How Does Autism Affect the Processing of Child Sexual Abuse Trauma?
Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice
Abstract
There is extensive research on child sexual abuse (CSA) (Juye, Trickett, & Negriff, 2010;
Katz & Hershkowitz, 2010; Negriff, Noll, Shenk, Putnam, & Trickett, 2010; Noll-Hussong et al.,
2010). However, an area that has been neglected is the CSA of children with neurodevelopmental
disorders (ND); this case study looked at autism (Bilgin & Kucuk, 2010; Hoover, 2015; Kerns,
Newschaffer, & Berkowitz, 2015; Khetrapal, 2010; Sevlever, Roth, & Gillis, 2013). Children with
autism are at higher risk because of their functional impairment in social interaction, social
communication, and symbolic imagination (Aylott, 2010; Chown, 2010; Subramanyam,
Mukherjee, Dave, & Chavda, 2019). Differential diagnosis might be a major concern, as the
symptoms might appear to be those of autism, and the treatment plan might not be for the actual
problem (Hoover, 2015). Thus, the warning signs of abuse might be interpreted or misinterpreted
as autistic symptoms. Therefore, children with autism who have experienced CSA might rarely
receive treatment because many clinicians are not trained to work with them (Khetrapal, 2010).
The purpose of this case study, which uses secondary qualitative data, is to explore how a child
with autism interprets and processes being sexually abused. We explore the similarities and
differences of how a child with autism experiences CSA as compared to children without autism.
Though much is known about CSA as experienced by children without autism, the
literature is limited on how the experience of CSA is further complicated for children with autism
(Hoover, 2015; Kerns, Newschaffer, & Berkowitz, 2015). A brief overview of what is known about
the experience of CSA for children without autism is presented, covering the prevalence and the
effects of CSA. What little is known about CSA among children with autism is also presented,
along with an overview of autism.
Description
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Article
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Keywords
child sexual abuse, trauma, autism, research
Citation
Carbajal, J., & Praetorius, R. T. (2020). How Does Autism Affect the Processing of Child Sexual Abuse Trauma?. Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice, 5(1), 4.