Autism-specific emergency management for law enforcement and public service intervention

Abstract

There are several components of emergency treatment for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that are currently unresolved in our country due to the lack of a developed protocol. It includes emergency care, intervention by law enforcement, forensic tools, specific preparedness of disaster management and crisis intervention by social work. In this study, we would like to highlight the special role of law enforcement and disaster management in emergency situations and the need for coordinated practical training of these professions in addition to their preventive work. In the case of autism spectrum disorder, it is extremely difficult to establish a uniform protocol, a problem that arises from the specific nature of the condition, as its symptoms are spread across the spectrum. However, our professional recommendations are designed to enable emergency professionals to intervene quickly and effectively in two specific areas for the majority of people with autism spectrum disorder. These two major areas of emergency management of people with autism spectrum disorder requiring law enforcement and public intervention explored in more detail are: the role of emergency management in the search for missing people with ASD and the ASD-specific tasks of emergency health. Our aim is to summarise the most basic professional recommendations for those working in the field, which they can use in their daily practice.