This study uses a qualitative methodological approach to investigate the experiences that autistic adults have when encountering police personnel. An anonymous, online, semi-structured survey asking open-ended questions about individual experience was used, and the data were analysed thematically. Although only five participants comprised the final sample, the findings illustrate how – despite differences in types of interaction and police contact – similar experiences were reported. Almost all participants reported experiencing a negative interaction with police, coupled with a limited understanding of the events surrounding their encounter. Four participants experienced some form of being stopped and questioned. This study aims to examine alternative perspectives, as previous research has focused on criminal justice personnel perspectives rather than autistic perspectives. This is one of a few qualitative Australian studies to seek individualised experiences from a community-based sample. Sampling and recruitment strategies need revision to attain a larger number of surveys in future research.

本研究使用定性方法来调查自闭症成年人在遇到警察时的经历。使用了一项匿名、在线、半结构化的调查，询问有关个人经历的开放式问题，并对数据进行主题分析。尽管最终样本中只有五名参与者，但调查结果说明了尽管互动类型和警察接触方式存在差异，但如何报告了类似的经历。几乎所有参与者都报告说与警察发生了负面互动，同时对他们遭遇的事件了解有限。四名参与者经历了某种形式的被阻止和询问。本研究旨在检验替代观点，因为以前的研究集中在刑事司法人员的观点而不是自闭症的观点。这是澳大利亚为数不多的从社区样本中寻求个性化体验的定性研究之一。抽样和招聘策略需要修改，以便在未来的研究中获得更多的调查。