A shocking new online survey has found that nearly 90 percent of autistic children in the Bay State have been targeted by bullying so violent and ruthless that a state lawmaker says teachers and school systems must be held accountable.
The survey conducted by the Massachusetts Advocates for Children includes painful testimony from parents of autistic children who felt so tortured they stayed home from school for extended periods and even considered suicide.
This information isn't brand new. Most families are well aware that their kids with autism (especially those with high functioning autism or Asperger syndrome) are easy targets. What's more, the article doesn't mention what percentage of typically developing kids are bullied - probably a fairly high number.
Kids with autism, though, are far more likely to be victimized than almost any other group. While they don't have physical differences that are obvious at first glance, many move, speak or act so differently that they stand out like sore thumbs in any inclusive environment. Because they have poor social/communications skills, they easily fall prey to young con artists who convince them to do or say things they shouldn't.
Bullying is no small deal. And as school inclusion becomes more prevalent (for both legal and financial reasons), it's probably going to rise.
Has your child with autism encountered bullying at school? Has the school let you know about it? Has the school helped to handle it? What are your experiences or tips for parents of kids with autism concerned about bullying?
The idea of this survey was to “The survey was prepared as part of an effort to pass legislation requiring that autistic children be taught bullying coping tactics as part of their individual educational plans.” This sounds odd to me. You shouldn’t have to teach any kid coping skills for bullying, should you? There should be no bullying, period, of any child. Having this as part of an IEP is as if you’re expecting it to happen.
Sandy – interesting point. I wonder what the thinking was? Perhaps something like “well, we can teach kids not to bully, but they will anyway – so what can we do about that?”
Lisa
The problem with kids with autism and this bully thing is, no one ever sees it, and it becomes a “he said – he said situation” and that’s IF the child with autism ever recognizes it as a bad bully behavior. Teaching kids with autism coping skills isn’t at all the answer, and it’s harder to do than one may think. You’re asking a child with autism to interpret social intent and my kid get’s it wrong every time.
Adults is the answer being there to protect those who cant protect themselves. Target’s of bullying isn’t just of those with disabilities, either and it’s been going on since probably the first born child of the world. Bullying needs to stop, period.
Our school does not allow bullying, they are “on it”. However, it happens outside of school, it happened to us this weekend, a play date turned bad, the parents said their child treated mine really badly and that he was going to be punished. Mine won’t tell what happened, he’s very depressed . What was going to be a nice day, a two hour playdate then a trip to the school bazaar, ended , leaving mine to wander around the bazaar alone and sad. He was determined that if he couldn’t have his friend he was going to do what he had planned by himself. It was so sad, he wouldn’t include his brothers who could have taken up the slack, because he’s so obsessive ,it just wasn’t part of the plan. I feel his pain, I can’t help, he won’t tell. When I looked up the reference story above, the picture looked so much like my son, I could cry. The good thing is, tomorrow is school, he loves his school, it’s a safe place for him. ..so far.. They use a program out of DC, ” valuesfirst” in his school and in many public, charter and private schools in the DC/Baltimore area. Bullying is terrible, and I don’t know if you can teach a child to bear it. I know in this case it was probably the addition of the playdate’s neighbor friends that caused it , and I blame the parents for not calling me before he was victimized. I can’t make rules for these people, I can’t say, if mine comes over he can’t be included in the street group. I don’t think I can let him go back, it isn’t a learning moment, instead I believe it’s destructive to his growth, and another hit to his so fragile ego.
Bullying should not be tolerated, but teachers and aides
can’t always be there to stop it. We must empower the
other children in the classes, on the playgrounds, etc..
I attended an excellent workshop “Bullies and Victims”(TM)
Workshop-a program of SuEllen Fried and the STOP
Violence Coalition, Kansas. This was an excellent training
course, and I was asked by several teachers on my campus to present to their classes–the response by the students was overwhelming–tears, stories,and solutions.
Teachers were encouraged to” post rules clearly written,
follow through, and note trigger behaviors including
academic frustration, peer pressure, changes in routine,
and baggage from home. The presentation also involves
role-playing by students for situations and solutions.
I just want to make a little plug for the organization that did this study: Mass Advocates for Children, in Boston. They are a powerhouse group, they helped get the Ch. 766 Laws in place in Massachusetts — all running on a shoestring. They are real watchdogs for families like mine.
Bullying occurred for me as social interaction. I thought these people were my friends, it never occurred to me that they were humiliating me until it was too late and I never learned how to stop it happening again.
My experience is that bullying by teachers is more widespread and worse than bullying by fellow students. I studied in France, but I think the situation in other countries is no different.