How Teachers Can Prevent Bullying in Autistic Children in Schools
Bullying is a huge problem for teachers everywhere. A new CBS survey finds that 63% of autistic children are bullied in the United States, which is absolutely crazy. Another source puts kids with autism at a higher risk, not only in college or high-school but also from siblings at home, according to Healthline.
Bullying is a problem that must be fixed. And guess what. There are solutions that can be implemented to diminish this problem…
Understand what bullying means
To help bring a change in schools, you must first understand what bullying actually means. Here are some things you should be well aware of.
- Bullying occurs at all grade levels and within (I would say all) schools worldwide. Bullying is defined as aggressive behavior towards another individual whether physical, verbal, nonverbal, or emotional. Bullying is repetitive.
- Teasing does not equal bullying. When a boy likes a girl, he teases her by pulling her hair or hugging her when she least expects it. Bullying, in reverse, is showing power over another person without any compassion. Bullying is violent and excludes the other person, while teasing includes the other person in the game.
- The most recent type that you should be concerned about is cyberbullying or intimidating another person on social media.
Remove the labels and address the behavior
Yes, bullying is absolutely terrifying, and as parents or teachers we understand that in a deeper sense – but kids don’t. Kids don’t understand what ‘autistic’ means or ‘different’ symbolizes. Most kids create their realities based on known parameters. If they are not being taught what these words mean, they won’t know. Some might even think their behavior is ‘cool’ and very acceptable; and they shouldn’t be blamed for that. Their parents should.
Don’t put labels on them, do not call these kids ‘bullies.’ That won’t fix the problem. Instead, start calling out their behaviors – explain why their attitude is not appropriate. Give out real reasons, writes assignment writing help coordinator, Gina Bailey.
Set rules
As a teacher, you already know that rules are crucial. They solve many problems and can even prevent some from popping up. Set rules that cover more than one situation. For example, a rule could be, ‘Never laugh about someone slower than you.’ Enforce these rules in your small community and design consequences for those who don’t respect them. This will diminish inappropriate behavior since rules involve personal responsibility, safety, and respect.
Reward positive attitude and behavior
Reinforcing good behavior is by far a better teaching strategy. Catching your kid or student ‘do good’ should be highly appreciated. They’ll probably engage in that activity again since the feedback is always so positive. Rewarding positive behavior helps students learn faster and avoid unresolved traumas later in their future. This helps bullies become more accepting more quickly and less likely to ever pick on your autistic kids.
Reward open communication
The key to solving any issue is open communication, so help students communicate as much as possible. You could arrange one-on-one appointments with the ‘bullies’ and set up a non-judgmental environment for open discussion, recommends best essay specialist and doctor, James O’Malley. Bullies usually bully because they feel undervalued, so they need to show off their strength. Once you find out what makes them feel undervalued, you can easily break them off and help them love themselves more. Once you managed to do that, they’ll never bully again. Give them the benefit of the doubt, they’re also kids.
Help autistic children become aware
While it’s true that some of the best essay writers and musicians are autistic, their outside awareness level is lower compared to other children’s.
Some autistic children might not even be aware that they’re being bullied. You could bring awareness to this issue by constantly asking them if they have any unexplained injuries, difficulty sleeping or focusing, changes in their eating habits, or frequent headaches.
You could also ask them if they’ve lost any friends recently and check their level of interest in school. In any case, keep them in the loop. Keep them aware that this could happen, and help them understand that with patience and compassion, these moments will pass.
Promote fair education on autism
Education on autism is absolutely essential. Children and parents must both be able to understand what bullying means, recognize it, and then act upon it. Defusing it can only come as a result of active education in schools and everywhere else, really. Teachers should also be trained on how to deal with bullying and prevent it from ever happening.
Wrapping Up
Understand what bullying means, it’s your job as a teacher. Then, educate other parents and teachers on the subject. Remove labels and address the behaviors to pro-actively change something. Reward open communication and reinforce positive behavior. Good luck!
Author Bio:
Ashley Simmons is a professional journalist and editor. She has been working for Best Custom Essay for 4 years. She offers the best essay writing service on the market. For that, she is considered a custom essay papers expert in topics such as psychology, modern education, business and marketing innovations. She is a master in her craft.