Autism and the Law Enforcement Response

Registration Deadline: April 22, 2026 

This course has been approved by ILETSB for the following Mandates:
Autism-Informed Law Enforcement Response – 2.0
Constitutional Use of LE Authority – 1.0
Crisis Intervention - 3.0
Human Rights – 1.0
De-escalation Techniques – 1.0
Officer safety techniques, including cover, concealment, and time – 1.0

Course Overview: 
Autism and the Law Enforcement Response training course will provide law enforcement personnel with a basic understanding of autism and how individuals with autism behave, communicate, and react in various situations. Furthermore, it will address high-risk and crisis incidents and provide officers with tips and strategies to defuse and deescalate the situation. Additionally, it will address how to conduct interviews involving victims, witnesses, and suspects which have autism. 

Learning Objectives: 
    Understand what autism is and how people are affected by it 
    Recognize possible signs of autism 
    Understand how autism affects people differently 
    Develop alternative ways of identifying people with autism 
    Understand the various challenges of interviewing people with autism 
    Recognize de-escalations strategies for reducing stress and anxiety in autistics
    Understand what types of crime and schemes that people with autism are more likely to become a victim  
    Recognize the importance of developing departmental policies and procedures for addressing missing person cases involving people with autism 

Topics Covered: 
    Typical law enforcement contacts 
    Crisis intervention techniques 
    Interview techniques 
    Missing persons, elopement, and wandering 
    Emergency/Involuntary Commitments 
    Arrest and restraint
    De-escalation techniques 
    Tools of disclosure 
    Available resources 

THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC MEETING