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Abstract
Police officers have an increased likelihood of encountering individuals with a neurodevelopmental disorder, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Yet, many police officers report receiving little to no training on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of ASD, let alone on how interact with an autistic individual. With the lack of proper training police officers may potentially be unable to support autistic individuals and their families during a behavioral crisis. The current study evaluates the effects of current training practices on police officer’s acquisition of the skills necessary to successfully interact with autistic children engaging in behavioral outbursts. Three active-duty police officers participated in the current study. Overall, results of the current study show behavior skills training was necessary for participants to demonstrate high levels of appropriate responding and low levels of inappropriate responding during the skill sessions.