My ASD Child

"My son (age 9) with high functioning autism tells me that he has been bullied by one of his classmates since the start of the school year. My son said he didn't mentioned it earlier because he didn't realize until recently that this other student was actually doing something "wrong" (go figure). How do you address bullying when the school seems to be indifferent about it – and has even blamed my son for initiating some of the conflict? If they don’t actually see the bullying taking place, they seem to assume that it’s not going on and that my son is simply exaggerating the problem." According to research, 94% of kids with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger’s (AS) are bullied. Bullying usually begins when the HFA or AS student is harassed by another student (or a group of students), but is unable to resist and lacks the support of others. It usually continues if the student doing the bullying has little or no sympathy for the peer they are hu

“My ASD son (high functioning) continues to be bullied at school, but nobody there seems to take it seriously. His teach said that ‘he seems to start the arguments by annoying some of the other students.’ O.K. Fine. Maybe this is true, but that doesn’t justify bullying. How can I get the school to take this seriously?” Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, disability harassment is against the law in all schools, school districts, and colleges and universities that receive public funds. “Special needs” kids who are bullied or harassed have legal rights to grievance procedures and due process on the local level. They can also file complaints with the Office of Civil Rights. Nevertheless, in spite of all these laws and policies, the National Education Association estimates that every 7 minutes of every school day, a youngster is a victim of bullying, and 85% of the time there is no intervention by other children or grown-ups. Your youngster's school may have anti-

Question What's the best way to handle a bully whom the school has not disciplined effectively in past years? The father is very defensive and does not believe that the kid is bullying my kid. Are karate lessons the best defense? Do I talk to the youngster? Answer As you know from personal experience, bullying is a serious problem for kids with Aspergers (high-functioning autism). Some experts say that as many as 85% of children with Aspergers are subjected to bullying. Others place that number much closer to 100%. The very symptoms and characteristics of Aspergers are the cause. Since your youngster processes things a little differently, he has become a target for this other youngster. Most schools have strict anti-bullying policies. These policies include children signing anti-bullying contracts, assemblies and classes by trained social workers, and strict discipline policies. Unfortunately, most schools continue to have a problem, in spite of the polic

Kids with Asperger’s (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) are more likely to be lonely than “typical” kids. Research shows that they face considerable challenges in making and keeping friends. There are many causes that may result in loneliness for these young people. For example: Change in environment (e.g., relocation from country side to cities, relocation from joint families to nuclear families) Change in school Fear of school bullies Feeling of being invisible Feeling of being isolated Inability of making friends easily Lack of self-confidence Lack of social support Lacking of understanding from others Losing a friend Loss of a mother or father Rejection from friends Relocation of a friend Shyness Signs that your AS or HFA youngster is feeling lonely include: draws sad pictures fails to interact with peers in class never discusses or speaks with other kids never invites kids to his house plays sad tunes prefers being in his room rather than staying

"I've decided to home-school my son (high functioning autistic) starting next year (even though it's in the middle of school year) because of the bullying that is going on in his public school this year. Am I being over-protective? Also, how can autistic children be helped with bullying so they can return to public school at some point?" Unfortunately, the majority of kids with High-Functioning Autism (HFA), or ASD level 1, experience bullying or victimization at school. There are many reasons for this, but mainly it is because these young people stand out from typically developing children due to their problems in social situations. Kids who bully are socially savvy and are able to keep from getting caught, which makes bullying difficult to spot and stop. Children on the autism spectrum have a low social IQ , so they either do not notice the bullying, retaliate, or get the blame for it shifted onto them! It is the responsibility of parents and teachers to

Thursday, April 22, 2010 Aspergers Children Being Bullied Kids with Aspergers are ideal targets for bullying. Aspergers kids tend to be socially isolated and awkward in conversations and physical coordination. An Aspie youngster often has interests that other kids consider odd, or may have unusual verbal or physical habits. Most rewarding, from a bully’s perspective, is how easily many Aspergers kids “meltdown” and lose control when under pressure. Approximately 90 percent of Aspergers kids are bullied – some sources suggest the number is closer to 100 percent. Adults with Aspergers often relate how helpless, angry and alone schoolyard bullying made them feel, and how the effects of bullying followed them into their adult lives. Talking about Bullying with Aspergers Kids— Kids with Aspergers have enough difficulty interacting at school without the added pressure of bullying. Unfortunately their problems understanding social conventions make it d