I am not sure where to start

Information for autistic and neurodivergent people who need help with the criminal justice system in England and Wales.

What to do now

You do not need to know the right legal word for what is happening. Choose the situation that is closest to yours. You can use more than one route if more than one applies.

If you are in immediate danger, call 999. If it is not safe to speak, use the emergency contact method that is safest for you.

You do not need a diagnosis

You can ask for help because something is difficult for you, even if you do not have an autism, ADHD or other diagnosis.

You might find it difficult to:

You can explain the difficulty and say what would help. For example:

“I find it difficult to process several spoken questions together. Please ask one question at a time, give me time to answer, and write down the next steps.”

You do not have to share a diagnosis, medical record or personal history unless it is relevant and you want to do so. If you do share information, ask who will see it, how it will be used and whether it will be passed to another service.

Choose the help you need

I need to explain how I communicate

Use Explain how you communicate and understand information if you need someone to speak more slowly, ask one question at a time, write things down, give you more time, allow breaks, or use another communication method.

You can also use the My communication and support profile to make a short record of what helps you. It is not an official assessment. You choose whether to share it and with whom.

I need support or a change to help me take part

Use Ask for support or an adjustment if a process, appointment, building, form, meeting or conversation is difficult to access.

Some organisations have legal duties to consider reasonable adjustments for disabled people. Whether a particular duty applies, and what is reasonable, depends on the situation. The important first step is to explain the barrier, say what may help, and ask who will arrange it. Equality Act 2010, ss 6, 20–21 and 29

I am overwhelmed or cannot speak

Use What to do when you become overwhelmed or cannot speak. It can help you plan what another person should do, how to ask for a break, and what information it may help to have written down in advance.

If you are with the police or at court, try to say or show:

“I am overwhelmed and cannot take in information properly. I need a break and written information about what happens next.”

If you have a solicitor, tell them as soon as you can.

I need legal advice

A solicitor gives legal advice. An appropriate adult, intermediary, family member, friend, support worker or advocate does not replace a solicitor.

If you have been arrested and are held at a police station, ask to speak to a solicitor. A person arrested and held in police custody has a right, if they request it, to consult a solicitor privately. Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, s 58

Do not use this website to decide whether to answer police questions, make an admission, accept a caution, plead guilty, or challenge a conviction or sentence. Get legal advice about your own situation.

If something has happened to you

You may have been harmed, threatened, abused, exploited, pressured, scammed, or made to do something you did not want to do. You may be unsure whether you want to report it to the police.

You can look for support before deciding whether to report. Use Can I get support without reporting to the police? for help finding the right kind of service and understanding what may happen if you share information about immediate safety risks.

Use Tell the police what happened in a way that works for you if you want to report something or have already spoken to the police. It explains how to ask for information at a manageable pace, breaks, communication support and confirmation of what will happen next.

Use Ask for an update about my case if you have reported something and do not understand what is happening. The Victims’ Code framework is intended to secure information about the criminal justice process, access to support, an opportunity for victims’ views to be heard and routes to challenge decisions that directly affect them. Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, s 2

You do not have to decide immediately whether you are a “victim” or “witness”. Use the route that helps you now.

If the police want to speak to you

Use The police have asked me to attend a voluntary interview if the police have asked you to come to a police station or another place to answer questions.

A voluntary interview can still be important. Before you attend:

The page will not tell you what to say about an allegation. A solicitor can advise you on that.

If you have been arrested

Use I have been arrested: help I can ask for now.

Ask for a solicitor. If you are finding it difficult to understand what is happening, cope with custody, communicate or make decisions when stressed, say so. You can ask for help and tell staff what would make communication easier.

An appropriate adult has a safeguarding role. They can help make sure you are supported, understand what is happening and are treated fairly. They do not give legal advice and do not replace a solicitor.

The police must treat a person as mentally vulnerable for the purposes of PACE Code C where there is suspicion, or good faith information, that the person may be mentally disordered or otherwise mentally vulnerable, unless there is clear evidence to dispel the suspicion. The case of Miller shows that a failure to obtain an appropriate adult where Code C applied can have serious fairness consequences. Christopher James Miller v DPP [2018] EWHC 262 (Admin)

If you need medication, healthcare, a break, a quieter space, written information or time to understand what is being said, tell the custody officer or your solicitor.

If you are going to court

Use Going to court: what to expect on the day. It covers arriving at court, security, waiting, who may be in the room, asking for a break and what to do if the hearing changes or is delayed.

If you are a defendant, tell your solicitor early about anything that makes it difficult to understand the case, communicate, follow questions or take part. Use Help me understand the hearing and speak with my lawyer.

If you are a victim or witness, use Giving evidence as a victim or witness. A court may consider special measures where the legal eligibility tests are met. For witnesses other than the accused, age, incapacity, or fear or distress may make a witness eligible for assistance where the quality of their evidence is likely to be diminished. Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999, ss 16–17

Use Communication support in court: solicitor, intermediary and other help to understand the different roles. An intermediary helps with communication; they do not give legal advice. Arrangements for defendants are case specific and should be raised early with the legal team. Criminal Practice Directions provide for ground rules discussions to plan questioning around the communication needs of vulnerable witnesses and defendants. Criminal Practice Directions 2015, CPD I General Matters 3E

If you are in prison, or supporting somebody in prison

Use Your first days in prison if you need help understanding routines, healthcare, visits, applications, communication or immediate support.

Use Tell prison staff what support you need if noise, lighting, crowds, changes, unwritten rules, forms or communication are making prison life harder to manage.

Prisons do not all provide support in the same way. Ask who deals with neurodiversity, healthcare, safer custody, education or other support in that prison. Ask what has been recorded and who will be told about agreed support.

Use I cannot understand or complete a prison form if you need help with an application, complaint, appointment, disciplinary process or other written information.

If you are on probation or leaving prison

Use Understand your probation appointments and requirements to keep a clear record of your official appointments, named contacts and questions.

Use I have missed an appointment or cannot attend if you are worried about a missed appointment or cannot get there. Contact probation as soon as you can. The page can help you explain a practical problem or communication difficulty, but it cannot change a court order or licence condition.

Use Plan support before leaving prison if you need to prepare for accommodation, medication, identification, money, travel, health support, communication and your first probation appointment.

If you are under 18

Use I am under 18 and the police want to speak to me or Preparing for youth court.

You can ask for information to be explained clearly and for support. A parent or carer can sometimes help, but they may not always be the safest or most appropriate person to support you. Tell the police, your solicitor, a youth justice worker or another trusted professional if you are worried about the person who is meant to support you.

If support is missing or something has gone wrong

Use The support I asked for has not happened if someone agreed to help but the support was not arranged, changed or explained.

Write down, or ask somebody to help you write down:

You might need a quick practical solution, an explanation, a correction to information held about you, a complaint, a review of a decision, or legal advice. These are different things and may have different time limits.

If the problem could affect a police interview, court hearing, conviction, sentence, prison disciplinary process, probation requirement or licence condition, get legal advice as soon as possible. Do not wait for a general complaint to be answered.

Before you contact somebody

It may help to have these details ready. You only need to give what is relevant.

You can use this wording:

“I am finding this difficult to understand or manage. I need help to take part. Please tell me who can help, what will happen next and when I will receive confirmation.”

How to use this subsite

You can read the guides online, print them, save the parts you need, or ask a trusted person to go through them with you.

The guides give general information. They do not replace a solicitor, healthcare professional, support worker or the organisation dealing with your case.

You can come back to this page whenever your situation changes. You may need a different route at a different time.

Related guides

About this guide

Jurisdiction: England and Wales

Who this guide is for: Autistic and neurodivergent people, including people without a diagnosis, and people supporting them.

Last legally reviewed: 16/09/2026

Review this guide when: there is a change to the PACE Codes, the Victims’ Code, court procedure or practice directions, relevant support arrangements, or a significant legal or policy development affecting access and participation.

Sources and further information