Unit 1: Understanding neurodiversity in the policing context

Session 2: Why neurodiversity awareness is important in policing

A black and white image of a person with their hands on on their head from a slightly blurred perspective

As a police officer or staff member you make daily decisions under pressure, often with limited information and in fast-moving situations.

Those decisions shape people’s experiences of the police, especially for individuals who may already feel misunderstood or marginalised.

For neurodivergent individuals, interactions with police can be particularly high-risk. That’s not because of bad intent, but because of:

mismatched communication styles
sensory challenges
differences in how they process instructions or stress.

When these aren’t recognised, the consequences can be serious for the individual, for the officers involved and for public confidence in policing.

Awareness of neurodiversity helps you to: 

avoid misjudging behaviour 
de-escalate more effectively 
communicate with clarity and care 
build trust in moments that matter 
keep yourself and the public safer.

Policing and public trust: a two-way relationship 

Policing relies on public co-operation and confidence, and these are more likely to grow if the police and public communicate positively. When interactions go well, people are more likely to: 

report crimes 
engage in investigations 
comply with directions 
feel protected, not targeted.

  But when anyone (especially from marginalised or misunderstood groups) experiences policing as dismissive, harsh or unfair, it may lead to: 

distrust and avoidance 
reduced reporting and cooperation 
heightened fear, especially during public-facing interactions 
viral complaints and community-level backlash.

  Neurodivergent individuals and their families or carers have shared their negative police experiences. This includes where their behaviour was misunderstood, dismissed or escalated unnecessarily. 

What happens when we misinterpret neurodivergent behaviour? 

Neurodivergent individuals are particularly vulnerable in:

street encounters
custody suites
interview rooms
public order situations
call-handling and online contact.

This is because these environments often include:

noise
bright lights
physical proximity
unclear instructions
power imbalance.

Each of these situations increase the chance of unintentional escalation between the police and the neurodivergent person.

Reflective activity

Using your learning journal, think about some of the environments and situations you regularly work in. For example, public spaces, custody areas, interview rooms or phone contact.

Which features of these environments (such as noise, lighting, pace, proximity or unclear instructions) could increase stress for a neurodivergent person?
How might that stress affect their behaviour, communication or ability to engage with you?
What risk does this create for misunderstanding, escalation or loss of trust if it is not recognised?

Finish by noting one aspect of your working environment that you will now be more alert to when engaging with members of the public.

This reflection is about awareness, not self‑criticism. Noticing risk factors early supports better decision‑making under pressure.

Now let’s look at some common policing scenarios and the risks that they carry if neurodivergence isn’t recognised.

Behaviour	Possible interpretation	Possible explanation
Avoiding eye contact	Evasion, dishonesty	Anxiety, sensory overload, cognitive processing load, emotional state, trauma or stress, power imbalance
Speaking too fast	Evasive, suspicious	Thinking faster than they can speak, maintain focus, to ensure they are able to get all the information out
Going off topic	Lying, evasive	Context building, differences in thinking style, difficulty prioritising information, working memory differences
Hood up	Indicator of hostility, deception or intent	Sensory regulation, trauma response, anxiety and acts as comfort
Mumbling	Indicate deception, intoxication or disrespect	Sensory regulation, difficulties with anxiety, speech or motor control issues; processing speed differences or volume regulation
Silence or delayed response	Non-compliant, disrespectful	Processing time differences, auditory processing differences, language formation differences, shutdown
Repetitive movement or pacing	Agitation, threat	Emotional-regulation, sensory regulation, focus and concentration, stress (stimming)
Repeated questioning	Challenging authority	Seeking reassurance under stress, processing or memory differences, literal thinking, need for predictability

If a police officer notices any of these behaviours and misinterprets them, it may lead to a break in trust from the neurodivergent person towards the police. And once trust is broken with someone who is neurodivergent, it can be hard to rebuild it again. 

The impact of not adapting

Police may encounter neurodivergent individuals as victims, witnesses, callers for help or suspects, and often at moments of heightened vulnerability. If we do not recognise and adapt our responses it could impact on the individual and our interaction with them in the professional context in a number of ways:

increased fear of police or professionals
difficulty disclosing experiences in a way that feels understood
heightened trauma or shutdown during questioning
withdrawal from investigations or safeguarding processes
reluctance to seek help again, even when at risk
misunderstanding behaviour at these moments can result in lost evidence, missed safeguarding opportunities and continued harm.

Potential impact on policing and safeguarding outcomes include:

missed or misjudged vulnerability indicators
incomplete or unreliable victim or witness accounts due to distress
reduced engagement with investigations or protective processes
increased complaints, scrutiny and reputational damage
higher demand from repeat incidents that could have been resolved earlier
increased workload due to preventable escalation 
missed opportunities to de-escalate early 
damaged community relationships and morale.

Reflective activity

Take a few minutes to reflect on the questions below and record your thoughts in your learning journal.

Think about a recent interaction where you had to make decisions quickly, with limited information. This could involve a victim, witness, caller or suspect, and may have taken place in a busy or pressured environment.

What assumptions did you make about the person’s behaviour at the time?
Could sensory factors (noise, lighting, crowding), communication differences or stress have influenced how they behaved or responded to you?
How confident were you that the person fully understood what was being asked of them?
If neurodivergence had been a factor, how might this have affected their experience of the interaction?

Now consider the wider impact:

How might this interaction influence that person’s future willingness to seek help, report crime or cooperate with police?
What risks are created for public trust when behaviour is misunderstood in high‑pressure environments?

Finally, reflect forwards:

What is one thing you could notice earlier or do differently in a similar situation to reduce the risk of misunderstanding or escalation?

This activity isn’t about judging past decisions; it’s about strengthening awareness and supporting better decision‑making in fast‑moving situations.