Autism and bulling, a specialist
module for schools and the wider
children’s workforce
Purpose of this presentation
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To support the guidance document written for school staff and
the wider children’s workforce
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Outline what is autism or an Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Share what we know about bulling and autism
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Share the experiences of children and young people with
autism and bulling
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Outline action that school leaders can take/oversee
Aims and objectives
The participants will:
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gain an understanding of autism and Autism Spectrum Conditions
and bullying in the context of autism
• leave will a greater understanding of ways to support children
with autism in the context of school bullying
• leave with an awareness of some anti-bullying interventions that
can be implemented in a school setting
• feel more able to identify and tackle bullying of children with
autism.
What is autism or an Autism
Spectrum Disorder?
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how
a person communicates with, and relates to, other people. It
also affects how they make sense of the world around them.
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It is a spectrum condition, which means that, while all people with
autism share certain difficulties or traits, their condition will affect
them in different ways
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Some people with autism are able to live relatively independent
lives whilst others may have accompanying learning disabilities
and need a lifetime of specialist support
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People with autism may also experience over - or under-sensitivity
to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours which can cause
huge problems on a daily basis.
What is autism or an Autism
Spectrum Disorder?
Asperger syndrome is a form of autism. People with
Asperger syndrome are often of average or above
average intelligence. People with Asperger syndrome
have fewer problems with speech than people with
autism but may still have difficulties with understanding
and processing language.
• More than 1 in 100 people have autism
• This is about one child in approximately every 3 school
classes
• This means that around 700,000 people in the UK have
Asperger syndrome
What is bullying?
The Anti-Bullying Alliance describes bullying as:
The repetitive, intentional hurting of one
person or group by another person or group,
where the relationship involved an
imbalance of power. Bullying can be
physical, verbal or psychological. It can
happen face-to-face or through cyberspace.
What do we know about bulling
and autism?
A response from a survey by the NAS in 2013, one
young person with Asperger’s said:
“Bullies can be made out of anyone. There is no prerequisite for a
bully. If you hurt or offend someone with malicious intent, you
are bullying”
What do we know about bulling
and autism?
Bancroft (2012) found that:
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63% of young people with autism have been bullied at school
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This rises to 75% when we look at secondary school age alone
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Schools’ responses to bullying vary greatly. While some schools
have excellent strategies, others do not always recognise the
seriousness of the issue.
Types of bullying experienced by
children with autism
• Verbal: name calling/discrimination, threats
• Physical: throwing things, tripping, bumping, violence
• Psychological: rumour spreading, whispering, exclusion and
isolations
• Cyber (online)
• Peer pressure
• Controlling / intimidating behaviour of others
• Teachers taking a dislike to you
Results from a NAS focus group of children with autism
who have been bullied. August 2013
What our children said about
bullying:
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“Bulling can be sustained or one off and the waiting and
uncertainty knowing that is will happen again is very difficult”
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“Sticks and stones may break my bones and words leave
emotional scars that never heal”
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“If you bully people you have no excuse. It does not matter how
your life had panned out so far, it gives you no reason to hurt
other people”
Real life affects of bullying…
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Feeling sad
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Having trust issues
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Feeling depressed
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Being scared
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Feeling alone
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Feeling suicidal
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Feeling nervous
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Being ready to “snap”
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Reduced self esteem
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Reduced confidence
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Being self-conscious
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Being on edge
Results from a NAS focus group of children with autism who have been bullied. August 2013
Reporting and occurrence of
bullying for children with autism
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Children with autism are at a greater risk than other children of
being bullied
The more socially isolated the more at risk children are at being
bullied (Humphrey and Symes 2010)
There must be clear routes for pupils, staff and parents and carers
to report incidents of bullying.
One point of contact can be helpful in this.
Some reasons why children with
autism may be bullied
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Increased gullibility
Lack of social support and friendship
Obvious lack of confidence presence an easy target
The young person has less developed social and communication skills
Motor difficulties/particular gait
Less developed hand/eye co-ordination means not very good at sport/ activities
Demonstrations of anger or what might be considered ‘strange’ behaviours make
people a target
Meltdowns (when resources have been drained and there becomes a real risk of
`losing it` Dubin 2007,p97)
It is thought ‘fun’ to cause anger outbursts/meltdowns.
An example of bullying a child with
autism
Heinrichs (2003) found that:
A girl with autism in a school playground is cajoled by three
classmates, masquerading as ‘friends’, of putting drawing pins on
a teachers chair being told that Miss (the teacher) like jokes.
Children with autism as
perpetrators of bullying
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To understand why someone might bully others there is a need
to focus on motivation not on the child's aggressive and
externalising behaviour (Zablotsky 2012).
There is a need to take into account that the child with autism
may:
• have problems knowing how to join in
• have problems understanding the other persons perspective
• have a need for rules and routines and may get anxious and
frightened if these are not adhered to or changed
• be worried about being bullied themselves
(Selected from Rowley 2012, Reid and Batten 2006).
How does bullying make children
with autism feel?
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More judgemental about people
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Miss being able to trust somebody
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Trust and doubt issues
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Don`t want to go to school
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Gives you a thick skin
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Gives you a killer instinct
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Limits what you might do/achieve
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Loss of innocence
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Suspicious of people
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Creates anger management issues
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Want to meet people on neutral terms
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Being in social situations feels like a punishment, but you have to be
there to overcome bullying.
Results from a NAS focus group of children with ASD who have been bullied. August 2013
Action that school leaders can
take/oversee – p1
Bystanders and Bullies
Autism Awareness
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Young people from our focus group felt that autism awareness
training and peer support were amongst the most effective
strategies to help tackle bulling
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It is imperative for the school to be aware that pupils with autism
have needs that are distinct from those pupils with SEN and also
those without SEN
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Promoting a greater understanding of autism amongst peers in
the classroom is a useful strategy in both primary and secondary
schools
Action that school leaders can
take/oversee p2
Schools, staff and infrastructure:
Strategies
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There appears to be a direct link between children who get angry,
‘lose their temper’ and become aggressive and their being bullied
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Children with an autism should be taught strategies that help
them to stay calm in difficult situations
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This may involve them having a quiet area that they can remove
themselves too when they need reduced stimuli, or just to escape
other people.
Action that school leaders can
take/oversee p3
Schools, staff and infrastructure:
Primary School Interventions
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A ‘circle of friends’: who will volunteer to support and include
the child with ASD.
A ‘friendship bench’: where people will sit who want to join in
a game. This will be monitored by the circle of friends.
Have some structure to break times for those who want it
e.g. ball games, skipping etc.
Increase the level of break time supervision by well trained
break time supervisors.
Create a quiet space in the playground.
For breaktime supervisors to be aware of any issues so they
can think about seating arrangements.
A selection of: Stobart 2009, Hattersley 2009, Dubin 2007, Heinrichs 2003
Action that school leaders can
take/oversee p4
Schools, staff and infrastructure:
Secondary School Interventions:
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Careful transition from primary to secondary school.
Early/adequate preparation.
Being in same class as friends from primary school.
Try to ensure that bullying dynamic does not transfer schools.
Introduce mentors (either groups or individuals).
Have ‘buddies’ who will travel to school with the young person with ASD.
Moving classes for lessons particularly difficult, Increased staffing (if possible),
‘buddies’, reduce amount of changes needed in timetable.
Stagger break times to reduce numbers
Have structured events such as lunch clubs
Have a safe quiet area.
A selection of: Stobart 2009, Hattersley 2009, Dubin 2007, Heinrichs 2003
Action that school leaders can
take/oversee p5
Parent support:
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Parents of children with autism need to be included in schemes
being implemented to support their child, such as:
– Peer mentoring schemes
– inviting experts on bullying to speak at parent meetings raises
awareness of the issues
– Information session about autism
“bullies need sorting out at school……as soon as a bully is
noticed parents should be making sure it ends” child with
autism
Conclusion
A multi layered approach could help:
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Improve autism awareness for everyone within the school and
community
Build a close partnership with parents
Identify and implement peer support and strategies that address
the most pressing autism specific needs
Enable each pupil with autism to engage socially and be better
understood by other pupils.
More information
Find more information and resources about bullying
and children and young people with special
educational needs and / or bullying at www.antibullyingalliance.org.uk/send-programme
References
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Dubin, N. (2007)
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Asperger syndrome and bullying: strategies and solutions. Philadelphia, PA: Jessica
Kingsley.
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Hattersley, C. (2009) Autism fact file. Special, (Nov). pp24-26.
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Heinrichs, R. (2003) Perfect targets: Asperger syndrome and bullying: practical solutions
for surviving the social world. Shawnee Mission, Kansas: Autism Asperger Publishing
Company.
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Humphrey, N. and Symes, W. (2010). Perceptions of social support and experience of
bullying among pupils with autistic spectrum disorders in mainstream secondary
schools. European Journal of Special Needs Education, vol.25, no.1 (Feb). pp77-91.
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The National Autistic Society. (2013) What is Autism. Downloaded www.autism.org.uk
30/7/2013
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Reid, B. and Batten, A. (2006). B is for bullied: the experiences of children with autism
and their families. London: National Autistic Society, 8pp.
References continued
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Rowley, E. and others (2012). The experience of friendship, victimization
and bullying in children with an autism spectrum disorder: associations
with child characteristics and school placement. Research in Autism
Spectrum Disorders, Vol.6, Issue 3, July–September, pp1126–1134.
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Smith, P.K. Sharp, S. (1994). The Problem of school bullying. In P.K. Smith
and S. Sharp (Eds), School Bullying: Insights and perspectives (pp. 2-19).
London: Routledge.
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Stobart, A. (2009). Bullying and autism spectrum disorders: a guide for
school staff. London: National Autistic Society.
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Zablotsky, B. (2013b). Risk factors for bullying among children with
autism spectrum disorders. Autism published on line 30 July 2013. DOI:
10.1177/13623613 13477920.
http://aut.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/07/29/1362361313477920.