This practitioner guide has been developed to help domestic abuse practitioners work more effectively and safely with Neurodivergent men who use violence and abuse in their intimate relationships. While domestic abuse perpetrator interventions provide essential opportunities for accountability and change, most existing programmes have been designed around neurotypical norms. This creates barriers for Neurodivergent clients – particularly Autistic men and men with Attention Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder (ADHD) – whose sensory, communication, processing, and emotional regulation needs often differ from what programmes assume. When these differences are not recognised, interventions can inadvertently become inaccessible or even disabling.
The guide responds to this gap by offering practical, neuro-affirming strategies that support meaningful engagement while maintaining a clear victim-survivor-centred and accountability-focused approach. It emphasises that neurodivergence does not cause domestic abuse. Neurodivergent men who use violence and abuse often express similar attitudes, beliefs, and patterns of harm as neurotypical perpetrators; gendered entitlement, social norms, and power dynamics still play a central role. However, Neurodivergent men may face additional barriers – such as sensory overwhelm, difficulty with transitions, communication differences, or shame sensitivity – that can affect how they participate in interventions.
Funded via an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Impact Acceleration Grant, this guide was co-produced by researchers at Durham University in collaboration with Neurodivergent-led organisations, domestic abuse specialists, and statutory and voluntary sector partners across England and Scotland. This ensured that the guide could be broadly compliant and in conjunction with any domestic abuse perpetrator intervention, irrespective of its theoretical orientations. It drew on a series of Action Learning Sets, extensive partner feedback, and a pilot phase across multiple sites. Although the pilot period was too short for full organisational integration, this resource will be further evaluated as it becomes embedded in practice. A companion guide for victim-survivor practitioners is also planned to support integrated responses within domestic abuse perpetrator interventions.
A key contribution of the guide is distinguishing structural control – the coping strategies Neurodivergent people use to manage anxiety, sensory overload, and unpredictability – from coercive control, which is rooted in entitlement, domination, and intentional restriction of a partner’s autonomy. These can intersect in harmful ways, particularly where gendered privilege or fear-based relational patterns amplify the impact of structural coping needs. The guide introduces the concept of coercive structural control to help practitioners identify when coping strategies become abusive in practice.
To support safe and inclusive delivery, the guide adapts the Autistic SPACE Framework (Sensory, Predictability, Acceptance, Communication, Empathy) to the domestic abuse context. It provides tools for assessment, planning, communication, learning support, group facilitation, managing distress, understanding risk in the home, and addressing harmful behaviours in ways that are accessible to Neurodivergent clients. It also highlights the strengths Neurodivergent people contribute to group work such as creativity, honesty, deep thinking, and unique perspectives.
Beyond direct work with clients, the guide highlights the importance of neuroinclusive workplaces, including recruitment practices, supportive environments for Neurodivergent staff, and organisational cultures where Neurodivergent practitioners’ strengths are recognised and valued.
Overall, this guide aims to ensure that interventions are for everyone, not disabling for some. By removing barriers, enhancing accessibility, and keeping victim-survivors’ safety at the forefront, it supports more effective behaviour-change work, more equitable practice, and better outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.