In the first in our Neurodivergence and the Law mini-series, Sarah McMahon and Dr Lauren Dempster interview Naomi Maxwell and Dr Amanda Kramer about their research on autism and policing in Northern Ireland. In the UK, more than one in 100 people are on the autism spectrum (National Autistic Society 2023). However, research shows that police can misunderstand or misinterpret the behaviour of autistic individuals, leading to suspicion, inappropriate responses, and rights violations. In this episode, Naomi and Amanda discuss the relationship between policing and autism, the methodology and findings of Naomi’s LLM Dissertation research on autism training in the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and the changes they would like to see in policy and practice.  

Further reading

Naomi Maxwell and Amanda Kramer ‘Forgotten, Outdated and Absent: PSNI Officer’s Training, Experiences, and Confidence with Autism,’ Policing and Society https://www.autismni.org/ Crane et al. 2016 'Experiences of autism spectrum disorder and policing in England and Wales: surveying police and the autism community', Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders