Unfortunately, in today’s society, it is not unusual to hear stories about students being bullied. Today most people recognize bullying as very serious and that it cannot be dismissed as “kids being kids,” harmless teasing, or a childhood rite of passage. Left unchecked, bullying negatively affects the victims, the school community, and the bullies. Bullying can have a long-lasting impact on victims (and bullies), including depression, anxiety, lower grades, school avoidance, poor self-esteem, increased illness, fewer friends, school violence, and a higher dropout rate.

Thank you to the San Bernardino Fraternal Order of Eagles for their generosity in making this project possible. Thank you to all the resources referenced throughout this document and especially the Autism Society of North Carolina for their tremendous work in this field. We also extend our gratitude to Stephanie Fletcher, Anna Sosa, and Kevin E. Grisham, Ph.D.; without their insight, resources, and assistance, this project outcome would not be the same.

Children with Autism are 3 times more likely to be bullied than their nondisabled peers. For students with Autism, bullying can be hard to understand or even recognize. When a child with a disability such as Autism is bullied, it may also violate their legal rights under IDEA and Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This toolkit was compiled to help families understand what bullying is and empower them with the knowledge of what they can do if they suspect bullying.  This toolkit is meant as a resource for families and students with Autism to help prevent bullying and provide resources if bullying occurs.
Los niños con autismo tienen 3 veces más probabilidades de ser intimidados que sus compañeros sin discapacidades. Para los estudiantes con autismo, la intimidación puede ser difícil de entender o incluso de reconocer. Cuando un niño con una discapacidad como el autismo es intimidado, también puede violar sus derechos legales bajo IDEA y la Sección 504 de la Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades. Este conjunto de herramientas se compiló para ayudar a las familias a comprender qué es el acoso y empoderarlos con el conocimiento de lo que pueden hacer si sospechan que existe acoso. Este kit de herramientas está diseñado como un recurso para familias y estudiantes con autismo para ayudar a prevenir el acoso y proporcionar recursos si ocurre.

 

Autism Society Options Policy

This Resource Guide was developed to provide families and professionals with an opportunity to find resources related to autism in the Inland Empire in one place.

All information provided or published by the Autism Society Inland Empire is for information purposes only. Specific treatment, therapy or services should be provided to an individual only at the direction of the individual’s doctor, caregiver, or other qualified professional. References to any treatment or therapy option, program, service, or treatment provider are not an endorsement by the Autism Society. References of treatments, therapies, programs, services, and/or providers are not intended to be comprehensive statements. You should investigate alternatives that may be more appropriate for a specific individual. The Autism Society assumes no responsibility for the use made of any information published or provided. The Autism Society Inland Empire provides information, but it does not constitute medical or legal information. Referrals provided are suggestions to organizations that might help, but do not constitute a recommendation. The Autism Society Inland Empire cannot be held responsible for consequences that arise from individual dealings with a professional or organization. The inclusion of any organization does not imply endorsement, and omission does not imply disapproval. The Autism Society Inland Empire may add or remove organizations from this list at its discretion.