ABSTRACT
The assessment of risk in an individual includes the examination of specific risk behaviour, frequency and seriousness in addition to the circumstances of an individual, their motivation and previous experiences. Although structured risk assessment tools are considered to result in better decision making, there remain some uncertainty with regard to their usefulness with specific patient groups, such as ASD. This chapter will explore the limitations of current risk assessments for individuals with ASD and highlights the need for an ASD-sensitive standardised risk assessment. This chapter will outline some of the specific features associated with ASD which are particularly relevant to assessing risk. Issues with current risk assessment when applied to individuals with ASD who have been found guilty of violating child pornography statutes will be explored. Two case vignettes where risk assessment have been carried out with individuals with ASD will be explored. Lastly, the guidelines for conducting ASD-related violence risk assessments developed by White and colleagues (2017) will be outlined.
