Evaluation of a Screening Instrument for Autism Spectrum Disorders in Prisoners

Robinson, Louise; Spencer, Michael D.; Thomson, Lindsay; Stanfield, Andrew C.; Owens, David C.; Hall, Jérémy; Johnstone, Eve C.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0036078

Cited by 65 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Other studies have sought to obtain information on ASD using prison staff as informants (Robinson et al 2012) or self-rating screening tools (Fazio et al, 2012). These studies have tended to find lower rates of ASD traits than the current study.…”

Section: Limitations and Strengthsmentioning

confidence: 77%

Autism spectrum disorder traits among prisoners

et al. 2016

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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) traits among prisoners. The authors tested the hypotheses that ASD traits would: be continuously distributed among prisoners; be unrecognised by prison staff; and predict whether a prisoner met diagnostic criteria for ASD. Design/methodology/approach – ASD traits were measured among 240 prisoners in a male prison in London, UK using the 20-item Autism Quotient (AQ-20). Further diagnostic assessment was carried out using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. Results were compared with ASD data from the 2007 Psychiatric Morbidity Survey. Findings – There were 39 participants with an AQ-20 score=10; indicating significant autistic traits. The distribution of ASD traits among participants appeared to be normal and was not significantly higher than the rate found in a population-based sample from England. Originality/value – Few studies have explored ASD traits among prisoners. The authors identified high levels of unrecognised ASD traits among a group of male prisoners, many of whom went on to meet diagnostic criteria for ASD. The study highlights the need for specialist assessment within the criminal justice system for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders including ASD. The authors discuss the process of carrying out an ASD assessment project in a prison.

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Section: Limitations and Strengthsmentioning

confidence: 77%

Autism spectrum disorder traits among prisoners

et al. 2016

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“…In fact, the prevalence rate of ASDs in prisons is unknown (Robinson et al, 2012). The social and physical constraints of the prison environment can result in numerous problems for inmates with ASDs.…”

Section: Individuals With Asd's Experience Within Prison Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Their review only identified four articles. One study involved an evaluation of a screening tool for individuals with ASDs in prisons (Robinson et al, 2012), so was not focused on the experience of individuals with ASD in the prison environment. One investigated the knowledge of ASD among prison staff (McAdam, 2009).…”

Section: Individuals With Asd's Experience Within Prison Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of prison inmates with autism spectrum disorders and the knowledge and understanding of the spectrum amongst prison staff: a review

Allely

2015

Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour

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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the research which has examined the link between autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and offending behaviour and the impact of prison on individuals with ASDs. Studies suggest that inmates with ASDs may be at an increased risk of bullying, confrontations, exploitation, anxiety and social isolation as a result of their ASD traits such as obsessions, social naivety and impaired empathy. Design/methodology/approach – An extensive review of the literature. Findings – The review identifies a modest amount of studies (n=4) which have explored the experience of individuals with ASD in prison and highlights that inmates with ASDs face a multitude of problems when they enter prison. Despite an extensive literature search only one study was identified which investigated the knowledge and understanding of ASDs amongst prison staff. Research limitations/implications – Further research is urgently needed to consider the specific problems faced by inmates with ASD, to identify how to make the prison environment safer and more supportive for inmates with ASD and how to reduce the likelihood of re-offending. Practical implications – This review highlights that, to date, there has been relatively little to guide service design in order to develop support services for individuals with ASD in prison. There has been a scarcity of studies investigating the effectiveness of various treatment models to target offending behaviour in individuals with ASD. Originality/value – This paper fulfils an identified need to study and identify the specific problems faced by inmates with ASD and to identify changes which are required to provide an environment in prison which is safer and more supportive.

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“…Robinson et al . () reported that there was no evidence to suggest that ASD was over‐represented in the Scottish prison population, whereas a screening study in a North American maximum security prison ( n = 431) reported a rate of 4.4% (four times greater than in the general population) (Fazio et al . ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Characteristics of prisoners with neurodevelopmental disorders and difficulties

McCarthy

Chaplin

Underwood

et al. 2015

J intellect Disabil Res

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BackgroundPrevious studies have found high rates of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual Disability (ID) within the criminal justice system (CJS). However, little is understood about prisoners with neurodevelopmental disorders and difficulties (NDD) or their needs. This study aimed to identify prisoners with NDD and compare their characteristics with prisoners without NDD on a range of socio-demographic and social functioning measures. MethodThis was a descriptive, cross-sectional study carried out using face-to-face interviews with 240 participants in a London Category C prison. Standardised tools were used to assess prisoners for ADHD, ASD and ID. ResultsThe study identified 87 prisoners who screened positive for one or more type of NDD. Participants with NDD were significantly younger and more likely to be single (OR=2.1), homeless (OR=3.4) or unemployed (OR=2.6) before they came into prison. They also had poorer educational achievements that those without NDD. Over 80% of those with NDD had a previous conviction or imprisonment. ConclusionsThe findings confirm the presence of significant numbers of people with NDD in a male prison.Services across the CJS are required for this group; specifically there is a need for raised awareness among those working in the CJS to improve the recognition of offenders with NDD. Services in the community need to work with individual with NDD who are at risk of offending; targeting those who are homeless, unemployed and have poor employment opportunities.

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Evaluation of a Screening Instrument for Autism Spectrum Disorders in Prisoners

Cited by 65 publications

References 24 publications

Autism spectrum disorder traits among prisoners

Autism spectrum disorder traits among prisoners

Experiences of prison inmates with autism spectrum disorders and the knowledge and understanding of the spectrum amongst prison staff: a review

Characteristics of prisoners with neurodevelopmental disorders and difficulties

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