I work with adults with learning disabilities, and some of them have autism, and with it, challenging behaviour. I have never had anyone be arrested, though I have been asked to leave a couple of pubs and a shopping centre and have dealt with negative reactions from the public, such as people staring or saying unkind things, and I've had my service users assault me in public, scream as loudly as they can, push members of the public, and one of them even grabbed a small girls hair.
I would think that if you have someone with you, who can talk on your behalf, as you do when you go out, they would just have to explain that you have autism and cannot control how you are acting in that instance, but that they know how to calm you, so that you are able to gain control. I would also have them explain that arresting you would further your distress and would not be helpful.
The only way I could see the police wanting to arrest you is if you have caused damage to something, or have assaulted a member of the public, but usually people are quite understanding when they realise someone has a disability/condition that is causing them to act that way.
I think that on the whole, from my experiences, it is unlikely that you would be arrested, but it may be beneficial to talk to your support worker about your worries, and work out what they can say to the police if you ever get into that situation
Last edited by Albus Dumbledore : 12-07-2015 at 07:42 PM.
Reason: missed a bit
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