TORONTO - An Ontario-based study says that roughly one in six people with autism had at least one interaction with police over an 18-month period.
And while criminal charges were laid in only two incidents involving study participants, police intervention was reported to increase distress in about one third of the cases.
The study, a collaboration between Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and York University, surveyed the caregivers of 284 Ontario teens and adults.
The caregivers reported police interactions for 46 people, or about 16 per cent.
The study says that in nearly one in five cases, the person ended up in physical restraints. In nearly one in three, the person was escorted to an emergency department.
Researchers note the study may be limited in that its sample may not be representative of all individuals with autism and their families, but say it suggests a need for police training on the range of behaviours people with autism can exhibit.
