Bullying and autism: the reality no one talks about enough

What does it feel like to be isolated in a place that’s supposed to be safe? It feels lonely and distressing, yes, I and many others as students who should feel supported are left instead excluded and lack proper care from those around them. 

School is one of the most important things students with autism and their parents rely on. Of course, schools set up curriculum and provide accommodations that best support the students' needs.  

However, students with autism are often placed in situations where they feel overwhelmed and misunderstood. 

You might know students with autism have many characteristics and symptoms, which include their difficulties in speech, emotions, behavior, and other skills. Because of this diversity, it is important for teachers and students to have a clear understanding of autism. 

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A lack of awareness about autism in schools can cause bullying and neglect of autistic children; the need for better education and support systems is important. With an increase in awareness, students would be more familiar with autism and less likely to use differences to spread negativity. Schools would also be able to provide above-the-norm support to students with autism, the more you know.

In Accardo et al. ,“Results show significant positive associations between bullying victimization and depression among autistic youth”. These negative experiences can impact the ability to build relationships later in life and their academic performance.  

This makes it even more important that schools address bullying, including the lack of awareness and understanding of autism. 

The effects of bullying and neglect can also be seen outside of classrooms. Autistic students who experience exclusion may develop anxiety, depression, or a lasting fear of social situations. 

During high school I met Chris, short for Christopher. He was autistic, which was evident from the moment I met him. He could not speak clearly, with only some words coming out clearly, while the rest often came out as mumbles or groans. I often helped him when he was struggling with anything.  

I did not think of helping him as troublesome or tiring; I had fun teaching him or trying to teach him. Meanwhile, my classmates were fooling around talking about his weight or speech.  

Their laughter would echo the classroom in ridicule, while Chris, unaware of their intention, would smile along. Eventually, Chris transferred to schools after being beaten up over something he said. 

While in many situations, schools are a place to learn and interact with others: some students have a habit of messing around and not listening to rules.

This can cause students like Chris to feel unsafe and not trust their peers or teachers. As explained in Autism and Bullying, “The young people in our focus group reported that bullying made them feel lonely and isolated, have low self-esteem and poor mental health, and made them lose their sense of self. They also reported not feeling safe, not wanting to go to school, and not trusting teachers and adults.”  

Autism spectrum disorder can range from mild to severe, but difficulties with social interaction are common. These challenges affect communication and overall social and intellectual development as stated in Autism and Bullying.

Accardo et al. said that they “conducted a meta-analysis and reported the general school bullying victimization of autistic youth at 44%, including 50% verbal bullying, 33% physical, and 31% relational bullying.” 

 A high rate of bullying victimization among autistic youth shows how a school environment has lacked enough enforcement, awareness, or even enough support systems to stop students with autism from being bullied. 

Although bullying can stem from general behavior issues, poor discipline, and straight up bad kids, this view overlooks how most autistic students are often targeted because of their behaviors and the way they speak, which are often misunderstood.  

Without awareness, teachers and students may misunderstand autistic traits, which might be seen as “strange”.  With proper understanding, these “strange” traits or actions can be seen more as common and obvious.  

So, misunderstandings can be lessened and autistic students would be more connected in the community. 

Also, many schools provide support programs and special education programs, especially in the ghetto parts of the city.   

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This support is not always effective if the teachers or students don’t have a good understanding of autism. Without awareness, many teachers might not recognize certain needs of autistic students, which may lead to neglect.  

General support programs may not always talk about bullying, which comes from misunderstandings, and other students who dislike you. A greater awareness and education on autism is needed to ensure support programs protect and include autistic students. 

Some might say awareness won’t help because some people are just mean. Of course, there will still be those mean people who would bully those with autism fully aware of their disability. But with awareness, it will help lower and discourage the amount of bullying being done to autistic students from people who aren’t aware of their disability. 

We all know the fun, intelligent, and cool teachers; they also play a critical role in shaping the experiences of autistic students. Without proper training, many autistic traits for example in the article National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, might be misunderstood, such as lack of eye contact, repetitive movements, or even difficulty following directions, which can be seen as disrespect. 

 This leads to students with autism feeling overwhelmed and opportunities to provide support being missed. When teachers fully understand autism and train in autism awareness, they can provide a better environment in the class and prevent situations that may lead to bullying. 

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 While school is meant to provide a safe learning environment to everyone, not enough attention is given to students with autism. A lack of awareness leads to misunderstandings, bullying, and neglect.  

While student discipline and support programs are provided, they are not enough without proper understanding of autism. By increasing awareness, improving teacher training, and support systems, schools can create a better environment for all students, including those with autism.