Nobody wants to see their child suffer at school, and for parents of children on the spectrum, autism bullying prevention is one more thing that’s important to manage—particularly because it can be quite common.

In 2012, the Interactive Autism Network spoke to parents of autistic children and found that of 1,167 children aged 6 to 15 with ASD, 63% had been bullied at some point in their lives.1 Such findings are disheartening but not unusual, with the mistreatment of autistic students being both a widespread issue and a topic that autism organizations have been working to spread awareness about for many years.

So what can parents and caregivers do? Here are four places to start.

Bullying Children with Autism: How to Take a Stand

The problem of bullying children with autism—particularly in a school setting—is part of a larger issue of bullying that has been at the forefront of the educational community for some time.

For parents and caregivers of a child with ASD, it’s a problem that can’t be ignored, which means taking proactive steps to help children manage autism and bullying at school. And while there’s unfortunately not a one size fits all solution, there are things that can help open up the conversation and possibly mitigate the situation.

Follow the Three R’s

In a feature for Autism Advocate, author Lori Ernsperger, PhD, BCBA-D outlines 3 R’s for bullying prevention: Recognize, Respond, and Report.2 The easiest part of this may be “recognize,” since most parents are aware of the bullying problem at schools for children both with and without ASD. But the other two R’s are equally essential, and require taking action to address bullying when it occurs and to work systematically to provide a safe learning environment—which for parents often means pressuring school administrators to take action.

Provide socialization therapy

Many of the common characteristics of children with autism are things that make them targets for bullying. This includes things like difficulties responding to other kids’ social cues, trouble communicating with peers, and poor self-esteem.3 Socialization therapy isn’t a magical cure, but it can help children with ASD learn to communicate better and even make friends easier—both of which can serve them in a school setting.

Know your rights

Bullying isn’t just a school issue; it’s a legal one too. Laws vary by state,4 but it can be helpful (and even necessary) to familiarize yourself with anti-bullying legislation in your area, particularly laws governing the bullying of children with special needs.

Open up a dialogue

Your child may or may not communicate to you their experience with bullying at school, but you can do your part to facilitate the conversation. Ask open-ended prompts like “Are there kids at your school who hurt other kids’ feelings?” or “Who do you sit with at lunch?”,5 which provide your child with an invitation to open up about their experience. From there, be an active and open minded listener—and, circling back to the first tip, respond and report if warranted.

If you are in need of assistance or support, our team at Autism Specialty Group is here for you. As one of Miami’s leading behavioral health organizations working with children on the autism spectrum and their families, we offer therapeutic services that can help your child better adapt to a school environment. We also offer resources for caretakers, including training courses.

Please contact us if you would like to learn more, and let’s work together to make a plan that helps your child feel safer and more welcome at school.

References

Autism Bullying Prevention for Kids on the Spectrum

Bullying Children with Autism: How to Take a Stand