Victimisation and mate crime: A conversation with Dr Amy Pearson
The Portal Podcast: Linking Research and Practice for Social WorkShow Notes
In this episode of The Portal Podcast, hosts Professor Sarah Lonbay and Dr Lesley Deacon speak with Dr Amy Pearson, a developmental psychologist at Durham University’s Centre for Neurodiversity and Development. Amy shares her research journey from a traditional, deficit-based view of autism to a neurodiversity-affirming perspective, informed by both her professional work and personal experience as a late-diagnosed autistic woman.
The conversation explores how autism has historically been defined, critiquing outdated concepts such as the “triad of impairments” and gendered interpretations like the “extreme male brain” theory. Amy discusses how the deficit model still dominates many services, despite pockets of progress, and emphasises the need for co-designed, up-to-date training led by neurodivergent people.
A substantial part of the episode focuses on Amy’s “Mate Crime” research, which examines the victimisation of autistic people by those they know, including friends, romantic partners, and family members. She explains how compliance-based interventions can unintentionally teach autistic people to override their own boundaries, increasing vulnerability to abuse. The discussion highlights issues such as poly-victimisation, normalisation of violence, structural barriers to accessing support, and the need for accessible relationship education.
Other topics covered include the dominance of autism within neurodiversity discourse, broad versus narrow definitions of the term “neurodivergent”, the links between autism and eating disorders, misdiagnosis of conditions such as Borderline/ Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, and the societal challenges facing neurodivergent people today. The episode closes with a vision for a more inclusive society and the importance of small, incremental changes in shifting systems and attitudes.
For more information about the episode, including a glossary of key terms and concepts, links to resoures mentioned in the conversation, and a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://wp.sunderland.ac.uk/portal-podcast/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from The Portal Podcast: Linking Research and Practice for Social Work
In this episode of The Portal Podcast, Professor Sarah Lonbay and Dr Lesley Deacon speak with Jenni Guthrie about her work exploring the experiences of autistic and neurodivergent social workers and students. Jenni shares insight into the lack of research in this area, the challenges autistic professionals face in social work, and the strengths they bring to the profession.
In this episode of The Portal Podcast, Professor Sarah Lonbay and Dr Lesley Deacon speak with Professor Hanna Bertilsdotter Rosqvist, a Swedish sociologist and social work professor, activist, and member of the autistic community. Hanna shares her journey from queer studies and community activism into autism research, including her own “community assessment” and self-identification as autistic.
In this episode of The Portal Podcast, hosts Professor Sarah Lonbay and Dr Lesley Deacon speak with Dr Laura Lennuyeux-Comnene and Professor Rebecca Charlton from Goldsmiths, University of London, about the COAST Project – Co-designing Autism Social Work Training. The project focuses on collaborating with older autistic adults, social workers, and social care providers to create training that supports social workers in working more effectively with autistic people aged 50+.
In this episode of the Portal Podcast, Professor Sarah Lonbay and Dr Lesley Deacon speak with writer and author Alice Running about the systemic issue of parent-carer blame in autism and SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) services. Drawing on her lived experience as an autistic mother of neurodivergent children, Alice explains how she has repeatedly encountered damaging narratives from professionals, ranging from assumptions about her parenting to misinterpretations of her children’s needs.
In this episode, Professor Sarah Lonbay and Dr Lesley Deacon speak with experienced independent social worker Cathie Long about her professional and personal journey in the field of neurodiversity, and her research into the contentious and deeply impactful issue of Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII).