A Qualitative Case Study: Exploring Police Officers’ Emotional Perceptions and Encounters with Individuals with Autism
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Authors
Williams, Alana
Issue Date
2025-11
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
Criminal Justice & Public Safety , NOBLE (National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives) , Law enforcement and autism , Autism awareness training , Police preparedness for autism-related encounters
Alternative Title
Abstract
Law enforcement officers’ insufficient preparedness and lack of understanding of autism lead to challenges and misinterpretations when interacting with individuals with autism. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore law enforcement officers’ understanding of autism and their preparedness for autism-related interactions after completing Project SAFE training, as proper preparation can help reduce difficulties in such encounters. Symbolic interactionism served as the guiding theoretical framework, and structured interviews were conducted with 10 Alabama law enforcement officers who participated in Project SAFE from 2019 to 2024. I analyzed two research questions using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis. Findings for “How do police officers believe Project SAFE training helped them prepare for interactions with individuals with autism?” revealed three overarching themes: (1) Officers believed that Project SAFE enhanced their knowledge and understanding of autism-related interactions, (2) Officers believed the Project SAFE provided communication modifications for autism-related encounters, and (3) Officers believed the Project SAFE helped strengthen their preparedness for autism-related interactions. Findings for “How do police officers describe their gaps in autism knowledge before training?” revealed two overarching themes: (1) Officers’ limited knowledge about autism before training, and (2) Officers described ASD recognition, communication, and misinterpretation as deficits in their pre-training knowledge. The findings indicated that officers perceived greater understanding and awareness of autism after completing Project SAFE. They described the training as providing useful knowledge and communication strategies that improved their sense of preparedness when engaging with individuals with autism. The implications and recommendations highlighted that officers perceived autism-specific training increased preparedness by raising awareness of behavioral cues, that officers reported learning communication strategies they believed would assist in interactions, that officers lacked training on autism, and that officers perceived knowledge gaps as interconnected with a lack of training, contributing to difficulty recognizing behaviors, adjusting communication, and avoiding misinterpretations. Recommendations for practice included implementing mandatory autism training with refresher sessions, providing autism response toolkits, and conducting training evaluations to assess effectiveness and retention. Future research should evaluate how preparedness translates into real-world practice, incorporate perspectives from individuals with autism and their caregivers, and address limitations by conducting broader qualitative research. Through Project SAFE training, officers perceive themselves as more competent, patient, and empathetic when interacting with individuals with autism; these perceptions suggest that such training could benefit all officers who engage with the public.