Policing Black autistic children: A qualitative approach to understanding Black caregivers' concerns / Ashlee YATES FLANAGAN in Autism, 29-5 (May 2025)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 29-5 (May 2025) . - p.1303-1317 Titre : Policing Black autistic children: A qualitative approach to understanding Black caregivers' concerns Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Ashlee YATES FLANAGAN, Auteur ; Meredith L. COLA, Auteur ; Naomi YU, Auteur ; Haley PEELE, Auteur ; Keeana DICETTE, Auteur ; Grace HICKS, Auteur ; Maggie Rose PELELLA, Auteur ; Ayana KING-POINTER, Auteur ; Jamiel OWENS, Auteur ; Dieu M. TRUONG, Auteur ; Aili HAUPTMANN, Auteur ; Juan PACHECO, Auteur ; Alison RUSSELL, Auteur ; Amanda LEE, Auteur ; Sarah SCHILLINGER, Auteur ; Maxine COVELLO, Auteur ; Meg LYONS, Auteur ; Rita SOLORZANO, Auteur ; Sinan TURNACIOGLU, Auteur ; Vijay RAVINDRAN, Auteur ; Joseph P. MCCLEERY, Auteur ; Judith S. MILLER, Auteur ; Julia PARISH-MORRIS, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.1303-1317 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autism  Black  caregivers  law enforcement  police  qualitative Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : In the United States, Black autistic youth face elevated risk of negative outcomes during police interactions. Although the outcomes of these interactions are well-documented, less is known about Black autistic youths' experiences during police encounters, as the current literature has largely examined the experiences of autistic adults, mostly White American samples, and/or autistic youth abroad. This study utilizes qualitative methods to examine the perceptions and concerns of 43 Black caregivers (N = 43; 98% parents; 2% legal guardians; 93% mothers) of Black autistic children (mean age: 16.5; 79% male) regarding police interactions with their autistic children. Four themes emerged: concerns regarding the Quality of police officers' training, children s Autistic behaviors being inappropriately policed, the explicit Threat of harm and murder, and the hope for Mindful Policing. These findings demonstrate that caregivers' concerns about police behaviors are inextricably linked to their concerns about the quality of police officers' training. The results of this study highlight (1) the importance of including racially and ethnically diverse individuals in research exploring autistic individuals' police interactions, (2) the need for culturally responsive adaptations to existing policing interventions designed for autistic people, and (3) the urgency of integrating Black caregivers' concerns into law enforcement training efforts.Lay abstract In the United States, Black autistic youth face elevated risk of negative outcomes during police interactions. Although the outcomes of these interactions are well-documented, less is known about Black autistic youths' experiences during police encounters, as the current literature has largely examined the experiences of autistic adults, mostly White American samples, and/or autistic youth abroad. This study utilizes qualitative methods to examine the perceptions and concerns of 43 Black caregivers (N = 43; 98% parents; 2% legal guardians; 93% mothers) of Black autistic children (mean age: 16.5; 79% male) regarding police interactions with their autistic children. Through phenomenological analysis, four dominant themes emerged: concerns regarding the Quality of police officers' training, children s Autistic behaviors being inappropriately policed, the explicit Threat of harm and murder, and the hope for Mindful Policing. These findings demonstrate that caregivers' perceptions of police behavior are inextricably linked to their concerns about the quality of police officers' training. This study highlights (1) the importance of including racially and ethnically diverse individuals in research exploring autistic individuals' police interactions, (2) the need for culturally responsive and neuro-affirming adaptations to existing policing interventions designed for autistic people, and (3) the urgency of integrating Black caregivers' concerns into law enforcement training efforts. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613241303549 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=555 [article] Policing Black autistic children: A qualitative approach to understanding Black caregivers' concerns [texte imprimé] / Ashlee YATES FLANAGAN, Auteur ; Meredith L. COLA, Auteur ; Naomi YU, Auteur ; Haley PEELE, Auteur ; Keeana DICETTE, Auteur ; Grace HICKS, Auteur ; Maggie Rose PELELLA, Auteur ; Ayana KING-POINTER, Auteur ; Jamiel OWENS, Auteur ; Dieu M. TRUONG, Auteur ; Aili HAUPTMANN, Auteur ; Juan PACHECO, Auteur ; Alison RUSSELL, Auteur ; Amanda LEE, Auteur ; Sarah SCHILLINGER, Auteur ; Maxine COVELLO, Auteur ; Meg LYONS, Auteur ; Rita SOLORZANO, Auteur ; Sinan TURNACIOGLU, Auteur ; Vijay RAVINDRAN, Auteur ; Joseph P. MCCLEERY, Auteur ; Judith S. MILLER, Auteur ; Julia PARISH-MORRIS, Auteur . - p.1303-1317. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 29-5 (May 2025) . - p.1303-1317 Mots-clés : autism  Black  caregivers  law enforcement  police  qualitative Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : In the United States, Black autistic youth face elevated risk of negative outcomes during police interactions. Although the outcomes of these interactions are well-documented, less is known about Black autistic youths' experiences during police encounters, as the current literature has largely examined the experiences of autistic adults, mostly White American samples, and/or autistic youth abroad. This study utilizes qualitative methods to examine the perceptions and concerns of 43 Black caregivers (N = 43; 98% parents; 2% legal guardians; 93% mothers) of Black autistic children (mean age: 16.5; 79% male) regarding police interactions with their autistic children. Four themes emerged: concerns regarding the Quality of police officers' training, children s Autistic behaviors being inappropriately policed, the explicit Threat of harm and murder, and the hope for Mindful Policing. These findings demonstrate that caregivers' concerns about police behaviors are inextricably linked to their concerns about the quality of police officers' training. The results of this study highlight (1) the importance of including racially and ethnically diverse individuals in research exploring autistic individuals' police interactions, (2) the need for culturally responsive adaptations to existing policing interventions designed for autistic people, and (3) the urgency of integrating Black caregivers' concerns into law enforcement training efforts.Lay abstract In the United States, Black autistic youth face elevated risk of negative outcomes during police interactions. Although the outcomes of these interactions are well-documented, less is known about Black autistic youths' experiences during police encounters, as the current literature has largely examined the experiences of autistic adults, mostly White American samples, and/or autistic youth abroad. This study utilizes qualitative methods to examine the perceptions and concerns of 43 Black caregivers (N = 43; 98% parents; 2% legal guardians; 93% mothers) of Black autistic children (mean age: 16.5; 79% male) regarding police interactions with their autistic children. Through phenomenological analysis, four dominant themes emerged: concerns regarding the Quality of police officers' training, children s Autistic behaviors being inappropriately policed, the explicit Threat of harm and murder, and the hope for Mindful Policing. These findings demonstrate that caregivers' perceptions of police behavior are inextricably linked to their concerns about the quality of police officers' training. This study highlights (1) the importance of including racially and ethnically diverse individuals in research exploring autistic individuals' police interactions, (2) the need for culturally responsive and neuro-affirming adaptations to existing policing interventions designed for autistic people, and (3) the urgency of integrating Black caregivers' concerns into law enforcement training efforts. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613241303549 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=555

Sex-specific metrics for success: Gaps in social word use are bigger for autistic girls than boys / Meredith COLA in Autism, 30-6 (June 2026)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 30-6 (June 2026) . - p.1608-1614 Titre : Sex-specific metrics for success: Gaps in social word use are bigger for autistic girls than boys Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Meredith COLA, Auteur ; Sarah SCHILLINGER, Auteur ; Margaret LYONS, Auteur ; Amanda LEE, Auteur ; Calliana FAULK, Auteur ; Maxine COVELLO, Auteur ; Nasya HOWARD, Auteur ; Hannah FRANKE, Auteur ; Alexandria MULQUEEN, Auteur ; Lizzy FULOP, Auteur ; Azia KNOX, Auteur ; Sunghye CHO, Auteur ; Mark Y. LIBERMAN, Auteur ; Juhi PANDEY, Auteur ; Ashlee YATES FLANAGAN, Auteur ; Joseph DONAHER, Auteur ; Robert T. SCHULTZ, Auteur ; Julia PARISH-MORRIS, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.1608-1614 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autism  communication and language  sex differences  social communication  social phenotype Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Autistic girls are often diagnosed late, missed, or misdiagnosed, which can negatively impact quality of life and mental health. Although research shows the social profiles of autistic girls differ from boys in systematic ways that might explain gaps in diagnosis, little is known about how autistic girls’ social language compares to their same-sex non-autistic peers. This study investigated social words—words that make reference to other people—produced by 138 age- and IQ-matched autistic and non-autistic youth (ages 6–15) during one Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition task. Girls used significantly more social words than boys across both diagnostic groups. There was a larger gap in social word production between autistic girls and non-autistic girls than autistic boys and non-autistic boys, with non-autistic girls using the most social words. Non-autistic girls’ social language behavior—including their social word production—sets an especially high bar for autistic girls, who often report trying to blend in with other girls. Growing evidence of the distinct social language profiles of autistic and non-autistic girls versus boys should guide researchers and clinicians to assess autism in ways that are sensitive to sex-associated differences and develop interventions that consider the norms of youth’s target social circles.Lay Abstract Autism is often diagnosed later in girls and women as compared to boys and men. More research is needed to understand how autism presents differently in girls. This study investigates how autistic and non-autistic youth aged 6 to 15 years use social words (e.g. “friend,” “mom,” “help,” “talk”) during an interview about friends, relationships, and marriage as part of an autism diagnostic assessment. Overall, girls used more social words compared to boys and talked more about friends. Specifically, non-autistic girls used the most social words in comparison with other groups. Highly social language produced by non-autistic girls may make it especially hard for autistic girls to blend in with other girls and could lead them to engage in more camouflaging behaviors to hide their autistic characteristics. With such different average social language behavior from girls and boys, researchers should consider adapting autism assessments and interventions to support the unique needs of autistic girls. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613261417535 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=586 [article] Sex-specific metrics for success: Gaps in social word use are bigger for autistic girls than boys [texte imprimé] / Meredith COLA, Auteur ; Sarah SCHILLINGER, Auteur ; Margaret LYONS, Auteur ; Amanda LEE, Auteur ; Calliana FAULK, Auteur ; Maxine COVELLO, Auteur ; Nasya HOWARD, Auteur ; Hannah FRANKE, Auteur ; Alexandria MULQUEEN, Auteur ; Lizzy FULOP, Auteur ; Azia KNOX, Auteur ; Sunghye CHO, Auteur ; Mark Y. LIBERMAN, Auteur ; Juhi PANDEY, Auteur ; Ashlee YATES FLANAGAN, Auteur ; Joseph DONAHER, Auteur ; Robert T. SCHULTZ, Auteur ; Julia PARISH-MORRIS, Auteur . - p.1608-1614. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 30-6 (June 2026) . - p.1608-1614 Mots-clés : autism  communication and language  sex differences  social communication  social phenotype Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Autistic girls are often diagnosed late, missed, or misdiagnosed, which can negatively impact quality of life and mental health. Although research shows the social profiles of autistic girls differ from boys in systematic ways that might explain gaps in diagnosis, little is known about how autistic girls’ social language compares to their same-sex non-autistic peers. This study investigated social words—words that make reference to other people—produced by 138 age- and IQ-matched autistic and non-autistic youth (ages 6–15) during one Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition task. Girls used significantly more social words than boys across both diagnostic groups. There was a larger gap in social word production between autistic girls and non-autistic girls than autistic boys and non-autistic boys, with non-autistic girls using the most social words. Non-autistic girls’ social language behavior—including their social word production—sets an especially high bar for autistic girls, who often report trying to blend in with other girls. Growing evidence of the distinct social language profiles of autistic and non-autistic girls versus boys should guide researchers and clinicians to assess autism in ways that are sensitive to sex-associated differences and develop interventions that consider the norms of youth’s target social circles.Lay Abstract Autism is often diagnosed later in girls and women as compared to boys and men. More research is needed to understand how autism presents differently in girls. This study investigates how autistic and non-autistic youth aged 6 to 15 years use social words (e.g. “friend,” “mom,” “help,” “talk”) during an interview about friends, relationships, and marriage as part of an autism diagnostic assessment. Overall, girls used more social words compared to boys and talked more about friends. Specifically, non-autistic girls used the most social words in comparison with other groups. Highly social language produced by non-autistic girls may make it especially hard for autistic girls to blend in with other girls and could lead them to engage in more camouflaging behaviors to hide their autistic characteristics. With such different average social language behavior from girls and boys, researchers should consider adapting autism assessments and interventions to support the unique needs of autistic girls. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613261417535 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=586

Short report: Autistic adults’ perceptions of gender, autism, and policing in the United States / Meredith COLA in Autism, 30-5 (May 2026)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 30-5 (May 2026) . - p.1368-1377 Titre : Short report: Autistic adults’ perceptions of gender, autism, and policing in the United States Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Meredith COLA, Auteur ; Aili HAUPTMANN, Auteur ; Alison RUSSELL, Auteur ; Dieu M. TRUONG, Auteur ; Ashlee YATES FLANAGAN, Auteur ; Kimberly G. TENA, Auteur ; Juan PACHECO, Auteur ; Ashley ZITTER, Auteur ; Azia KNOX, Auteur ; Maggie Rose PELELLA, Auteur ; Lizzy FULOP, Auteur ; Maxine COVELLO, Auteur ; Amanda LEE, Auteur ; Margaret LYONS, Auteur ; Sarah SCHILLINGER, Auteur ; Rita SOLORZANO, Auteur ; Sinan TURNACIOGLU, Auteur ; Vijay RAVINDRAN, Auteur ; Judith S. MILLER, Auteur ; Joseph P. MCCLEERY, Auteur ; Julia PARISH-MORRIS, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.1368-1377 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autism  gender diversity  law enforcement  police  policy Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Autistic individuals face increased risk during police interactions in the United States, including injury and death. Research shows police behave inequitably during interactions with marginalized communities and may behave even more inequitably toward individuals with multiple minoritized identities. Many autistic people also identify as gender diverse. However, it is largely unknown if or how autistic adults’ perceptions of police differ by gender identity. We examined autistic adults’ perceptions of policing, autism, and gender using an online questionnaire. Results revealed significant differences across gender groups (cis women, cis men, gender diverse) in perceptions of justice, comfort in disclosing diagnosis, helpfulness of diagnostic disclosure, influence of gender, and concern that one’s autistic traits would be misperceived as dangerous. These findings align with widespread calls for police reform and suggest current policing practices likely do not meet the needs of all autistic individuals, particularly autistic cis women and gender diverse individuals, who are more likely to report their gender has influenced police interactions and more concerned that their autistic characteristics are being misperceived, relative to autistic cis men. Reducing the harm marginalized groups face because of systemic inequities in the current policing system is a critical need that could enhance safety for autistic individuals.Lay abstract Autistic people in the United States are at a higher risk of injury or death when they interact with the police. Research has shown that police often treat people from minoritized communities unfairly, and this can be even worse for people who belong to more than one minoritized group, like being both autistic and gender diverse. Many autistic people also identify as gender diverse. However, we do not yet know if autistic people’s views of police may differ across gender identities. In this study, we explored how autistic adults view police and if those views differ across different gender identities. We found that autistic adults with different gender identities have different views on things like justice, how comfortable they feel telling police about their autism diagnosis, whether they think telling the police about their diagnosis would be helpful, how they think their gender affects police behavior, and whether they worry that their autistic traits might be seen as dangerous. These results may indicate that the current policing practices may not take into account autistic individuals’ unique perspectives and experiences, particularly when police are interacting with autistic women and gender diverse people. It is important that we make changes to reduce the harm that autistic people face because of unfairness in the current policing system using feedback from autistic individuals. This could make things safer for all autistic people. Our results suggest it could be beneficial for police officers to receive training that is inclusive of the gender diversity within the autistic community, so they can better protect and respect all autistic people. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613251395539 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=585 [article] Short report: Autistic adults’ perceptions of gender, autism, and policing in the United States [texte imprimé] / Meredith COLA, Auteur ; Aili HAUPTMANN, Auteur ; Alison RUSSELL, Auteur ; Dieu M. TRUONG, Auteur ; Ashlee YATES FLANAGAN, Auteur ; Kimberly G. TENA, Auteur ; Juan PACHECO, Auteur ; Ashley ZITTER, Auteur ; Azia KNOX, Auteur ; Maggie Rose PELELLA, Auteur ; Lizzy FULOP, Auteur ; Maxine COVELLO, Auteur ; Amanda LEE, Auteur ; Margaret LYONS, Auteur ; Sarah SCHILLINGER, Auteur ; Rita SOLORZANO, Auteur ; Sinan TURNACIOGLU, Auteur ; Vijay RAVINDRAN, Auteur ; Judith S. MILLER, Auteur ; Joseph P. MCCLEERY, Auteur ; Julia PARISH-MORRIS, Auteur . - p.1368-1377. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 30-5 (May 2026) . - p.1368-1377 Mots-clés : autism  gender diversity  law enforcement  police  policy Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Autistic individuals face increased risk during police interactions in the United States, including injury and death. Research shows police behave inequitably during interactions with marginalized communities and may behave even more inequitably toward individuals with multiple minoritized identities. Many autistic people also identify as gender diverse. However, it is largely unknown if or how autistic adults’ perceptions of police differ by gender identity. We examined autistic adults’ perceptions of policing, autism, and gender using an online questionnaire. Results revealed significant differences across gender groups (cis women, cis men, gender diverse) in perceptions of justice, comfort in disclosing diagnosis, helpfulness of diagnostic disclosure, influence of gender, and concern that one’s autistic traits would be misperceived as dangerous. These findings align with widespread calls for police reform and suggest current policing practices likely do not meet the needs of all autistic individuals, particularly autistic cis women and gender diverse individuals, who are more likely to report their gender has influenced police interactions and more concerned that their autistic characteristics are being misperceived, relative to autistic cis men. Reducing the harm marginalized groups face because of systemic inequities in the current policing system is a critical need that could enhance safety for autistic individuals.Lay abstract Autistic people in the United States are at a higher risk of injury or death when they interact with the police. Research has shown that police often treat people from minoritized communities unfairly, and this can be even worse for people who belong to more than one minoritized group, like being both autistic and gender diverse. Many autistic people also identify as gender diverse. However, we do not yet know if autistic people’s views of police may differ across gender identities. In this study, we explored how autistic adults view police and if those views differ across different gender identities. We found that autistic adults with different gender identities have different views on things like justice, how comfortable they feel telling police about their autism diagnosis, whether they think telling the police about their diagnosis would be helpful, how they think their gender affects police behavior, and whether they worry that their autistic traits might be seen as dangerous. These results may indicate that the current policing practices may not take into account autistic individuals’ unique perspectives and experiences, particularly when police are interacting with autistic women and gender diverse people. It is important that we make changes to reduce the harm that autistic people face because of unfairness in the current policing system using feedback from autistic individuals. This could make things safer for all autistic people. Our results suggest it could be beneficial for police officers to receive training that is inclusive of the gender diversity within the autistic community, so they can better protect and respect all autistic people. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613251395539 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=585

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