Autism Justice Center

An estimated 5.4 million adults in the U.S. are Autistic. Individuals with Autism and others with developmental disabilities confront discrimination, affecting vital areas such as housing, healthcare, employment, education, and the criminal legal system. The Autism Justice Center focuses on Empowerment, Advocacy, and Justice, standing as a beacon of hope and support for Autistic individuals, their families, and advocates.

The Autism Society of America recognizes the complex and often challenging interactions between individuals with Autism and the criminal legal system. Learn more about the Autism Justice Center’s principles and commitment to advocating for the Autism community.

Goals

The Autism Justice Center uses various strategies, including direct advocacy, education, and litigation support. The Autism Justice Center is developing resources for legal professionals so they may better represent and support Autistic clients. The Autism Justice Center works closely with the Autism Society’s Public Policy team on legislative initiatives, and with our National Programs team on training first responders and other safety initiatives. The Autism Justice Center will focus on Empowerment, Advocacy, and Justice.

See the Autism Justice Center’s One-Pager for more.

Empowerment

The Autism Justice Center will support self-advocates and their families with the skill sets, and knowledge needed to navigate different discrimination they may face. The Autism Justice Center will achieve this through workshops, resource building, and more.

Advocacy

The Autism Justice Center will advocate for legislation and policies that promote justice in the Autism community.

Justice

The Autism Justice Center will work with individuals as they navigate the legal system in terms of direct advocacy and litigation support.

Statistics

20%

By age 21, approximately 20% of youth with Autism had been stopped and questioned by police, and nearly 5% had been arrested.

59-61%

Approximately 59-61% of young children and school-age children with Autism were living in low-income households (below 200% federal poverty line).

30-50%

Thirty to 50 percent of people killed by law enforcement are people with Autism or other disabilities.

40%

Spoken language can be a significant barrier to communication for individuals with Autism as 40 percent are non-speaking.

↑15%

The prevalence of Autism is expected to increase by 15 percent over the next ten years.

Age 28

Racial injustice is seen as Black individuals with a disability are more likely to be arrested by age 28 than their peers.

Impact

The Autism Justice Center aspires to be a pioneering force for the Autistic community. Challenges like securing affordable housing, workplace accommodations, and the troubling frequency of negative law enforcement encounters, especially for Autistic individuals who identify as BIPOC, demand our attention and action. The Autism Justice Center aims to expand our capacity to meet these pressing needs.

Resources

The Autism Society’s first resource as the Autism Justice Center was produced in partnership with Legal Reform for the Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled (LRIDD). This resource is an FAQ for Public Defenders on how to work with a client with Autism.

The Justice Center moderated a presentation on What to do if Your Child is Arrested with panelists from Decriminalize Developmental Disabilities, the Maryland Office of Public Defender, the Baltimore Crisis Center, and individuals with lived experiences.

Project Unlock PEACE

Providing Equitable Autistic Care Everywhere

Through the work of the Autism Society’s Health Equity arm and Autism Justice Center, Project Unlock PEACE, focuses on providing correctional healthcare professionals, administrators, and corrections officers with the resources to better serve this multiply marginalized community. Through targeted training, the project aims to improve physical and mental health outcomes through Autism and IDD education, providing support strategies, and effective behavioral interventions. Project Unlock PEACE will be piloted in North Carolina in 2025.

Testimonials

“The Autism Justice Center has been extremely helpful to myself and my Autistic, incarcerated son. Their care, concern and dedication to our issue has gone above and beyond anything I could have ever expected. Thank you so much for everything you have done and for everything you WILL do in the fight for justice for individuals on the spectrum.”

Melinda

Give

With continued support for the Autism Justice Center, we can focus on Empowerment, Advocacy, and Justice, to better support Autistic individuals, their families, and advocates.

With your support, we can continue to make an impact. Whether you donate $5 or $500, every little bit helps.

Partners

Decriminalize Developmental Disabilities (D3), a nationwide non-profit dedicated to decriminalizing developmental disabilities, stands for the reform of injustices in the criminal justice system with regard to the high risk populations of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The Arc is the largest national community-based organization advocating for and with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and serving them and their families.

The Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) is the largest coalition of national organizations working together to advocate for federal public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society.

The mission of WITH Foundation is to promote the establishment of comprehensive healthcare for adults with developmental disabilities that is designed to address their unique and fundamental needs.