Date of Submission

5-20-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Criminal Justice

Advisor

Danielle T. Cooper, Ph.D.

Keywords

Autism Spectrum Disorder, Policing Youth, Applied Behavior Analysis, Policy Reform

LCSH

Youth with autism spectrum disorders, Youth with autism spectrum disorders--Behavior modification, Police reform

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder affects nearly 2% (1 in every 36) of children in the United States, yet few resources exist to aid police officers in effective communication and interaction with this portion of youth. This study surveyed behavior analysts’ recommendations for police regarding how they can better interact with youth with autism spectrum disorder based on their knowledge, experiences, and opinions. The research surveyed behavior analysts initially in Massachusetts, then throughout the United States, on how police interact with youth with autism, with the intent to propose possible improvements. Quantitative analyses of the closed-ended questions were conducted to examine familiarity, experience, and recommendations. The behavior analysts showed higher familiarity with individuals with autism and low familiarity with the policies and practices in place for the policing of individuals with autism. The majority of behavior analysts indicated both personal and professional experience with individuals with autism. However, the behavior analysts had a moderate to low number of interactions with the police in professional and personal contexts. Significance was found for some response types based on the level of presented harm. A content analysis was also conducted on open-ended questions regarding recommendations for police. The open-ended responses provided additional recommendations for police regarding de-escalation of behavior depending on the level of presented harm. Findings from the study amplified the voices of experts in Applied Behavior Analysis on future police policies regarding interactions with youth with autism.

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