London (CNN) Police in London have launched an autism card program aimed at improving interactions between officers and people with autism.

The cards will be distributed to people with autism and will alert police to the possibility that the person struggles with communication or could display unpredictable behavior, the Metropolitan Police said.

The announcement comes at the end of a week that has seen the force accused of heavy-handedness. On Thursday, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) watchdog said it had launched an investigation after footage went viral appearing to show officers in east London forcibly restraining a man while he was having a seizure.

The autism cards will be handed out via autism partnership boards and police throughout the UK capital, Scotland Yard said, and will provide information about how the condition manifests itself as well as personal information about the cardholder.

Police said they had produced the cards after consultations with charities and other agencies that work with autistic people.

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