It's a common defense lawyer move to suggest that people with autism are more vulnerable to missing signs of the criminal intent of others A new study found little evidence to support such a claim, with most people with autism reacting similarly to typical people when presented with scenarios involving potential criminals In rare cases, people with autism may be more prone to missing clues to criminality in others, but no general 'rule' can be made FRIDAY, Nov. 1, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Are people with autism less able to "read" the nefarious intent of criminals, leaving them more vulnerable to scams or coercion into criminal activity? It's been a common notion among trial lawyers, the Australian researchers behind a new report say, but it's not grounded in any real evidence. "This perspective may not hold up under scrutiny and we found that, in general, autistic adults are no more vulnerable to becoming ensnared in criminal acts than non-autistic adults," said study co-author , a professor of psychology at Flinders University in Adelaide.
“Moreover, the mindreading difficulties often considered inherently linked to autism are by no means ubiquitous in autistic adults," he added in a university news release. Brewer and study co-author, graduate student , published their findings recently in the journal . As Brewer noted, "it is not uncommon for defense lawyers, often supported by testimony from ‘expert’ witnesses, to argue that autistic adults have difficulty interpre.