Towards Neurodiversity-Affirmative Provision Within Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programs: Exploring the Experiences and Perspectives of Domestic Abuse Practitioners From Australia, The Netherlands, The United Kingdom and The United States

While minimum standards for Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programs (DAPP) are beginning to reflect the need for neurodiversity-affirmative provision, the intersection of neurodivergence and domestic abuse remains poorly understood, as are the implications for DAPP provision. This paper draws on semi-structured interviews with neurodivergent and neurotypical domestic abuse perpetrator program practitioners from Australia, the Netherlands, the United States and the United Kingdom who had adapted how they worked to be more inclusive of Autistic men and those with lived experience of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The aims of this study are two-fold. Firstly, it explores DAPP practitioners' understandings of neurodivergent (Autistic and ADHD) men's violence, coercion and control towards their partners. Secondly, it details how DAPP practitioners had adapted their practice to make it more inclusive of neurodivergent men. Although a small sample, new insights were revealed about how practitioners understood the intersection of neurodivergence and domestic abuse, and how their views shaped how they work with neurodivergent men within DAPP provision. While practitioners stressed that Autism and ADHD do not cause domestic abuse, a major finding was that Autistic and/or ADHD men may exert control not only as a form of abuse, but also as a coping strategy to manage anxiety, (dys)regulation, and to provide structure in a disabling and unpredictable, neurotypical world. Other insights included the need to suspend (neurotypical) assumptions about how their neurodivergent men experience, perceive and relate to the world and the relationships they encounter within it so that they can engage them on a more meaningful level. Practitioners also offered up reflections and concerns when working with victim-survivors within integrated partner support services. Practice implications and future research are discussed.