Arlene Mary Anderson

Hi I have not come across any research specific to your question. However, I have very recently read posts whereby parents were concerned that their ASD children were actually intolerant of children from different ethnic backgrounds. The parents were obviously fearful of racism.....although it would seem that misophonia was more likely to be the cause. The various accents and dialects may have been painful to hear alongside the loud noises in a school setting. Sorry that was anecdotal rather than conclusive! Arlene

I am frequently frustrated that even provisions and policies which are formulated to support those with a learning disability do not cover high functioning individuals. This group can easily fall through the cracks when it comes to services. With the formative years being such a crucial time in building confidence, it would be comforting (and rare) that this was recognised and prioritised by anyone in authority. Please update with any insights you gain from your critical role. I am excited to know that your position exists......and dismayed that it is the first time I have heard about the possibility!! Arlene x

Richard In that case, the candidates views on discipline could be a strong indicator of their understanding about HF ASD? Perhaps asking 'What will your discipline strategies and procedures involve/entail?' Is that helpful at alll??

Hi Richard I very much envy you right now! Obviously this sooooo important! The answer will significantly impact every pupil and parent within the school. I am giving it serious consideration. I know that when my son went through the primary school system.....there are no enhanced programmes to my knowledge in Fife.....my main concern was for his physical and emotional protection against bullying. It was torture to know he was being supervised by people who did not understand him. I assume that this is less of a concern within your establishment though? Are all staff trained in ASD?? Just letting you know that I am thinking hard for you. Arlene

Hi Jess Welcome :-). I am a newbie to the forum too. Like yourself, I had no real knowledge about ASD until having my son. The diagnosis part is the hardest as you spend so much time concentrating on/talking about the negatives. Afterwards you can focus on the positive aspects and the unique personality you can see before you :-). Hope services in your area are more speedy than in Fife!!! Arlene

Participant Information Sheet Dissertation on if individuals with high functioning autistic spectrum disorder are at risk of wrongful prosecution by police and the CJS My name is Arlene Anderson and I am conducting this research as a student in the BASS/Hons programme at Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland, UK. What is the study about? The purpose of this study is to compile information from individuals whom are not neuro-typical and have had contact with police and the CJS. The focus will be a link between negative experiences and lack of training into ASD. Why have I been approached? You have been approached because the study requires information about the experiences of those who have had contact with police and the Criminal Justice System. Do I have to take part? No. It’s completely up to you to decide whether or not you are willing to take part in the research. What will I be asked to do if I take part? If you decide you would like to take part, you would be asked about your personal experience of contact with police and the CJS. Will my data be Identifiable? The information you provide will remain anonymous. Direct quotes will be essential to the research, however data collected for this study will be stored securely and only the researchers conducting this study will have access to this data: o Audio recordings will be destroyed and/or deleted once data analysis has been completed. o Hard copies of online responses will be kept in a locked cabinet and destroyed following data analysis. o The files on the computer will not be able to be accessed by anyone else and the computer is password protected. At the end of the study, files will be deleted. o The typed version of your interview will be made anonymous by removing any identifying information including your name. Anonymised direct quotations from your interview may be used in the reports or publications from the study, so your name will not be attached to them. o Personal data will be confidential and will not be recorded alongside your interview responses. There are some limits to confidentiality: if what is said in the interview makes me think that you, or someone else, is at significant risk of harm, I will have to break confidentiality and speak to a member of staff about this. If possible, I will tell you if I have to do this. What will happen to the results? The results will be summarised and reported for the dissertation and could be submitted for publication in an academic or professional journal. Direct quotes may be used where appropriate. Are there any risks? There are no risks anticipated with participating in this study. However, if you experience any distress following participation you are encouraged to inform the researcher and contact the resources provided at the end of this sheet. This study will be reviewed and approved by the University ethical committee. Are there any benefits to taking part? Although you may find participating interesting, there are no direct benefits in taking part for the individual. Where can I obtain further information about the study if I need it? If you have any questions about the study, please contact the main researcher: Arlene Anderson, Glasgow Caledonian University. AANDER216@caledonian.ac.uk Complaints If you wish to make a complaint or raise concerns about any aspect of this study and do not want to speak to the researcher, you can contact: Bill Hughes, Professor of Sociology 0141 331 3330 w.hughes@gcu.ac.uk Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 0BA Scotland United Kingdom Thank you for taking the time to read this information sheet. Your participation in the study is greatly appreciated. Resources in the event of distress Should you feel distressed either as a result of taking part, or in the future, the following resource may be of assistance The National Autistic Society www.autism.org.uk 0808 800 4104

​Hi Everyone ​I am an autism mum and researching if individuals with ASD are at risk of wrongful conviction by the police for my 4th year dissertation. ​Police training indicates that traits such as lack of eye-contact are signs of deception, yet there have been very few studies conducted into this specific area. ​If anyone has had experience of contact with the police that they would be willing to share with me, I would be extremely grateful. It can be positive or negative, and under any circumstances. I will copy and paste my information sheet underneath here. Thank you, Arlene ​

Thankyou very much. I will have a look for that straight away.

Thankyou for your response. It is exciting to talk with like-minded people. I have considered doing a library based dissertation for the same reason. I have found that Katie Maras has done a wealth of research into autism....and conducted the only empirical study into ASD and police interrogation techniques! I find this gobsmacking!! So are you still getting over Stevie Gerrard's retirement?? lol. My son is primarily a Liverpool fan too....although I am a Celtic supporter :-). Do not judge me ok lol X

Hi. I noticed the pinned post so wanted to enquire if research is not permissable or does it depend on the subject content? I am interested for the purposes of my dissertation in anyone with AS or ASD who has had contact with law enforcement, as a victim or suspect and how they found the experience. Would this be a permitted to post as a topic?? I became interested in the consequences of the lack of public service training into ASD after my eldest son let me know that his autistic brother was taking the blame for all transgressions in the household, either on promise of 'no one will be punished, we just want the person who did it to own up' or because another sibling told him that he had done it! He was also in trouble frequently at school and the fact that he was being bullied went unnoticed for a good while. Once again, it was someone else speaking up who highlighted this :-( I am now very aware about how important the phrasing of a question can be!! However it is understandable that you may not want the support forum to become involved with research, particularly if the topic is emotive. Best wishes Arlene Anderson

That was heartbreaking to read :-(. However I am delighted that certain teachers are no longer there. The dinner hall was a huuuge issue for my son. He becomes very anxious in highly populated areas. I always gave him a packed lunch to eat wherever he chose. The school was supportive and encouraged this......right up til he turned 15.......as if this wa the cut off for understanding!!! x

Reading through your stats Chris and found them really interesting. Your data reveals that the current criteria for interpreting the AQ scores is misleading. I have never been a great believer in statistics as a diagnostic tool. Gigaday are you conducting a study or is it just for your own personal info? Arlene

Hi everyone I am new to this site. I have a 16 year old son with ASD who had a really hard time at school, but is now settled into a computing course at college. We managed to navigate the hell that is the DLA application too so have been through a fair bit ;-). I was a member of a couple of support groups on facebook which I found invaluable at times, but try to avoid facebook as much as possible lol. I have also conducted undergrad research into theories by Simon Baron-Cohen and am currently writing my dissertion...but will save that for another post. Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself and warn everyone that I have NEVER been good with technology so apologies in advance if I muck things up to begin with :-) X