Cleartalk: Police Responding to Intellectual Disability.

The Cleartalk project was developed in New South Wales (Australia) to help police respond to the communication needs of people with intellectual disabilities. Section 1 presents "The View from the Street: A Working Knowledge of Intellectual Disability," which discusses how individuals with intellectual disabilities are denied their right of access to the law and its processes due to communication problems. It also discusses the issues of isolation and devaluation, trust and conditioning, lack of education within the criminal justice system concerning people with intellectual disabilities, and police protocols for dealing with hidden disabilities. Section 2 adopts working premises about police work, communication, and people with intellectual disabilities; reviews police responses to a questionnaire revealing different perceptions of intellectual disability; discusses educational implications for police; and outlines a recommended procedure for assessing the communicative effectiveness of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Section 3 presents Cleartalk training modules on the impact of intellectual disability on the individual, recognizing that an individual has an intellectual disability, techniques for questioning the individual, assessing communicative effectiveness, and responsive policing. A bibliography of approximately 100 items and a copy of a promotional brochure complete the report. (JDD)