I recently had to explain this to someone, so here we go:
Sometimes it is necessary to restrain an autistic person, but that's something ONLY a caregiver or professional should do. It could hurt you or the autistic person if you're not trained on how to do it correctly. Physical conditions can be more common in autistic people (especially higher support needs) and some autistic people can't communicate when you're hurting them or understand when they're hurting you.
Lots of autistic people get hurt and even die from being restrained incorrectly. Usually it's by well meaning friends and family, special-ed teachers, police, social workers, even professionals and caregivers preforming against training. It happens all the time. You just won't see it out in the open.
I once had a nurse tech in residential restrain me chest against the ground, hands behind my back, pushing into me with his knee. I was born with the front of my rib cage sunken in (PE 4.0 haller index, iykyk). I couldn't breathe properly. 1) No training will tell you to do that to anyone regardless of their condition. 2) I was able to communicate, and he still did not listen to my pleas for air until I went silent and stopped struggling for as long as he wanted me to
***This happens to people who cannot speak and do not comprehend the situation they are in. That is how they DIE. And because they were unable to cry for help, it will be called an unfortunate accident beyond anyone's control. The average person doesn't know about this. They don't know that it happens, or that it's not nobody's fault. Please, for the love of god, make this more known
