health
Nearly half of youths with autism are victims of bullying
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Sept. 10, 2012
Forty-six percent of adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder have been bullied — four times more than others their age, a study shows.
The study was based on information gathered from 920 parents and published online Sept. 3 in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (link). Little research has been done on bullying of youths with ASD, the study said.
“Future interventions should incorporate content that addresses the core deficits of adolescents with an ASD, which limits their verbal ability to report bullying incidents,” the study’s authors said. “Schools should incorporate strategies that address conversational difficulties and the unique challenges of those with comorbid conditions. & Inclusive classrooms need to increase the social integration of adolescents with an ASD into protective peer groups while also enhancing the empathy and social skills of typically developing students toward their peers with an ASD and other developmental disabilities.”
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/09/10/hlbf0910.htm.
