The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

We know that individuals with Asperger Syndrome (AS) are bullied and excluded more often than most of their typical peers. We also know that these same individuals often suffer physical, emotional, psychological, and educational consequences because of this bullying and exclusion. The question we want answered is, “What can we do to help them?” During this session I will provide ten practical strategies that adults (parents, teachers and other advocates) can use to make a difference in the lives of the children who are under their watch. We know that individuals with Asperger Syndrome (AS) are bullied and excluded more often than most of their typical peers. We also know that these same individuals often suffer physical, emotional, psychological, and educational consequences because of this bullying and exclusion. The question we want answered is, “What can we do to help them?” During this session I will provide ten practical strategies that adults (parents, teachers, and other advocates) can use to make a difference in the lives of the children who are under their watch.

Bullying is often a covert activity and adults many times do not see or hear what is happening to the child being targeted. However, the targeted child's peers witness and often participate in the bullying and exclusion. Peers are almost always present when bullying occurs, but too often neither the targeted child or the witnesses go to adults for help. According to research, children don't go to adults for help because they either don't think we will help or they think we will make things worse. Even more disturbing, they often simply don't think we care. If we do observe bullying and do nothing to help, the targeted child will become even more vulnerable, hopeless, and self-blaming. The child who is bullying will become more empowered and the witnesses will most likely align themselves with the aggressive peer.

This session will focus on what adults can do to model behaviors that will discourage bullying and instill trust so children and adolescents will be more likely to ask adults for help. For instance, a key strategy is to identify what types of low-level bullying are likely to occur at different development stages. The next step is to proactively assess whether low-level bullying is happening and most importantly, to intervene and address low-level bullying whenever and wherever it occurs.

Participants will learn what adults do that often increases aggression in students and what behaviors they can model that will likely decrease aggression in students. They will also learn specific strategies that can help protect the most vulnerable students, those who are bullied frequently, chronically, and severely.

The goal of this session is to provide a laundry list of beginning strategies that when used consistently, will help make a difference in the lives of children with Asperger Syndrome who are being bullied and excluded.

Learning Objectives: