Over 70 staff within HMP Barlinnie have taken part in an immersive ‘Autism Reality Experience’, giving them a unique insight into the sensory processing challenges encountered by individuals on the autism spectrum.
During the sessions, staff felt the impact of hypersensitivity to the sensory environment, difficulty processing language and instructions, and being in an environment that doesn’t account for your needs.
The experience is designed so that participants can get a sense of the range of emotions an autistic person can feel including fear, vulnerability, frustration and anxiety.
The scenarios were all tailored towards the prison environment, giving our staff a relevant, real-world understanding of how people in our care experience everyday life. From this, they could think about how they might modify their approach or actions going forward.
One Officer said: “It was such a great way to explain what someone with autism may go through when coming into prison. Reading something is helpful but experiencing it, like we did, has a much greater impact.”
Another said: “This experience taught me how overwhelming sensory input can be and has given me a much deeper appreciation for the effort autistic people may need to put into everyday tasks. It reminded me that we need to be so much more patient and understanding and it’s on all of us to create an inclusive environment.”
