An Important Contribution to Understanding Autobiographical and Eyewitness Memory in Those with ASD and the Unique Legal Challenges They Present This book offers an in-depth discussion of how autobiographical and eyewitness memory operate in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and provides unique insights into current challenges faced by legal professionals, forensic psychologists, clinicians, and others who extend services to those with ASD. Throughout the book, authors demonstrate why a nuanced understanding of autobiographical and eyewitness memory is required when assessing individuals with ASD, given the developmental, social, and cognitive deficits at play. Authors review current legal services and structures, and explore ideas on whether and how modifications can be made to meet the needs of all individuals who seek and deserve justice, including individuals with ASD. The Wiley Handbook of Memory, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and the Law is sure to spark debate within the mental health and legal communities, while advancing knowledge on the role of key clinical features of ASD in autobiographical and eyewitness memory. The book is distinct in its exploration of ways in which the legal system, with its formal yet inherently social infrastructure and regulated due process demands, should offer services to those with ASD. Of note, authors question if current policies and practices, such as reliance on interviewing protocols standardized for typically developing individuals, are adequate. The book is divided into three sections with the first providing a discussion of theoretical viewpoints on how memory functions in those with and without ASD, and providing a specialized consideration of developmental issues. A second section reviews empirical evidence, followed by a third and final section addressing legal and clinical considerations, including techniques for interviewing individuals with ASD. The first book offering an expert, science-based review of autobiographical and eyewitness memory research on those with ASD and the associated legal challenges Provides thought-provoking, informative, often debated observations on memory in ASD from an international team of experts Offers summaries of what is known about memory abilities in those with ASD as well as what is left unknown that future researchers will need to address and that legal professionals should consider. A book that does much to advance the research frontier in the study of memory in ASD and application to the legal system, The Wiley Handbook of Memory, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and the Law is important reading for academic researchers, clinicians, judges, jurors, law enforcement officials, and public policy makers alike.

This book addresses an important and relatively neglected topic in the scientific literature: individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have dealings with the legal system. It examines issues and implications for autistic people, who have a significant risk for engagement with the legal system in some capacity (e.g., witness/bystander, victim, or perpetrator). Key areas of coverage include: Autistic people as victims and perpetrators of criminal activities, including violence, stalking, sexual exploitation, and cybercrime. Risks for unlawful behavior in individuals with autism and Asperger's. Legal assessment issues, such as witness protection and postconviction diagnoses. Legal outcomes for autistic people, including case law, prevention, service provisions in correctional settings, and rights and support systems. The Handbook of Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Law is an essential, comprehensive resource that explores the risk for unlawful behaviors affecting autistitc people as victims and perpetrators, as well as related issues of assessment and treatment, and outcome. It is a must-have reference for researchers, clinicians/practitioners, and graduate students in psychology, psychiatry, social work, and law, as well as professionals in such related fields, as criminology/criminal justice and the legal system.

This book focuses on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the criminal justice system. Rather than being the perpetrators of offending behaviour, individuals with ASD are more likely to be the victims of crime. However, there is nevertheless a small subset of individuals with ASD who do offend, and this book provides an in-depth understanding of how certain features of ASD may provide the context of vulnerability to engaging in a number of types of offending behaviours. Chapters focus on arson or fire-setting; cybercrime (e.g., hacking); online sexual offending such as the viewing of indecent child imagery; offline sexual offending; violent crime; stalking; terroristic behaviour (including radicalisation and extremism); bestiality or zoophilia; and also extreme violence such as mass shooting and serial homicide. This book also outlines the ways in which a defendant with ASD may present in court and how they may exhibit behaviour which could be misinterpreted and perceived negatively, leading to an unfair trial. Lastly, it discusses the need to identify the impact that ASD can have on the capacity to form the requisite criminal intent and offers appropriate court adaptions to support individuals with ASD during court proceedings. This book is ideal for criminal defence lawyers and practitioners in psychology, psychiatry, and social work as well as policy makers and reformers.

"In the Oxford Handbook of Developmental Psychology and the Law, eminent scholars from varied disciplines detail how developmental science and the law shape one another across the lifespan. The chapters address fundamental questions about how human development influences laws and practices in the legal system and how the law and its practices influence development. The chapters, as well, reveal how the potential for, and consequences of, victimization and perpetration-whether they be criminal or civil acts-are impacted by and impact development. The diversity of topics, range of influences across the lifespan, and complexities of developmental and legal influences are on display throughout the volume. In Section I, which spanned Infancy and Childhood to Adolescence, authors covered such topics as prenatal and infant abuse; the development of antisocial behavior in children and adolescents; questioning of minor victims, witnesses, and suspects; treatment of youth in juvenile, criminal, and specialty courts but also in immigration, custody, and adoption hearings, and finally in schools and prisons. In Section II, which spanned Adulthood to Aging, authors addressed some of the same topics, but here from the perspective of younger and older adults. These include antisocial behavior in adults, the experiences of elder adults as victim/witnesses, and experiences in prison, especially among parents and the elderly. Other topics were covered as well, including persons with developmental disabilities involvement in the courts, reentry transitions after incarceration, and reproductive and end-of-life legal rights. Across this comprehensive volume, authors demonstrate the immense value of research for policy and practice and viewing legal involvement through the lens of lifespan development"--

Working with Autistic People in the Criminal Justice and Forensic Mental Health Systems: A Handbook for Practitioners is the first book to focus specifically on best practice for working with autistic people in criminal justice and forensic mental health settings. Integrating current theory, research, and clinical practice, this book provides a practical guide for multidisciplinary practitioners working with autistic people who have offended, at all stages in their pathway, regardless of the nature of offending. The book draws together contributions from leading scholarly and clinical experts in the field of autism and forensic issues as well as the views of autistic people under the care of forensic services. Each chapter focuses on understanding the impact of autism throughout the criminal justice and forensic mental health system pathways, including how these systems are experienced by autistic people and their families and carers. Case studies and practical approaches are provided to demonstrate the application of best practice to working with autistic people in secure settings. This book appeals to a wide audience within the fields of psychology, psychiatry, nursing, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, as well as criminal justice staff (e.g., prison and probation), and will be the first of its kind to amalgamate theory, research, and practice in the area of autism and offending.

This collection presents a summary of current knowledge regarding autistic suspects, defendants and offenders in the criminal justice system of England and Wales. The volume examines the interaction between each stage of the criminal justice process and autistic individuals accused or convicted of crime, considering the problems, strengths and possibilities for improving the system to better accommodate the needs of this vulnerable category of neurodiverse individuals. By explicating the core issues in this important but disparate area of study in a single place, the collection facilitates understanding of and engagement with knowledge for a wider audience of relevant stakeholders, including criminal justice practitioners, policy makers, academics and clinicians. It also incorporates key recommendations for improvement, thereby clarifying the urgent need for substantive change in policies and practices. The ultimate goal is to both improve the treatment and experience of autistic people subjected to criminal justice processes; and produce fairer, more appropriate systemic outcomes. While focused on the criminal justice system of England and Wales, the work will be valuable for researchers and policy makers working in similar systems, as well as those interested in neurodiversity more generally.

Autism is in the public spotlight now more than ever as new research and information appears almost daily. Although in many ways this is a positive development it also presents challenges to families and practitioners who want to keep up with the latest developments and are left to sift through new information by themselves to see what is credible and relevant for them.Each of us needs a personal research assistant who can determine which information we need to pay attention to and let us know how it might affect our daily work and the children we are living with or serve. Since we each don’t have our own research assistants on staff, I am delighted to recommend this wonderful book by Fred Volkmar and Lisa Wiesner. Both of these talented professional leaders have combined their scientific skills and understanding of the field with great practical experience and ideas about how research can be translated into clinical practice. The result is a book that provides the best and most comprehensive information about recent scientific developments and a splendid practical guide for how they are being implemented and what we are learning in the process. The issues are presented in all of their complexity but translated into language that is clear, direct, and easy to follow. The format also lends itself to understanding the complex issues and their implications through excellent charts, question and answer sections, and chapters that vary from describing diagnostic issues to stating very specifically how to expand and evaluate the services one is receiving. The comprehensive references and lists of additional resources also add greatly to the overall package. As a professional dedicated to understanding scientific advances and helping families and teachers to utilize them most effectively, I am very pleased to have an ally like this book available. I am very grateful to the authors for providing a very credible, practical, and relevant addition to our field to help the many advocates and family practitioners to better understand the exciting new developments and how they can be implemented in our day to day work. Those taking the time to read through this superb volume will find it time well spent that pays back dividends in many different ways. —FOREWORD by Gary B. Mesibov, Ph.D., Professor and Director of TEACCH, Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

For autistic people who find themselves facing a criminal charge, understanding how the features of autism may have contributed to their behaviour can be vital context for their defence. In this insightful book, Nick Dubin explores how and why autistic people get caught up in the criminal justice system. He delves into what steps can be taken to prevent autistic people committing crimes and what should be done to ensure their fair and appropriate treatment if they are charged with a crime. It covers everything from prevention to the aftermath of sentencing, including available counselling and therapy. Nick's personal experience and meticulous research shows that criminal justice can be an oppressive system that misunderstands and stigmatizes autistic people, especially low-risk individuals and those with less criminal responsibility.

The definitive reference to the policies and practices for treating disruptive and impulse-control disorders, edited by renowned experts The Wiley Handbook of Disruptive and Impulse-Control Disorders offers a comprehensive overview that integrates the most recent and important scholarship and research on disruptive and impulse-control disorders in children and adolescents. Each of the chapters includes a summary of the most relevant research and knowledge on the topic and identifies the implications of the findings along with important next directions for research. Designed to be practical in application, the text explores the applied real-world value of the accumulated research findings, and the authors include policy implications and recommendations. The Handbook address the nature and definition of the disorders, the risk factors associated with the development and maintenance of this cluster of disorders, assessment processes, as well as the evidence-based treatment and prevention practices. The volume incorporates information from the ICD-11, a newly revised classification system, along with the recently published DSM-5. This important resource: Contains a definitive survey that integrates the most recent and important research and scholarship on disruptive and impulse-control disorders in children and adolescents Emphasizes the applied real-world value of the accumulated research findings Explores the policy implications and recommendations to encourage evidence-based practice Examines the nature and definition, risk factors, assessment, and evidence-based practice; risk factors are subdivided into child, family, peer group and broader context Considers changes, advances and controversies associated with new and revised diagnostic categories Written for clinicians and professionals in the field, The Wiley Handbook of Disruptive and Impulse-Control Disorders offers an up-to-date review of the most authoritative scholarship and research on disruptive and impulse-control disorders in children and adolescents as well as offering recommendations for practice.