Many children with autism experience bullying at school. Over 40% of parents of children and young people on the autism spectrum report that their children have been bullied at school, rising to 59% of children and young people with high functioning autism and Asperger syndrome.
What we’re doing
Following the publication of our report B is for bullied, we gave evidence to the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee. We also helped the Government develop school guidance on tackling bullying of children with special education needs (SEN), including carrying out consultation with young people on the spectrum and parents. We gained significant improvements to the guidance during its production and autism is one of the main disabilities specifically highlighted in the document as a result of our involvement.
We also worked with the Government as they developed a DVD resource for schools about disablist bullying. We have been involved in the Government’s discussions about making sure schools record and report all incidents of bullying of disabled children, including children with autism. We continue to work with the Government to make sure bullying of children with autism is taken as seriously as it must be.
If you need information, support and advice on educational provision and entitlements, contact our volunteer telephone support Advocacy for Education Service. For more information on autism and bullying, read our guide for young people.