Stories from the Spectrum: Amanda Gibbs

In this Stories from the Spectrum interview, we spoke to Amanda Gibbs.

We interviewed Amanda Gibbs, an autistic woman and creator of the Autism Alert Cards and Passports – a scheme designed to educate police officers on autism and how they can better support autistic people in the Criminal Justice System.

Amanda talked to us about how the cards and passports work, what prompted her to create the scheme in the first place, and why it is so important that police officers make reasonable adjustments for autistic people.

What is being autistic like for you?

Being autistic is all I've ever known, along with co-existing conditions. I was only formally diagnosed 14 years ago, but it came as no surprise. A number of family members are autistic.

Daily life still feels like I live among aliens. Other people don't speak the same language as me. I like my routines and being alone to follow my interests. Unexpected interruptions and sudden changes are very difficult to cope with and cause me lots of anxiety. Certain noises are painful to my ears and some smells make me nauseous.

Being around people becomes overwhelming very quickly. I need time to process information so I am generally 'out of sync' with other people. Being with people, social situations, not knowing what to expect and sensory sensitivities are exhausting. Public transport is a nightmare so I avoid using it as much as possible.

Most people are referred to as neurotypical but there's nothing typical about them – they're the ones who are different - they speak their own language, yet they misinterpret many things about me and consider me weird.

What are Autism Alert Cards and Passports?

The newly launched Autism Alert Card and Passport scheme is officially recognised by the police to aid more positive interaction and experiences for autistic people who have contact with the police.

The scheme has been launched by three police forces: The Metropolitan Police; British Transport Police and the City of London Police. It is also endorsed by the National Police Autism Association.

The Alert Card 'alerts' officers that you are autistic, letting them know they should be patient and should avoid physical contact if possible. You can write the name and phone number of an appropriate adult for them to call – an appropriate adult can aid communication and give you support. The Card also directs officers to ask for your Autism Passport for more information about you.

You can write as much or as little information in the passport as you choose. The onus is on officers to make reasonable adjustments according to each person's needs. The more they know about you, the easier it is for them to make reasonable adjustments.

The passport states you are entitled to an appropriate adult at all times. You can write about any medical conditions you may have and any medications you take so you don't miss a dose. This is especially important if, for example, if you have epilepsy.

The passport also has a visual 'feelings thermometer' so you can show officers how you are feeling if you can't verbalise them. To improve understanding of autism, there is information for officers on how autism can manifest and what they can do to help you.

Why did you decide to create the Autism Passport?

My contact with the police, as a victim of crime, was overwhelmingly horrendous, highly stressful, extremely anxiety provoking and terribly confusing.

They knew about my autism but didn't understand how it manifests, how it impacts me or what I needed in terms of reasonable adjustments, so no adjustments were made.

The police station was busy and noisy. The lights were too bright and I could hear them humming. I met with different unknown officers without prior notice and was never in the same room twice. There was no consistency. Nothing and nobody was familiar.

Questions were asked too quickly in succession for me to process. Metaphors and expressions were used that made no sense to me. Without an appropriate adult, there was nobody to support me, nobody to 'translate' what was said, nobody to ensure I got a break when needed, and nobody to advocate on my behalf for the reasonable adjustments I needed.