Verbal, Visual, and Intermediary Support for Child Witnesses with Autism During Investigative Interviews.

Children were not strictly randomised to interview condition, and all children in the Registered Intermediary condition were tested last, so group differences may not be equivalent to a conventional randomised trial. The staged event was mild and the children were observers rather than active participants, so it may not resemble a real crime witness experience. All children were assessed and interviewed in familiar surroundings by staff experienced with autism, which may limit how the findings apply to ordinary police settings. In the ASD group, twelve of 71 children recalled nothing at the investigative interview, so the findings may not apply to children who give no account. For typically developing children, the amount recalled varied depending on which Registered Intermediary worked with the child, so the effect may depend on the individual intermediary.

Funding came from the Economic and Social Research Council. No author conflicts of interest are stated in the provided text.

Do not conclude that these interview supports improve recall for children with autism. For children with ASD, none of the interview conditions significantly increased correct details compared with the Best-Practice interview.