#70. Autism, Deception, and the Justice System - Tiegan Blackhurst

Can autistic adults lie—and detect lies—like everyone else? And what happens when the justice system misreads autism traits as deception?

In this episode, we sit down with Tiegan Blackhurst, a doctoral researcher at Lancaster University, to dive into her research on autism and deceptive communication. Tiegan breaks down how autistic adults navigate truth and lies, and how misunderstanding these behaviors in legal settings can lead to serious consequences.

💡 Topics covered:

• Can autistic people lie? (spoiler: yes!)
• How stereotypes around eye contact and “shifty” behavior hurt autistic individuals
• Real-world impacts: from police interactions to courtroom bias
• Why both police and the public need better training
• The "Prison Houdini" case and what it reveals

Chapters

• 0:00 Understanding Autism and Deception
• 15:00 Misconceptions around Autism Spectrum Disorders and Deception
• 19:07 Real World Implications
• 27:34 Understanding Autism and the Justice System
• 39:29 Deception Detection
• 49:01 Myths and Future Directions