Research Group One
Neurodiversity and assessing harmful sexual behaviour
Ikrah Ahmed, Graham Kennedy, Rachel Edwards
Swaay is a specialist residential service for boys and young males who have exhibited sexually harmful behaviour. Alongside this, Swaay provides community-based services offering assessment and treatment for individuals of both sexes aged 8–25 years.
In recent years, we have observed an increase in referrals involving autistic young people where there are concerns about their sexual behaviour. In our experience, repetitive and restricted behaviours and interests —a core feature of autism—appear to often contribute to their concerning sexual behaviour.
While there is increasing research with autistic individuals and harmful sexual behaviours in forensic settings, there is limited considerations on the role repetitive and restricted behaviours and interests have in this. Autistic young people often develop intense, focused interests, sometimes referred to as hyper fixations or special interests. While these can promote learning, emotional regulation and social engagement, some fixations may be harmful to themselves or others if they involve unhealthy and unsafe behaviours.
As part of an MSc research project, we examined practitioners experience of how repetitive and restricted behaviours and interests may influence the development and persistence of these behaviours in autistic young people and explored interventions they have tried in order to address this. This workshop will present the research findings and reflect on Swaay’s practice—highlighting what has been effective and what challenges remain.
Sally Baker
Sally Baker is a Trainee Clinical Psychologist in the final year of the Trent Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Prior to this she has 16 years worth of experience in working in youth justice related posts, including specialist posts in working with children and families where the child has displayed harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) and Technology-Assisted Harmful Sexual Behaviour (TA-HSB). Sally has strong interests in attachment and trauma-informed practice; HSB and TA-HSB; e-safety and contextual safeguarding.
Amanda Paton
Amanda is an executive leader and Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years’ experience working with child abuse and trauma.
She is the Deputy Director, Practice for the Australian Centre for Child Protection at the University of South Australia, and the Program Director for the Graduate Certificate in Childhood Trauma. She oversees the Solutions Project for Understanding and Responding to Harmful Sexual Behaviours and the Child Sexual Abuse Workforce Capacity Building projects for WA, including the research, development and implementation of evidence-based models and workforce development trainings for responding to child abuse, neglect, trauma and harmful sexual behaviours across the WA context.
She is also the Co-Chief Investigator leading the development of the National Clinical and Therapeutic Framework Responding to Children and Young People who have Displayed Harmful Sexual Behaviours and was Chief Investigator developing the National Minimum Practice Standards for Specialist and Community Support Services Responding to Child Sexual Abuse.
Amanda is Chair of the National Clinical Reference Group for Harmful Sexual Behaviours and is a member of the Care Plan Review Panel for WA Department of Communities.
Lesley Anne Ey
Associate Professor Lesley-Anne Ey is a national leader in the field of harmful sexual behaviour in education settings. She is highly regarded as an applied education researcher specialising in providing real-world solutions to prevent and respond to HSB.
Her research has illuminated the importance of education in primary and secondary prevention and has brought education to the table in this field. She has been instrumental in supporting both national and international education departments/organisations in developing policy, procedure, teacher training and education relative to child sexual abuse and harmful sexual behaviour.