A focus group study of police officers' recognition of individuals with intellectual disability

Many societies require that individuals with an intellectual disability are provided with some protections when interacting with their justice systems. Police officers are often the first members of the justice system to make contact with offenders, victims, and witnesses, so their capacity to recognize that an individual requires additional supports is of paramount importance. This study used focus group methodology to determine how police in Queensland, Australia, recognized an individual as having an intellectual disability. Appearance was the most commonly nominated characteristic, followed by language difficulties, problems with comprehension, inappropriate behaviour for age, and problem behaviour. Invariable use of an appropriate screening tool is recommended as the only reliable method of ensuring that police officers identify individuals with an intellectual disability.