factors related to when someone with autism becomes involved in the criminal justice and legal systems. Implications for interviewing, screening, and intervention will also be discussed. A primary goal of this training is to learn why criminal justice, forensic mental health, and legal professionals should become autism-informed. Empirically based research findings and case study examples will be highlighted throughout this training.