In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between first responders and autistic people. Some jurisdictions allow autistic drivers to ask for a blue envelope to disclose the driver's diagnosis in case of an accident or traffic stop. Others have ID cards.
A product of ASD socio-communicative-deficits and insufficient police training related to autism, ASD-police interactions have the potential to become problematic, with negative outcomes for ASD individuals and police alike. Thus, the combination of police acclimation, simulatory experience for drivers with ASD and the introduction of Connecticut’s recent Blue Envelope could improve overall experiences for drivers. A simulated routine traffic stop practice event, utilising pre- and post- measures was conducted in an effort to quantify drivers’ feelings about current and future interactions with police. Our prediction that participants would experience a statistically significant improvement in anxiety, comfort and self-perceived knowledge levels about future ASD-police interactions immediately following the intervention was confirmed. Our prediction that initially significant disparities between participants with and without police experience – those with previous police encounters versus those that don’t - would become not significant immediately following the intervention was disconfirmed. While the longitudinal data suggested that improved post-intervention ASD psychological measures remained statistically significant in the long-term, the sample responses to our long-term questionnaire were too few in number to make any definitive conclusions. It is suggested that practice traffic stops such as these could benefit both drivers with ASD and law enforcement nationwide. It is further suggested that police officer curriculums should include additional training regarding special populations.
Progressing the Blue Envelope Protocol
In recent years, the Blue Envelope program has continued to grow, partially helped by the running of these traffic stop practice interventions. Widespread progress has been made throughout the United States when it comes to the protection of ASD drivers and implementing appropriate, thorough police training. However, such efforts have not been united, but implemented on a seemingly state-by-state basis. The Blue Envelope provides a tool that can be standardized and universally used across the nation. With pre-existing state motor vehicle departments, the critical infrastructure required for the mass distribution of the blue envelopes is already in place. A crucial step towards bettering the safety of ASD individuals on the road, a national availability would ensure consistent support to this special group, regardless of place of residence. The national expansion of the program would voice the importance of inclusivity and accessibility to ASD individuals around the United States, emphasising that their ability to participate and enjoy in life’s activities is just as important as anyone else’s, reducing stigmatisation towards ASD persons.
Expanding Police Training
Fundamentally, the maximal efficacy of the Blue Envelope will only be achieved if police are properly trained to understand its utility for ASD drivers and what socio-communicative-cognitive deficits have the potential to complicate ASD driver-police interactions. The voluminous number of horrific ASD-police incidents illuminate the inadequate training law enforcement has previously received (Soares et al., 2019; Hepworth, 2017).
For better ASD-police outcomes, police officers need to undergo training that increases their understandings of the ASD population and provides them with strategies that are likely to result in successful interactions with this population. When police arrive on the scene, their presence can sometimes escalate an already tense environment. It is imperative that the time allocations of police training program are proportionally reallocated to address the disproportionate problems vulnerable populations face, as the present “exposure of trainees to the particular needs of persons with ASD is limited” (Osborn, 2008, p.372). While over half of law enforcement officers had responded to a call involving an individual with ASD within the last year, over 70% of officers reported they had received “no formal training in ASD” (Gardner et al., 2019, p.1278). Ultimately, the creation of a national ASD-related police curriculum, one that is constantly reviewed and updated, would be incredibly beneficial to state governed police training protocols. Police officers have shown a willingness to learn about this issue (Swan & Perepa, 2019), it is time we put in place the appropriate framework for that to be made possible.
Simulation Opportunities
With high rates of ASD-police issues, it is important drivers are doing what they can to limit the likelihood of an unpleasant police engagement. Subsequently, programs such as the practice traffic stop intervention that was facilitated and referenced herein should be universally accessible, with routine simulation experiences run across the country. The psychological improvements observed suggest that the event we ran would be immensely beneficial to the larger ASD driving community. If drivers across the country were able to participate in events such as this, it is highly probable that similar positive outcomes would be yielded on a larger scale, whereby improving positive outcomes for all those involved, drivers and law enforcement alike (Gammicchia & Johnson, n.d.). Effective implementation of these practices provides vast opportunities for all.
