Research consistently shows that autistic youth (particularly girls and young women) face a significantly higher risk of sexual abuse, grooming, and harassment. Navigating social cues, setting personal boundaries, or recognizing unsafe situations can be incredibly challenging. At the same time, a lack of clear education on consent can sometimes lead to unintentional boundary violations by autistic individuals themselves.

To bridge this gap, we are introducing VERA project latest project output: Inclusive Training Programme, which is a practical, trauma-informed, and evidence-based curriculum designed to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence (GBV).

Moving away from traditional theoretical instruction, the programme uses innovative, behavior-based methods – specifically Theatre of the Oppressed techniques. By using drama, roleplay, and scenario-based learning, participants can experiment with real-world situations and practice safe responses in a secure, supportive environment.

Who is the Training Programme for?

The curriculum is designed as a PDF guide and is uniquely tailored for three interconnected target groups:

1. For Professionals: Strengthening the Safeguarding Network

• Who it’s for: Educators, psychologists, social workers, healthcare providers, youth workers, and law enforcement.
• The Focus: Equipping frontline professionals with a trauma-informed, rights-based, and neurodiversity-affirming framework.
• Key Outcomes: Learning how to adapt communication styles, recognize early signs of grooming or coercive control, handle disclosures ethically, and establish accessible, alternative reporting options that reassure victims they are being taken seriously.

2. For Caregivers: Supporting Those Who Support Autistic Youth

• Who it’s for: Parents and informal carers of young people with ASD.
• The Focus: Overcoming communication barriers and addressing the deep-seated fears caregivers have regarding their children’s safety and understanding of boundaries.
• Key Outcomes: Practical tools to initiate delicate conversations about consent, balance protective instincts with the youth’s autonomy, recognize signs of distress, and proactively encourage a safe environment for open disclosure.

3. For Youth: Building Self-Advocacy and Confidence

• Who it’s for: Young people on the autism spectrum.
• The Focus: Experiential, non-formal education focused on peer empowerment.
• Key Outcomes: Distinguishing between public and private spaces, understanding types of relationships, mastering the concept of consent, and building the confidence to react and report unsafe behaviors – ultimately preparing them to act as “safety ambassadors” for their peers.

Current Status: The Piloting Stage! 

We are officially taking this curriculum from theory to practice. The training programme is currently entering its pilot phase across our partner countries, including Italy, Spain, and Estonia. If you want to learn more about dates of the pilot workshops – feel free to reach out to VERA project implementing partner in your coutry.

Once finalised, the Training programme will be also available in Italian, Spanish, and Estonian languages.