Tag Archives: autism law enforcement

autism sexual abuse

Beyond Bullying: Autism and Sexual Abuse

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autism sexual abuseI’m a petite single female working in public safety. I’m strong; I lift heavy weights six days a week, I run every other day, I do MMA workouts on the days I don’t run, and I take boxing classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I own firearms and I’m trained to properly handle them. I have an advanced alarm system, security cameras, and two giant huskies that share my residence. I’m situationally aware of my surroundings at all times.

And yet…

I receive a daily assortment of inappropriate advances from what I affectionately term as “creepers.”

I’ve also been a victim of sexual assault four times in my adult life.

You know what? It sucks. Big time. It’s not without its permanent price. So if this can happen to a strong and socially aware neurotypical female, where does that leave my beautiful 19 year-old Aspie daughter? How is she to navigate the Land of Creepers? How is she to protect herself?

Communication alone is a challenge. While I can read into seemingly “innocent” texts from my band of creepers and see there is intent (and they think I don’t! Ha!), my daughter is not so adept at underlying messages, innuendos and body language. It’s not just about someone snatching her on the streets; the reality is that she is likely to innocently get herself entangled in a bad situation by simply not picking up on social cues.

Why are they at risk?

A study done of 55,000 children showed a child with any type of intellectual disability was four times more likely to be sexually abused than a child without disabilities (Sullivan & Knutson, 2000). While no specific numbers exist for individuals with autism, research suggests that this population is extremely vulnerable.

Those on the spectrum are generally taught compliance from a very young age, making them easy targets for criminals. Combine that with difficulty picking up social cues and understanding other individuals’ intentions, and the end result is vulnerability to a range of crimes.

Hard to spot

According to Special Ed Abuse, nearly one in six autistic children have been sexually abused.

Recognizing it can be extremely challenging, as communication deficits mean that a child’s report could be unreliable. Typical signs of sexual abuse in children MAY be an autistic child’s baseline behavior. These signs include:

  • Sleep disturbances
  • Angry outbursts
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Difficulty thinking or concentrating
  • Withdrawn behavior
  • Propensity to run away

Since self-reporting of abuse or trauma by individuals with ASD may not occur, it is important that family members, caregivers, behavior support specialists, and other professionals in the child’s life receive training on potential behavioral changes that may be associated with trauma exposure so they may assist in reporting and obtaining services.

Signs of abuse that are unique to autism may include exacerbation of social anxiety, remembering or re-enactment, changes in the child’s baseline behavior, and new onset or increased self-injurious behaviors.

Also keep in mind that when encountering professionals within the criminal justice system, persons with ASD may not respond to verbal instructions, they may avoid eye contact, appear argumentative, become agitated and anxious, appear to be under the influence of narcotics, or only repeat what is being said to them. These behaviors should not be interpreted as deliberate, disrespectful or hostile.

They may also be fixated on a particular object or topic and may ask repeated questions, speak in a monotone voice with unusual pronunciations, and be honest to the point of rudeness. They may not understand the extent of the trauma they experienced, nor the expectations of assisting within the criminal justice system.

Most police departments have a Crisis Intervention Team, which staffs a psych nurse and an officer trained in psychiatric crisis management. They have many tools available to them that other officers may not. If you suspect autism, seek assistance from department assets such as a mobile crisis team or unit early on in the legal intervention, as they can help identify if the person may require special assistance from psychiatric professionals.

For more information about getting your department trained and certified in autism safety, click HERE.

autism echolalia

Autism Tips for Emergency Responders: Stop Echoing Me!

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autism echolaliaHave you ever had that one annoying sibling when you were growing up that would torture you all afternoon by repeating EVERY. SINGLE. THING. YOU. SAID? No matter what you did, you couldn’t get them to break. It was like Chinese water torture.

Whether an autistic person is verbal or nonverbal, you may encounter the same behavior on a scene… from an adult. You ask them for their name, some ID, and other typical questions, and all you get back are echoes of what you’re asking. What’s your first reaction? “This smart *** is being non-compliant! WTH!”

I assure you, even if you witnessed them speaking in complete sentences prior to your standard questioning, the anxiety and distress an autistic person experiences during an encounter with public safety can result in the loss of their ability to articulate at all.

It may appear that they are being disrespectful but they are NOT. They are trying to communicate the only way they know how. It’s called echolalia.

What Exactly is Echolalia?

Echolalia is the repetition of phrases, words or parts of words.  Naturally, younger children, while learning to talk, will “parrot” what they hear as part of the process. That’s not what I’m referring to.

There are two types of echolalia. You may be on scene with a teen or adult that is repeating back everything you are asking them instead of giving you direct answers. This is called “Immediate Echolalia.” For example, if you say, “Do you have any ID?” the person may immediately reply with, “Do you have any ID?” It will typically be in the same tone and inflection that you used.

By repeating back words, the person is actually demonstrating that they can hear you accurately, but may not immediately comprehend what you are saying.

According to friendshipcircle.org, some adults with autism explain that immediate echolalia is a way of communicating, “I heard what you said, and I’m still processing it.”  Immediate echolalia is an attempt to remain in a conversation and give an on-topic answer, before the meaning of the conversation is fully grasped.

How do you support increased comprehension? Use visual aids, and involve as many senses as possible, but be careful not to overload them with too much sensory input. Also be aware that if you are offering two choices and the person verbalizes the second choice, they may be REPEATING the last thing you said, not actually answering your question or making the choice.

Delayed Echolalia

Back to the scene, you may ask, “Do you have any ID?” and the person may respond, “Cheeseburger,” or a punchline from a joke or TV show. This is called “Delayed Echolalia.” A person with autism typically likes to memorize and recite catch phrases, verses, portions of historical speeches, or funny scenes from their favorite commercial or movie. Unlike a neurotypical person that will retrieve a funny one-liner from a movie and throw it out for humorous effect in context, delayed echolalia will rarely be relevant to the conversation at all.

My son seems to have a new catch phrase almost monthly. We’ll be walking the dogs together and a neighbor will wave and say, “How are you?” My son might reply, “I am a person.” because that’s what he’s been saying all month, regardless of what the conversation entails. It will be his answer to everything until he finds a new catch phrase to repeat.

You should hear the variety of responses we get to that ;)

Sometimes delayed echolalia occurs because it’s calming the person’s nervous system, a form of self-stimulatory behavior. Typically, however, it stems from wanting to participate in conversation but being unable to fully understand the content of what’s being discussed. 

As easy as it is to assume non-compliance, it’s critical to realize that both versions of echolalia represent a desire for inclusion in conversation.

Share in the comments below if you’ve experienced echolalia with anyone before!