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Submission information
Submission Number: 181
Submission ID: 1179
Submission UUID: bffb3180-8e7c-4646-b248-fb4a20b3e515
Submission URI: /2025/abstracts
Created: Fri, 06/20/2025 - 10:31
Completed: Fri, 06/20/2025 - 10:47
Changed: Tue, 07/15/2025 - 18:06
Remote IP address: 102.222.62.8
Submitted by: Anonymous
Language: English
Is draft: No
Current page: Complete
Webform: Abstract
Presenters
Ms.
Keyser
San-marié
Nwu potchefstrrom
San-Marié Keyser is a registered Social Worker at NG Welfare since May 2019, specialising in child protection, early intervention, and statutory services. Since 2020, she has conducted forensic assessments and attended related training. She earned her BSW in 2017, her Master’s in Forensic Social Work in 2020, and will receive her PhD from North-West University on 1 August 2025. Her first article was published in Child Abuse Research in 2020. She is currently preparing five publications from her PhD research. Her work focuses on improving forensic social work practice through research and field experience.
No
Abstract
Guidelines for implementing the National Institute for Child Health development protocol when assessing children with autism spectrum disorder.
THEME 2: Social Work and the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
SUB 2.3 Work with special and vulnerable populations (children, families, women, older persons, LGBTQIA+ etc).
Oral Presentation
In current forensic assessments, there are no guidelines that specifically address the unique needs of autistic children. Due to the challenges associated with communicating with these children, forensic assessors find it difficult to evaluate them accurately. This often results in the failure to prosecute perpetrators. Guidelines would provide autistic children with an opportunity to receive proper forensic assessments in a manner sensitive to their specific needs. These guidelines can also be implemented during care and contact assessments, voice of the child assessments, and socio-emotional assessments involving autistic children. This creates opportunities for new interventions targeting the autism community from a social worker’s perspective. When professionals make small adjustments and demonstrate attentiveness to the specific needs of autistic children, they create a safe environment where these children can disclose information about circumstances that may harm their well-being.
In this presentation, I will focus on the considerations for the guidelines, as well as the scientific models and information obtained from the Lancet document to inform the guidelines.
Outline of presentation slides.
1. Introduction
• Background
• Importance of accurate and sensitive assessments
• Issue: lack of guidelines for autistic children
2. The Problem
• Communication and behavioural characteristics of autistic children
• Challenges forensic assessors face (e.g., misinterpretation, limited disclosure)
• Consequences: underreporting, misjudgment, failure to prosecute perpetrators
3. The Need for Guidelines
• Forensic protocol’s shortcommings
• How tailored guidelines could:
- Improve communication and understanding
- Ensure fair and sensitive assessment processes
- Support justice for autistic children
4. Broader Application of Guidelines
• Use in other assessment types:
• Importance of consistency across systems
5. Implications for Social Work Practice
• Role of social workers in implementing inclusive, neurodiverse-informed practices
• Small adjustments = big impact
• Potential for new interventions and advocacy
6. Conclusion
• lack of guidelines = missed justice and protection
• Call to action: develop and adopt guidelines, train assessors
• Final thought: Inclusion is protection
In this presentation, I will focus on the considerations for the guidelines, as well as the scientific models and information obtained from the Lancet document to inform the guidelines.
Outline of presentation slides.
1. Introduction
• Background
• Importance of accurate and sensitive assessments
• Issue: lack of guidelines for autistic children
2. The Problem
• Communication and behavioural characteristics of autistic children
• Challenges forensic assessors face (e.g., misinterpretation, limited disclosure)
• Consequences: underreporting, misjudgment, failure to prosecute perpetrators
3. The Need for Guidelines
• Forensic protocol’s shortcommings
• How tailored guidelines could:
- Improve communication and understanding
- Ensure fair and sensitive assessment processes
- Support justice for autistic children
4. Broader Application of Guidelines
• Use in other assessment types:
• Importance of consistency across systems
5. Implications for Social Work Practice
• Role of social workers in implementing inclusive, neurodiverse-informed practices
• Small adjustments = big impact
• Potential for new interventions and advocacy
6. Conclusion
• lack of guidelines = missed justice and protection
• Call to action: develop and adopt guidelines, train assessors
• Final thought: Inclusion is protection
Reviewer ONE Feedback
Dr
Nyasha Hillary
Chibaya
Yes
Practice
Rejected
Reviewer TWO Feedback
Dr
Ilze
Slabbert
Yes
Practice
Pending Review