Sexual Assault & Autistic Survivors
Olga Trujillo, Activating Change
Erica Blackwood, North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault
				
At the end of this webinar, you will know:
What Autism and why it’s considered on a spectrum 

Why accessing services might be difficult for Autistic survivors 
What service providers can do to better meet the needs of Autistic survivors

First, a note on language…
We are making the choice to use identity-first language in this webinar (Autistic survivors rather than survivors with Autism) – here’s why! 
Let’s start at the beginning!
We know that people with disabilities are victimized at rates much higher than people without disabilities. 
For example, people with intellectual disabilities (which sometimes includes Autistic people) are 7x more likely to be sexually assaulted  
No specific data on victimization of Autistic people 

Autistic People
Brains work differently than people without autism.

Varies greatly from one autistic person to the next.
May process things differently.
Have different communication skills and social skills.
Autistic People
(continued):
Might not hold eye contact as you might expect.
Might use different body language than you expect.
May misunderstand or misuse gestures. 
May have a lack of facial expressions which can make their social interactions challenging.

Autistic People
(continued)
Might find chaotic settings overwhelming and or overstimulating.

Might struggle with different textures or temperatures

Tend to be great at following routines and might find it challenging when routines are disrupted.

Some Key Strengths of People on the Autism Spectrum
Being detail oriented;

Identifying irregularities;

Being a logical thinker;

Maintaining a focus on a task;

Seeing things from a different perspective 
Challenges Created by Service Providers
Masking and Implications
Masking (v.): artificially ‘performing’ social behavior that is deemed to be more ‘neurotypical’ or hiding behavior that might be viewed as socially unacceptable.  

Trauma Response
Important
Reminders 
Treat people with dignity, consideration & respect.
Remember they have the same rights you do.
Treat adults as adults and don’t patronize them.
Take time to listen. This may mean spending more time with them. Plan for that.
Reminders 
(continued)
Relax, if you don’t know what to do, let them guide you. 
Ask about needs.
Don’t push and don’t take over. 
Ask how you can best help.
Speak to the autistic survivor about their needs, not to those that might accompany them.
What you can do… 
Effective Communication
Be Clear
Don’t use figures of speech
Be direct
Use Plain language
Use different modes of communication

Environment 
What Else You Can Do
Materials in plain language
Visual prompts
Fidget and stim devices
Low lighting
Low distraction or distraction free
Planned transitions
Social stories 
Culturally responsive 

What Your Organization can do
Hire Autistic professionals
Consult with Autistic led organizations and agencies
Trauma-informed trainings for staff 
Evaluate barriers and accessibility
Partner with other organizations to coordinate services

Questions?