Supporting Social Inclusion for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Insights from Research and Practice

Bullying and social vulnerability of students with ASD 39

TABLE 3.1 Steps for reducing bullying victimization in students with ASD

Step Things to do

Step 1. Plan and develop a

bullying program for students

with ASD

Cooperative work between teachers and

parents of students with ASD either by direct

meeting with parents or indirect meeting with

parents

Identify an individual student’s needs

Create multiple scenarios using the ABC

recording system (antecedent event–

behavior–consequence event)

Step 2. Educate the individual

student about bullying

Provide students with ASD education about

bullying

Discuss with these students what bullying

behavior entails in a concrete approach

Step 3. Teach how to cope with

and report bullying to adults in

a controlled environment and

practice

Introduce these skills explicitly and systematically

in a controlled environment

Utilize various types of behavior strategies (video

modeling, social story, role-play)

Train students with ASD on how to report

potential bullying incidents

Step 4. Teach controlled

generalization

Provide opportunities to practice skills in a less

controlled small group and finally in a larger

group environment

Include other students and siblings as a practice

partner in practice

Break down skills into components

Step 5. Implement a monitoring

system

Plan how to monitor the program

Develop a monitoring system (self-monitoring,

parents’ daily report card)

Check the students’ progress regularly

Preparing students with ASD for bullying situations begins with education and
is maintained through training both students and teachers how to respond to bul-
lying or disrespectful behavior. Hong et al. (2015) constructed a step-wise model to
prevent and deal with victimization in a school setting (see Table 3.1):
Individuals with ASD and their caregivers can begin to decrease the risk of ASD
victimization and bullying by becoming educated about bullying, learning how to
cope with bullying, teaching controlled generalization, implementing a monitoring
system at school, and planning and/or participating in a prevention program.

Source: Hong, E. R., Neely, L., and Lund, E. M. (2015). Addressing bullying of students with
Autism: Suggestions for families and educators. Intervention in School and Clinic, 50 (3), 157–62.
doi:10.1177/1053451214542047.