Managing Autism Encounters in
Emergency and Crisis Situations

Key Points

  • Police and first responders such as security guards, fire and rescue personnel (bomba) and RELA personnel should understand and recognise signs of autism to improve interactions and prevent misunderstandings.
  • Everyone with autism is unique; you can’t always tell if someone is autistic. Consider autism if someone behaves unusually, as many are undiagnosed or choose not to disclose it.
  • Use simple language, give extra response time, avoid sudden movements and loud noises, and maintain a calm environment.
  • Prepare individuals with autism for encounters with police or first responders in different situations. Examples include encounters with shopping mall security guards, or in situations where police respond to calls about suspicious or aggressive behaviour.
  • It takes a community to ensure the safety of individuals with autism.

Autistic individuals, like everyone else, may encounter police, first responders or other uniformed authorities in various situations. Examples include encounters with shopping mall security guards, during police traffic checks, or in situations where police respond to calls about suspicious or aggressive behaviour.

It’s important that police and other first responders understand autism to handle situations calmly and effectively. Standard protocols may not always work well for autistic individuals, leading to misunderstandings. However, with proper knowledge, they can better support autistic individuals.

This section will explore how autistic individuals, families/caregivers, community members, police and other first responders can protect the safety of autistic individuals during such encounters.

For Police, First Responders, and Uniformed Authorities
For Autistic individuals, Families and Caregivers

Tips for Police, First Responders, and Uniformed Authorities

Recognising Signs of Autism

Teaching first responders to recognize signs of autism can help prevent unfortunate situations. For example, in 2018, Ahmad Ziqri, a 22-year-old autistic man, was arrested and detained for allegedly molesting a woman in Subang Jaya.

The Ziqri case was a landmark case in Malaysia for how the police and criminal justice system handled individuals with autism. Following this incident, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) launched a Standard Operating Procedure for the Arrest and Detention of Autistic Persons in 2019 (“Autisme: Garis Panduan Polis Diraja Malaysia”).

Every autistic person is unique, and it may not always be easy to tell if someone is autistic just by looking. Many autistic individuals do not have a formal diagnosis or may not know they are autistic. Others might choose not to disclose their condition. However, if someone is behaving or responding in an unusual way, it is important to consider that they might be autistic

All police officers and first-responders (e.g. security guards, fire and rescue personnel (bomba) and RELA) should ideally be trained to recognise the behavioural symptoms and characteristics of a child or adult who has autism and learn basic response techniques to better support autistic individuals.

A person with autism may display the following characteristics:

Communication Challenges

  • Appear to be struggling to understand you
  • Not respond to their name or verbal commands.
  • Not be able to communicate what they need/want

Safety and Awareness Issues

  • Impaired sense of danger.
  • Tendency to wander towards water, traffic, or other hazards.
  • Overwhelmed by the presence of police or other first responders.
  • May not respond to commands like “stop.”
  • Seem not to realise the consequences of what they may have done.

Reactions and Behaviours

  • Fear of uniforms (e.g. police uniform)
  • Be curious about and reach for objects like badges or handcuffs.
  • Engage in repetitive behaviours like rocking, hand flapping, or spinning.
  • Make unusual or repetitive sounds/words/sentences.
  • Repeat what you or another person says.
  • Appear unusually anxious, agitated or scared.
  • Emotional meltdown – may exhibit uncontrollable crying or pacing.
  • Avoid eye contact, or appear disinterested, blunt expression.
  • Engage in repetitive behaviours (stimming) like rocking, hand flapping, or spinning.
  • Emotional meltdown – may involve uncontrollable crying, pacing, or freezing, such as crouching down and staying still.

Sensory and Health Issues

  • Show sensitivity to sound, light or touch (e.g. flashing lights, sirens, loud and/or high-pitched voices etc)
  • May have fits or tics (unusual and repetitive body or limb movements)

Listen to the podcast “Police SOPS For Individuals With Autism”

Dos and Don’ts when interacting with a person with autism

DO

Maintain a Calm Environment

  • Keep the situation calm.
  • Turn off sirens or flashing lights if possible.
  • Avoid sudden movements or loud noises.
  • Avoid shining strong lights such as torches towards the autistic individual.
  • Check for injuries gently. Autistic individuals may not be aware of injuries due to sensory differences.

Clear Communication

  • Clearly explain what is happening and why. If moving the person, explain where and why.
  • Use visual aids like drawings or photos. If they can read, provide written information. Autistic individuals often understand visual information better than spoken words.
  • Check with them which name they prefer to be called. Use their name at the start of each sentence.
    Give clear, slow instructions, e.g., “Ahmad, please get out of the car.”
  • Use clear, simple language: short, active sentences and step-by-step instructions.
  • Ask direct, clear questions focused on one thing at a time.
  • Allow extra time for responses. They may need extra time to process what you’ve said.

Understanding and Support

  • Be aware that your behaviour or language may confuse them, just as their behaviour may seem unusual to you.

  • Seek help from parents or others at the scene on how to communicate and calm the person.

DON’T

Don’t Interfere with Self-Calming Behaviours

  • Don’t stop the autistic person from flapping, rocking, or making repetitive movements. These actions help them stay calm. 

  • Don’t take away items they are holding for comfort, like a rubber band or paper, unless necessary.
    This can increase their anxiety and distress

Personal Space and Sensitivities

  • Don’t touch the autistic person or use handcuffs unless the situation is dangerous. Maintain an appropriate distance and provide a safe space. They may react with extreme agitation due to sensitivity.

  • Don’t be alarmed if the autistic person gets too close or is very distant. Autistic people may not understand personal space and might invade yours or need more of their own.

Communicate Clearly and Patiently

  • Don’t raise your voice.
  • Don’t use sarcasm, figures of speech, or irony. Autistic individuals may take things literally, leading to misunderstandings. For example, say “sit down”, not “take a seat”.
  • Don’t misinterpret no response as refusal to cooperate. Increasing your demand could escalate the situation.
  • Don’t see avoiding eye contact as rudeness or suspicion.
  • Don’t assume repeating your words is rude or insolent. It could be echolalia (repetition of words), so check if they understood the question.

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