Educating gardaí about autism: ‘It’s not a temper tantrum’

Most gardaí, like most of the population, have a reasonable awareness of autism but know little about how it feels to have autism.

That is changing with the introduction of the first garda training programme in understanding the condition.

The classes, for diversity liaison officers, are part of a course of diversity training being rolled out across the State, which also includes modules on LGBT awareness, and issues around mental health and intellectual disabilities.

Courses have run in Waterford and Galway, with the first in Dublin delivered in Clondalkin Garda station last week. Further courses are coming up in Pearse Street and Store Street in coming weeks.

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While there is no autism-registry in Ireland, reports say it affects between one in 65 and one in 100 of the population.

"It affects a lot of people in a lot of different ways," explains Adam Harris, of the AsIAm autism advocacy and support organisation.

Invisible disability

Delivering the autism training in Clondalkin this week, he said it could be a mild or profound disability where the person’s brain develops differently – not more or less, but differently – to others’. An invisible disability, it can give rise to behaviours that cause misunderstanding. People may see these as confrontational or even suspicious.

“This can lead people with autism to isolate themselves, and become vulnerable,” says Harris.

“While most people can be oblivious to surrounding sensory information, like sounds, lights, smells, someone with autism can become overwhelmed by them, and unable to manage all the information their brain is getting.

“They can become distressed, agitated and can experience what we call a ‘meltdown’. It’s not something the person with autism willingly does. It’s not a temper tantrum,” says Harris.

While many people’s instinct may be to step in and comfort or restrain a person experiencing “meltdown”, Harris warns this could escalate their distress as they may be hyper-sensitive to touch. “A pat on the shoulder can feel like a punch.” The best thing to do is step back and let the meltdown run its course, he says, and if possible reduce sounds and glaring lights.

In one exercise, Harris asks Inspector Ken McLaughlin to trace with a pencil three simple shapes – a star, a square and a triangle. However, his task is to do this, viewing the shapes through a periscope and wearing glasses with screen-wipers. Harris adds strobe lights for added distraction.

‘Powerless’

After making a bit of a mess of it, Insp Mc Laughlin takes off the glasses. “You know you’re doing it wrong. You’re trying to pull your hand back, but you feel powerless. You can’t do what you want to do.”

Harris nods, saying: “It’s an example of how something so simple can be such an overwhelming challenge when your senses are overloaded.”

In an hour-long class, Harris also explains the need many people with autism have for rigid routine – which for example could lead them to become very agitated if the ticket-barrier they usually use at a train station is closed.

One misunderstood behaviour, he tells the officers, is “stimming” – where the person engages in a repetitive behaviour, such as pacing, flapping their hands, jumping on the spot – to calm themselves.

“The person needs to be able to stim to cope. They’re not drunk or on drugs,” says Harris.

Ireland is becoming “more diverse all the time”, says Sgt Dave McInerney, head of the Garda Diversity Office which is running these classes. “With that come increasingly diverse situations and possible scenarios.

“More and more gardaí are not just law enforcers, but have to be advocates for vulnerable people. Training like this is about supporting training our gardaí to be aware. If someone is acting strangely or aggressively, slow down, pull back and consider what else might be going on.”