Autism and trauma

Autistic people have a high incidence of mental health problems, and research indicates that they are particularly vulnerable to trauma. They are more likely to experience bullying and abuse from others, and they are more likely to experience every-day situations as traumatic. Trauma is often missed when evaluating autistic individuals, as many of the behaviours and experiences which indicate trauma are wrongly seen as ‘just part of the autism’ and therefore not requiring intervention.

This presentation will discuss the different types of trauma which autistic people describe and experience, drawing on the voices of autistic young people and adults, and the parents of autistic children. Autistic people may have particular trouble in accessing therapy, because many therapists are not aware of how to adapt their approach nor how to consider autism in their formulation.

In order to address this, we conducted several research projects. The remainder of the presentation will introduce our research about EMDR, trauma and autism, main findings and implications for clinical practice and research.

Conference

English

Naomi Fisher
Debbie Spain
Caroline van Diest

Fisher, N., Spain, D., & van Diest, C. (2023, March). Autism and trauma. Presentation at the 21st EMDR UK & Ireland Annual Conference & AGM, Glasglow, UK and Virtual