Double edged sword: disability, domestic abuse; IN the last in a series of features for Domestic Violence Week: Hidden Victims, reporter Sam Casey speaks to charity worker David Newell about how the issue affects people with autism and Asperger syndrome and their families.

Byline: Sam Casey Sam Casey

CARING for someone with a physical or mental disability brings with it obvious challenges. But when that person lashes out because of the frustrations they feel because of their condition, the job can become even more difficult.

David Newell is a development officer for the charity Sacar, which helps people with autism and Asperger syndrome.

The Bradford-based charity also has a base at Huddersfield Methodist Mission on Lord Street.

People with autism and Asperger's tend to struggle socially and find it difficult understanding and relating to other people and taking part in everyday family and social life.

Mr Newell said that the frustrations they feel as a result can sometimes boil over into aggression aimed at the people who love them.

He said: "Because people with autism and Asperger syndrome struggle to understand social situations, they can be very aggressive and abusive at home with parents and partners. "It stems from a frustration about how they can communicate what they might be feeling, or be irritated by.

"Mothers in particular can find it very difficult to deal with, because it peaks and troughs.

"It can be extremely frightening, but it's not necessarily done maliciously, or aimed at anyone in particular. They aren't doing it because they want to." One in 60 people is thought to have autistic tendencies.

Its cause remains something of a mystery.

But, because of the effects on their ability to relate to others, those who live with autism and Asperger's may also find themselves open to abuse. "Their impairment with reading social cues can easily lead them into exploitative and abusive relationships," Mr Newell said. "The correctly judged level of support is essential for people with the condition in order for them to flourish and engage meaningfully with society." But he said there were things people could do to understand better how the condition affects loved ones.

He said: "Look at what support is available, in terms of social skills training so that those that have autism and Asperger syndrome are able to read the social cues that they struggle with." Sacar can be contacted on 01274 778888.

. Police do not keep figures on the number of disabled people who suffer domestic violence. But according to the charity Women's Aid, disabled women are twice as likely to experience domestic violence as non-disabled women.

They are also likely to experience abuse over a longer period of time and to suffer more severe injuries as a result of the violence. The West Yorkshire Police hate crime unit is looking to set up a disability network to talk about issues affecting disabled victims. Womenspace is an independent service for all women in Kirklees, offering, among other services, a drop-in centre, counselling and a hate incident reporting centre. It can be contacted on 01484 536272.

CAPTION(S):

SUPPORT: David Newell is Development Officer for the Sacar Trust; left, those with autism and Asperger syndrome can display aggressive and abusive behaviour