Journal article
Short report: Autistic adults’ perceptions of gender, autism, and policing in the United States
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, v 30(5), pp 1368-1377
01 May 2026
PMID: 41403374
Abstract
Autistic individuals face increased risk during police interactions in the United States, including injury and death. Research shows police behave inequitably during interactions with marginalized communities and may behave even more inequitably toward individuals with multiple minoritized identities. Many autistic people also identify as gender diverse. However, it is largely unknown if or how autistic adults’ perceptions of police differ by gender identity. We examined autistic adults’ perceptions of policing, autism, and gender using an online questionnaire. Results revealed significant differences across gender groups (cis women, cis men, gender diverse) in perceptions of justice, comfort in disclosing diagnosis, helpfulness of diagnostic disclosure, influence of gender, and concern that one’s autistic traits would be misperceived as dangerous. These findings align with widespread calls for police reform and suggest current policing practices likely do not meet the needs of all autistic individuals, particularly autistic cis women and gender diverse individuals, who are more likely to report their gender has influenced police interactions and more concerned that their autistic characteristics are being misperceived, relative to autistic cis men. Reducing the harm marginalized groups face because of systemic inequities in the current policing system is a critical need that could enhance safety for autistic individuals.
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Details
- Title
- Short report: Autistic adults’ perceptions of gender, autism, and policing in the United States
- Creators
- Meredith Cola - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaAili Hauptmann - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaAlison Russell - University of North Carolina at Chapel HillDieu M. Truong - Sam Houston State UniversityAshlee Yates Flanagan - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaKimberly G. Tena - University of South CarolinaJuan Pacheco - Saint Joseph's UniversityAshley Zitter - Drexel University, United StatesAzia Knox - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaMaggie Rose Pelella - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaLizzy Fulop - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaMaxine Covello - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaAmanda Lee - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaMargaret Lyons - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaSarah Schillinger - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaRita Solórzano - Floreo, Inc., United StatesSinan Turnacioglu - Floreo, Inc., United StatesVijay Ravindran - Floreo, Inc., United StatesJudith S. Miller - Center for Autism and Related DisordersJoseph P. McCleery - Saint Joseph’s University, United StatesJulia Parish-Morris - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- Publication Details
- Autism : the international journal of research and practice, v 30(5), pp 1368-1377
- Number of pages
- 10
- Grant note
- National Institutes of Health (http://data.elsevier.com/vocabulary/SciValFunders/100000002) McMorris Family Foundation P50HD105354 / Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (http://data.elsevier.com/vocabulary/SciValFunders/100007857) R42MH115539 / National Institutes of Health (100000002) Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (http://data.elsevier.com/vocabulary/SciValFunders/100006458) Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (http://data.elsevier.com/vocabulary/SciValFunders/100007857)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology)
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001640579600001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105025001518
- Other Identifier
- 991022180702104721
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Psychology, Developmental