Autistic PDA: Insights for the Criminal Justice System

What this episode covers

In this episode, we hear from Dr Rachel Worthington, a forensic psychologist, chartered scientist and senior lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University. Rachel has spent years working with autistic people in forensic settings and recently led two ground breaking studies into the experiences of autistic people with a PDA profile within the criminal justice system. Rachel shares why she carried out this research, what she discovered, and what changes are needed to make criminal justice environments safer and more supportive. We explore the barriers autistic PDAers face in courts, prisons, youth justice and forensic hospitals, as well as the misunderstandings that can escalate situations and lead to further trauma. With honesty and clarity, Rachel explains the study findings - from the heightened fear response PDAers experience when demands are enforced, to the lack of training among professionals - and offers recommendations for trauma-informed practice, better understanding, and multidisciplinary support. As noted by participants in this study, aggression or violence is never acceptable and no single factor (such as Autism/PDA) causes an individual to engage in aggression or violence. Rather multiple biopsychosocial factors may contribute towards this and any assessment of the causes or contributing factors for violence and/or aggression in legal and forensic settings should be undertaken by registered health professionals with extensive training and experience of supporting both AuPDA individuals and forensic clients. Deep Diver Subscriber Episodes - For those who'd like to go further, a exclusive "Deep Diver" subscriber episodes are available through our Training Hub. You can access them here: https://training.pdasociety.org.uk/pda-podcasts/ Trigger warning: This episode discusses experiences of trauma and contact with the criminal justice system, which some listeners may find distressing. If you are affected by any of the issues raised, you can reach out to our Support Service for information and guidance. Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers in this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the PDA Society. While we aim to provide balanced and inclusive discussions, individual experiences and perspectives may vary. The PDA Society is committed to using language and terminology that reflects the preferences of PDA/autistic people, but sometimes our guests may use language and terminology which differs. Appearance on our podcast is not an endorsement of an individual, and not all of our guests will align with our position on the issues discussed. Further sources of support and information: PDA Society training hub: https://training.pdasociety.org.uk/pda-podcasts/ PDA Society Website: https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/ PDA Society Training: https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/support-and-training/training/ PDA Society Support Service: https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/support-and-training/support/