Autism and Trauma

Trauma can relate to a single incident, or may be an accumulation of multiple, smaller, insidious traumas, e.g. chronic bullying or not feeling cared for whilst growing up. Sadly, many people with autism have had such experiences, especially where autism has not been identified. School can sometimes be the cause. Not fitting in, feeling misunderstood, bullying, being seen as 'naughty' or 'non-compliant or non-engaging' by teachers, and being asked to concentrate in busy, sense-overwhelming environments can all be contributing factors. It is possible that people who have autism may be more vulnerable to traumatisation than people without, due to the constant expectation to fit in and engage in a neurotypical world that can be stressful, draining and sometimes inappropriate.

EMDR is a therapy that can be adapted successfully to use with people who have autism. As there is less of a focus on talking, it could be argued it is especially acceptable to some. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation whilst accessing traumatic memories, in order to move unprocessed traumatic material into memory. The impact of this can be profound, reducing or eliminating trauma symptoms, which can manifest through a whole variety of mental and physical difficulties.

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