A descriptive study of young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder referred to a Fixated Threat Assessment Centre

This study examines a cohort of persons aged 14 to 25 years referred to a threat assessment centre in Australia due to concerns regarding their potential for extremist or other grievance-fuelled violence. It examines the demographic features, clinical comorbidities and threat profile of this cohort and compares cases with and without a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The findings suggest that young people with ASD are significantly overrepresented, compared to the population rate, with late diagnosis and complex, unmet needs. The services required to mitigate risk were predominantly mainstream disability and mental health programs, not specialised forensic interventions. These exploratory findings have broader implications for improved provision of autism-specific services to prevent this vulnerable group entering the justice system.