Identifying Individuals With Autism in a State Facility for Adolescents Adjudicated as Sexual Offenders: A Pilot Study

Using the criteria established by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the assessment procedures for establishing an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a previously undiagnosed adjudicated group is detailed. We examined 37 male adolescents adjudicated delinquent for sexual offenses who were sentenced to treatment. Ultimately, 22 (60%) were found to meet the diagnostic criteria for an ASD. All had intelligence quotients in the average range. For the offenders with ASD, we recommend modifying traditional treatment protocols (i.e., relying on individual and group talk therapy) to match their learning styles (e.g., visual learning, modeling with practice, and feedback) and restricting contact with neurotypical sexual offenders to improve therapeutic outcomes. Deterrent programming aimed at bridging the gap between social deficits, Theory of Mind deficits, and sexual knowledge acquisition is discussed.