TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to present preliminary data on a cohort of patients referred to a specialist forensic medium-secure autism spectrum disorder (ASD) service during its first two years of opening and to identify variables associated with admission to the service. Design/methodology/approach– Data on all referrals to the service (n=40) was obtained from clinical files on demographics, offending history, psychiatric history and levels of therapeutic engagement. The sample was divided into two groups: referred and admitted (n=23) and referred and not admitted (n=17). Statistical analysis compared the two groups on all variables. Findings– Totally, 94 per cent of all individuals assessed had a diagnosis of autism, however, structured diagnostic tools for ASD were used in a small minority of cases. About half the sample had a learning disability, almost four-fifths had at least one additional mental disorder and almost three-quarters had a history of prior supervision failure or non-compliance with treatment. The sample had a wide range of previous offences. No significant differences were found between the groups on any of the variables included in the study. Research limitations/implications– The present study presents a starting point to follow up in terms of response to treatment and characteristics associated with treatment outcome. Practical implications– The sample had a wide range of clinical and risk-related needs. Both groups shared many similarities. Originality/value– This highlights the need for comprehensive assessment looking at risk-related needs so that individuals are referred to an optimal treatment pathway.
VL  - 5
IS  - 3
SN  - 2050-8824
DO  - 10.1108/JIDOB-06-2014-0008
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/JIDOB-06-2014-0008
AU  - O' Donoghue Therese
AU  - Shine John
AU  - Orimalade Olufunto
PY  - 2014
Y1  - 2014/01/01
TI  - Characteristics of referrals and admissions to a medium secure ASD unit
T2  - Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour
PB  - Emerald Group Publishing Limited
SP  - 138
EP  - 146
Y2  - 2024/04/19
ER  -