Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-12-2025
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to pilot a research-based autism training session for law enforcement officers (LEOs), test the Police Self-Efficacy for Autism (PSEA) scale as a measurement tool for the session and provide a preliminary examination of brief training. Design/methodology/approach
This study utilized a pre-post survey approach in which participants completed the PSEA scale pre- and post-training to measure the relationship between the training and self-efficacy scores. Findings
Results show a positive relationship between brief autism-specific training and officers’ self-efficacy scores across items and subscales. All four subscales and seven of thirteen items demonstrated statistical significance. Originality/value
Though emerging legislation requires officers to document perceived developmental disability in specific interactions (e.g. California Senate Bill 882), officers report limited knowledge regarding characteristics of developmental disabilities such as autism. This pilot effort showed the promise of brief research-based professional learning for officers using pre- and post-training evaluation on the PSEA scale.
Recommended Citation
Kaylie Holke, Meghan Cosier, Elissa Green Kaustinen, Cathy Scherer, Andrew Wall; Autism awareness training for law enforcement officers: a pilot study. Policing: An International Journal 2025; https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-02-2025-0042
Peer Reviewed
1
Copyright
The authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Included in
Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons, Other Psychology Commons, Public Administration Commons
Comments
This article was originally published in Policing: An International Journal in 2025. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-02-2025-0042