Understanding Neurodivergence and Grooming

Content warning: This episode discusses grooming and sexual assault. Some listeners may decide to skip this one.

This week Monique interviews fellow psychologist Anna Clarke on grooming. As a multiply neurodivergent psychologist, EMDR therapist, and play therapist, Anna is passionate about supporting care teams with a trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming lens, and they are experienced in working with survivors of sexual assault and family violence.

On this episode Monique and Anna unpack this incredibly important topic, including what makes grooming such an insidious, ‘hard to pin down’ practice. Monique and Anna cover:

• Anna’s understanding of neurodivergence, their path to discovering their own neurodivergence, and what late identification has meant for them.
• What is grooming?
• What kinds of relationships have the potential for grooming behaviour?
• The distinct phases of grooming.
• The factors that increase the likelihood of disabled, neurodivergent, and / or previously traumatised folk being targeted for grooming.
• What effect does grooming have on the individual and on their broader support network?
• Other forms of manipulation like love bombing and gaslighting.
• Signs to look out for – both in the perpetrator and the person being groomed.
• Ways that parents and the broader community can protect vulnerable people from grooming.
• Anna’s advice for those who have experienced grooming or who suspect they may be experiencing this.

Find out more about Anna’s work on this topic and sign up for their upcoming Grooming Webinar (with all profits being donated to support services for survivors of sexual assault) through Divergent Futures. 

Here are some resources we’d recommend:

• Blue Knot Foundation. Call 1300 657 380 or email helpline@blueknot.org.au - Supporting adult survivors of childhood trauma and adult survivors of institutional child sexual abuse around the National Redress Scheme. Also has resources for supporters of survivors.
• Check out the National Resource on grooming. This page has all the National information for Australia on grooming, and on reporting grooming or abuse.
• State based victim support reporting and links. 
• Autistic Guide to Healthy Relationships.

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