Love Shouldn't Hurt

Addressing Gendered Violence Against Neurodivergent Kids, Teens, and Adults

May 3, 2027, 1:00 - 3:00pm CDT
Virtual via Zoom
Fee: $10 full members; $25 partial members and nonmembers
Continuing Education Hours: 2.0

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Course Description

Women with developmental disabilities are seven times more likely than the general population to be victims of sexual abuse, and yet there remains few resources and options for people with disabilities to get the education, support, and resources they need to prevent or report abuse and remain safe. This session will provide attendees with a better understanding of risk factors that increase vulnerability, how disability may be uniquely exploited in abusive relationships, concrete tools for talking with neurodivergent clients about healthy relationships and sexuality, and ways to adapt current services to provide more inclusive education or counseling.

Learning Objectives: 

• After participating in this session, attendees should be able to understand how our systems create or maintain barriers to accessing safe relationships
• After participating in this session, attendees should be able to apply knowledge of systemic barriers to improve safety and connection for neurodivergent clients
• After participating in this session, attendees should be able to evaluate their agency's current gaps in providing trauma-informed care to neurodivergent clients
• After participating in this session, attendees should be able to create concrete plans for providing outreach, education, and trauma-informed support to neurodivergent clients

Ellen Merker, MS, LPC

I have a BS and MS in Rehabilitation Psychology from UW Madison and have spent my entire career supporting neurodivergent kids, teens, and adults in various capacities. I founded Heart Consulting in 2017 with the mission to reduce gendered violence against neurodivergent folx through education, caregiver consultation and training, trauma therapy, and professional training. Many therapists lack experience working with neurodivergent folx and are unsure of the unique challenges they face, systematic barriers to safe and meaningful relationships, and how to adapt therapy or education approaches to ensure inclusive services. I regularly provide training through the Waisman's Community Outreach Wisconsin to help caregivers learn how to better support healthy relationships and sexuality for neurodivergent teens and adults, presentations to professional agencies on how they can adapt their services to be more trauma-informed and inclusive, and directly with caregivers who may be struggling to talk about relationships and sexuality at home.