Language is a critical mediator of autistic experiences within the criminal justice system.
Caroline Larson, Inge-Marie Eigsti, Tammie Spaulding, Julia Parish-Morris
PMID 37872874WHAT IT FOUND
This commentary argues that legal language barriers harm autistic individuals in the justice system.
It recommends simpler questioning and support for communication needs but reports no clinical trials or patient outcomes.
What this paper is
This is a policy commentary arguing that language barriers significantly impact autistic individuals within the criminal justice system. It proposes general recommendations for legal professionals but reports no original data, clinical trials, or patient outcomes. There are no findings here to change clinical practice on.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat the suggested communication modifications as evidence-based interventions. The paper presents expert recommendations and theoretical arguments about legal accessibility, not tested clinical outcomes.