MEDIA RELEASE
17 March 2026
NEURODIVERSITY CELEBRATION WEEK 2026: NEURODIVERSITY BRINGS UNIQUE CHALLENGES FOR FAMILY AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE
During this week’s celebrations of the unique strengths and talents of neurodiverse people in our community, Engender Equality wants to remind carers and general practitioners of the unique vulnerabilities of this cohort.
Engender Equality CEO, Alina Thomas said,
“Research has commonly found that neurodivergent women and gender diverse people are more likely than non-neurodiverse people to experience abuse. (1)
“Violence against neurodivergent women is not just interpersonal but structural and gendered.
“Women with overlapping marginalised identities experience heightened forms of inequality and oppression.
“Autism spectrum and other neurodivergent conditions such as ADHD, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia can increase vulnerability because socio-cultural and structural factors impact their rights and well-being.
“They might have difficulty communicating in social settings, misunderstand boundaries or be unable to make sense of their experience of violence.,” Ms Thomas said.
Possible signs of concern may include a marked change in someone’s usual presentation, such as becoming unusually withdrawn, hyper-alert, distressed or agitated. A sudden decline in mental wellbeing, reluctance to attend a service, or distress in the presence of a particular person may also indicate that something is wrong. These signs should be approached with curiosity and care, particularly in the context of neurodiversity and mental health where distress may be expressed in different ways. Physical injuries such as bruising, scratching, or other unexplained injuries may also be present.
Manager, Primary Care Family and Sexual Violence program, Jess Drew said,
“For carers and practitioners, it is important to avoid assumptions that signs and indicators are attributable to either abuse or to neurodiversity and instead consider both when working with neurodivergent people who may have or are experiencing abuse.
“Consider supporting neurodiverse women and gender diverse people’s healing and recovery by:
• offering safe, affirming and trauma informed spaces to process their experiences
• establishing rapport and trust, by allowing them to explore relationships, sexuality, and safety in a non-threatening way
• assess communication needs and adapt your language accordingly, avoiding leading questions and using neutral opening prompts to help reduce anxiety
• provide an opportunity to see the patient alone or for part of the consultation, as stress in caring relationships can intensify in caring environments and in some
circumstances may increase the risk of harmful or violent behaviour from the caregiver.
“Assess consent carefully and remain alert to the possibility of coercion, particularly where there are differences in communication, understanding or decision-making capacity between the parties.” Ms Drew said.
(1) Fox, J., Carroll, J. A., & Death, J. (2025). ‘… there’s so much within the work that we do where all we kind of need is the space and the safety’: The experiences of Australian practitioners who support autistic survivors of sexual and domestic violence. Autism, 29(10), 2524-2534.
This Primary Care Family and Sexual Violence is funded by Primary Health Tasmania (Tasmania PHN), through the Australian Government’s Primary Health Networks Program. The program is delivered by Engender Equality in partnership with Laurel House.
Media Contact: Alina Thomas 0438 788 291
If you would like to engage a lived experience representative (case study), please see Advocates for Change – Engender Equality, email advocates@engenderequality.org.au or phone: 0415 740 524.