As I was posting the daily autism news feed on my blog last night, there had been an immense number of articles regarding law enforcement, correctional and judicial systems. While during my life I have only had two interactions with law enforcement, many autistic individuals are not as fortunate.

As far as my two experiences. One experience was when I called 911 during a meltdown. At the time, the small borough in which my parents reside had a small part-time force and as such the officer arrived in short order. My father, who had worked for the borough for several years, knew the officer and assisted in immediately rectifying the situation. The other experience was during a meltdown in public where my mother was at her last resort. These situations were almost twenty years ago when not everyone had a cell phone, but my mother and I did. Through a phone chain, my grandfather and my dad arrived on scene shortly after the troopers arrived and again remedied the situation.

Thus, I have never entered either the legal system or will work to be my best at not doing so. Even in 2020 when things were at their worst with my parents, they avoided dispatching law enforcement and thankfully my therapist returned the call. I do know that my therapist will not be around forever. They have many times reinforced to me the fact that we do not get “do-overs, something that I must recognize to do what is necessary to be able to do what is necessary to regulate myself so that things do not get out of control.

The statistics around autism and the justice / legal system are alarming. States are working to right the wrong in many law enforcement and justice systems. My home state of Pennsylvania is providing all realms of the law with the necessary resources to collaborate with autistic individuals. Advocacy organizations are also working on training and providing resources to both individuals and families to get them the help that they need.

However, there needs to be more done. Many states are working towards markers or envelopes on vehicles to alert law enforcement when they are approaching a potential autistic individual in the vehicle they are approaching. Courthouses are working towards making sensory friendly spaces when they are able and accommodating challenged individuals with sensory tools if they need them. The work needed is insurmountable, but in 2024, there seems to be a great amount of progress being made by many states in the nation.

Nonetheless, that does not mean that we should stop advocating for the needs of autistic individuals. We must work more at finding what works for individuals needs in the safest and most practical needs available. As time progresses, autism is becoming more common and as such we must work more diligently at finding solutions towards the accommodation of autistic individuals.

As more people throughout life are being diagnosed, the number of autistics will continue to evolve as time marches on. I was diagnosed over 25 years ago and while we have made many advancements in accommodating individuals on the spectrum, we still have leaps and bounds to go in making sure that all autistic individuals can feel comfortable and dignified living the life they choose and deserve. Making sure they are protected and validated rather than hurt or punished by misinterpretation or other actions will go a long way to aiding them in living their best life.