The Witness-Aimed First Account (WAFA): A new technique for interviewing autistic witnesses and victims.

ABSTRACT:

Lay abstract

Autistic people may be more likely to be interviewed by police as a victim/witness, yet they experience social communication difficulties alongside specific memory difficulties that can impact their ability to recall information from memory. Police interviewing techniques do not take account of these differences, and so are often ineffective. We developed a new technique for interviewing autistic witnesses, referred to a Witness-Aimed First Account, which was designed to better support differences in the way that autistic witnesses process information in memory. The Witness-Aimed First Account technique encourages witnesses to first segment the witnessed event into discrete, parameter-bound event topics, which are then displayed on post-it notes while the witness goes

SUBMITTER: Maras K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7376626 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature