Communication difficulties in children living with IDD increase their vulnerability to maltreatment and create significant barriers to disclosure and intervention. Challenges with expressive and receptive language can be exploited by abusers and misunderstood by protective adults.

Non-verbal or minimally verbal children are less able to communicate abuse to a trusted adult, leaving their experiences hidden. Cognitive delays may prevent understanding of what abuse is or the ability to distinguish appropriate from inappropriate behavior. Even when abuse is recognized, children may lack the skills to recount events or identify the abuser and location.

Difficulty expressing wants and needs can make children living with IDD targets for physical abuse and neglect. These children often form trusting relationships with many people and may not recognize when boundaries are violated, increasing the risk of sexual abuse. Children who rely on many caregivers for intimate personal care have increased contact with potential abusers.

Since children living with IDD often cannot report abuse directly, behavioral and circumstantial indicators become crucial for detection. Once abuse is suspected, the child's communication challenges create significant obstacles in the investigation process. If the child is unable to use words, they communicate distress through behavioral changes (e.g., aggression, withdrawal, self-injury, extreme tantrums).

Protective adults frequently misinterpret these red flags as symptoms of the disability itself (“It’s just the autism”) rather than signs of trauma, leading to delayed intervention. Child Protective Services and legal professionals may doubt the credibility of a child with IDD, assuming they are “easily suggestible” or unable to provide a reliable account. This can lead to cases being dismissed or not taken seriously.

Traditionally, forensic interviews are highly verbal and rely on complex questions, which can be inaccessible and overwhelming for a child living with IDD. Without trained interviewers who can use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems, visual aids, or simplified language, the child cannot accurately share their story.

Children living with IDD are often taught to be compliant and agreeable with adults. In an interview, they may be prone to saying “yes” or agreeing with a suggested answer simply to please the authority figure, which can compromise the integrity of the disclosure.

These communication challenges in children with IDD create a perfect storm of risk: they increase a child’s vulnerability, limit their ability to report, and often cause their legitimate distress signals to be overlooked or dismissed.