RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The Need for a Structured Approach to Violence Risk Assessment in Autism
JF Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online
JO J Am Acad Psychiatry Law
FD American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
SP 437
OP 439
DO 10.29158/JAAPL.003896-19
VO 47
IS 4
A1 Alexander Westphal
A1 Clare Allely
YR 2019
UL http://jaapl.org/content/47/4/437.abstract
AB The relationship between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and violence is poorly understood. Several violence risk factors are either modified by or are unique to ASD; clinicians conducting violence risk assessment of people with ASD must consider these factors. An ASD-specific risk assessment tool is clearly needed. In the absence of this, clinicians often use risk assessment tools designed for other populations, highlighting the importance of establishing their predictive validity in people with ASD. Girardi and colleagues have taken a very important step in this process in their paper, “Assessing the Risk of Inpatient Violence in Autism Spectrum Disorder,” by examining whether the Historical Clinical Risk Management-20, Version 3, can predict violence in male patients with ASD in a forensic setting. Further research is needed to design a risk assessment tool specific to ASD and its unique features.