Neurodiversity Celebration Week, taking place from 17th to 23rd March 2025, is a time to recognise and embrace the diverse ways in which people experience and interact with the world. However, it is also an opportunity to highlight the unique challenges neurodivergent individuals face, particularly when seeking support for domestic and sexual violence.
According to a 2022 study published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, nine in ten autistic women have been victims of sexual violence – an alarmingly high rate that highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions. (Available here: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/behavioral-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2022.852203/full).
Despite growing awareness, neurodivergent survivors – such as those with autism, ADHD, or learning disabilities – continue to encounter systemic barriers that leave them vulnerable and unsupported. Some of the key challenges neurodivergent survivors face include:
- Barriers to reporting and seeking support: Many survivors struggle with communication difficulties, sensory overload in support services and systemic discrimination. According to a 2024 study from Durham University, mainstream domestic abuse programmes often fail to meet the needs of neurodivergent survivors, highlighting the urgent need for tailored approaches. (Available here: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3333329)
- Higher risk of manipulation: Research by Vicki Gibbs (2023) highlights that autistic adults are at greater risk of being manipulated, abused and gaslighted due to difficulties in social perception and one-way relationships. Social naivety and challenges in reading social cues make neurodivergent individuals more vulnerable to coercion and control. (Available here: https://figshare.mq.edu.au/ndownloader/files/48365212)
- Inaccessible domestic abuse services: A study published in the British Journal of Social Work found that many neurodivergent survivors struggle to access support due to a lack of alternative communication methods, quiet environments, and trained professionals in domestic abuse services. (Available here: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/13623613231205630)
To create inclusive responses, professionals must receive specialised domestic abuse training to recognise and respond to the unique needs of neurodivergent survivors. Additionally, it is crucial to ensure that neurodivergent survivors are actively involved in shaping policies, so interventions truly address their needs.
At LAWA, we recognise that neurodivergent survivors from Latin American, Black, and Global Majority communities face additional barriers due to language, cultural stigma, and immigration-related vulnerabilities. We also understand that trauma can manifest differently in neurodivergent women, and if these specific needs are not recognised, survivors risk being left without the right support.
That’s why we provide culturally sensitive, trauma-informed, and multilingual services tailored to meet their lived experiences. Our approach ensures that neurodivergent survivors have access to safe spaces, advocacy, and counselling that truly address their needs. Neurodivergence should never be a barrier to safety. This week, let’s advocate for an inclusive, accessible and neurodivergent-aware approach to domestic abuse services.
