Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms and Bullying Victimization Among Children with Autism in the United States

Forrest, Danequa L.; Kroeger, Rhiannon A.; Stroope, Samuel

doi:10.1007/s10803-019-04282-9

Cited by 47 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Parents of children with autism in Turkey confirm the predictions about negative consequences of quarantine and report stronger pessimism compared to parents of neurotypical children [42]. At the same time, many parents were confronted with unemployment or remote working while facing new responsibilities and more challenges on a financial and psychological level, elements that combined with the possible limited home space is proven to burden the individual's capabilities and autonomy [46,47]. According to an online survey carried out in northern Italy, a very high percentage, 93.9%, of families found the quarantine to be a demanding period.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 67%

“…The closure lasted for months or even a year, especially for young children, Phelps and Sperry [55] point out that the focus of adjustments was on the restoring of the academic process online rather than providing emotional and behavioral help and support for children in need. For some autistic children, online education while schools were kept closed was experienced with relief from stress and the fear of social criticism exposure through social interaction [46], but in other cases, many children experienced current change as a source of anxiety and stress. Both perspectives are reflected in research [47].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Containment Measures on Families and Children with Moderate and High-Functioning ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)

et al. 2021

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The present study focuses on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) transmission prevention measures and, in particular, home confinement of families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Greece. It is assumed that the implemented new measures during the pandemic constitute a profound change for children on the spectrum, considering that the core ASD symptoms include the persistence and adherence to routine and stability, a condition that also directly affects the children’s parents. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted. Participants were 10 caregivers with a child diagnosed with ASD of medium or high functioning in Greece. The ages of the children range from 6.5 to 15 years old. The results of the thematic analysis revealed three main themes: (1) the educational framework, (2) the management of daily life, and (3) the construction of the new daily routine. These three themes represent the levels that have undergone a decisive transition, and the sub-themes recommend the areas, individual ways of dealing with this shift. So far, the impact of the pandemic mitigation measures cannot be described as generally positive or negative, as there have been advances and setbacks for children and families alike. Finally, governmental measures and technology-assisted teaching (distance learning) were considered necessary but not sufficient enough for full adaptation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 67%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Containment Measures on Families and Children with Moderate and High-Functioning ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)

et al. 2021

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“…The impact of school closure, shift to online schooling, and physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic Schools often provide opportunities for interventions including specialized education, mental health care [31], and social interaction; they are critical for regulation of behaviors. On the other hand, school can also be a highly challenging setting for some autistic individuals due to academic difficulties, co-occurring ADHD or anxiety [2], and high risk of school and cyber-bullying from peers [32,33]. All of these factors contribute to trauma, depression, anxiety, and suicidality [32,34].…”

Section: The Impact Of Environment Changes and Disrupted Routines Durmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coping, fostering resilience, and driving care innovation for autistic people and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

et al. 2020

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The new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is changing how society operates. Environmental changes, disrupted routines, and reduced access to services and social networks will have a unique impact on autistic individuals and their families and will contribute to significant deterioration in some. Access to support is crucial to address vulnerability factors, guide adjustments in home environments, and apply mitigation strategies to improve coping. The current crisis highlights that our regular care systems are not sufficient to meet the needs of the autism communities. In many parts of the world, people have shifted to online school and increased use of remote delivery of healthcare and autism supports. Access to these services needs to be increased to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19 and future epidemics/pandemics. The rapid expansion in the use of telehealth platforms can have a positive impact on both care and research. It can help to address key priorities for the autism communities including long waitlists for assessment and care, access to services in remote locations, and restricted hours of service. However, system-level changes are urgently needed to ensure equitable access and flexible care models, especially for families and individuals who are socioeconomically disadvantaged. COVID-19 mandates the use of technology to support a broader range of care options and better meet the diverse needs of autistic people and their families. It behooves us to use this crisis as an opportunity to foster resilience not only for a given individual or their family, but also the system: to drive enduring and autism-friendly changes in healthcare, social systems, and the broader socio-ecological contexts.

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“…A growing number of studies have shown that as a group, youth with autism experience an elevated rate of bullying victimization than their typically developing peers and peers with other types of neurodevelopmental conditions (Forrest et al, 2020; Maiano et al, 2016). In the current sample, 39% of youth with autism were reported to have been the victim of bullying in the past month based on maternal report, with rates increasing to 41% the following year.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cross-lagged model of bullying victimization and mental health problems in children with autism in middle to older childhood

Rodriguez

Drastal

Hartley

2020

Autism

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Youth with autism spectrum conditions have been shown to be at an increased risk for bullying victimization. The overall aim of this study was to identify factors associated with increased risk for bullying victimization in youth with autism during middle childhood to early adolescence (aged 5–12 years) and to explore the potential time-ordered associations between bullying victimization and mental health problems 12 months later. The average age of the youth with autism was 7.90 years ( SD = 2.33), 86% were male, 34.6% had an intellectual disability, and 84% were White, non-Hispanic. Youth with autism who experienced bullying victimization (vs no victimization) were older in age, had more severe autism symptoms, and higher levels of internalizing and externalizing mental health problems at study onset. Using two cross-lagged structural equation models, the associations between maternal report of youth bullying victimization and teacher report of youth mental health problems using two waves of data were tested. Internalizing and externalizing mental health problems at Time 1 did not relate to change in likelihood of being bullied 1 year later. In contrast, bullying victimization at Time 1 was associated with an increase in internalizing mental health problems ( β = 0.24, p < 0.05). Lay Abstract Youth with autism spectrum disorders are disproportionately at risk for bullying victimization compared to typically developing children and adolescents. While internalizing and externalizing mental health problems have been linked to victimization experiences, few studies have examined the longitudinal effects bullying victimization experiences may have on youth mental health outcomes. The present study investigated longitudinal associations between bullying victimization and mental health problems in a sample of children with autism in middle childhood to early adolescence (aged 5 to 12 years). Findings from our study suggest that youth with autism who experienced bullying victimization (versus no victimization) were older in age, had more severe autism symptoms, and higher levels of internalizing and externalizing mental health problems at study onset. Though externalizing mental health problems at study onset (Time 1) did not relate to change in the likelihood of being bullied one year later (Time 2), experiences of bullying victimization did relate to an increase in parent reports of internalizing mental health problems. This study expanded on previous cross-sectional studies by including two waves of data in a relatively large sample of youth with autism and highlights important information that may be helpful in adapting approaches to intervention at the individual level. Moreover, our findings support the need for bullying programs that may need to focus particular attention to subgroups of youth with autism who may be most at-risk for bullying victimization such as those with more autism symptoms and those with past experiences of victimization (given the chronic nature of bullying).

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Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms and Bullying Victimization Among Children with Autism in the United States

Cited by 47 publications

References 32 publications

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Containment Measures on Families and Children with Moderate and High-Functioning ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Containment Measures on Families and Children with Moderate and High-Functioning ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)

Coping, fostering resilience, and driving care innovation for autistic people and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

Cross-lagged model of bullying victimization and mental health problems in children with autism in middle to older childhood

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